SOS! – Saving the Ocular Surface symposium speakers

Johanna Choremis, MD, DABO
Walter T. Delpero, MD, DABO
W. Bruce Jackson, MD
Louis Racine, MD
Setareh Ziai, MD

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Johanna Choremis, MD, DABO

Dr. Choremis received her medical doctorate from McGill University on a Hugh Brock Scholarship. She went on to do an ophthalmology residency at the same university. She then performed a clinical and surgical fellowship in cornea, external disease, anterior segment and refractive surgery at Tufts University, in Boston, with part of her training completed at the Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston. She received an EA Baker fellowship award for this training and her research focused on conductive keratoplasty.

Dr. Choremis has cross appointments as assistant professor of ophthalmology at both McGill University and University of Montreal. Her main practice is at Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont. Her clinical and research interests include dry eye disease and complex corneal transplantation surgery. She has participated in many local and international conferences.

Financial disclosure: I have/had an affiliation (financial or otherwise) with a commercial organization.

1. Allergan
2. Santen
3. Shire

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Walter T. Delpero, MD, DABO

After receiving his medical degree at the University of Toronto in 1984, Dr. Delpero completed his residency in ophthalmology at the University of Ottawa and practiced ophthalmology at the National Defence Medical Centre. After retiring from the Canadian Armed Forces in 1996 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and head of the department of ophthalmology, he entered private practice as a comprehensive ophthalmologist. He remains the consultant ophthalmologist for the Department of National Defence, Transport Canada and Health Canada, and is also an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa, Department of Ophthalmology. He has held the positions at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada as chair of the Examination Board for ophthalmology and subsequently as specialty chair.

Dr. Delpero maintains special interest in cataract surgery, adult strabismus and aviation ophthalmology. Currently he chairs the Clinical Practice Guideline Committee for the Canadian Ophthalmological Society and has been involved in the development and publication of several clinical practice guidelines.

Financial disclosure: I do not have any affiliation (financial or otherwise) with a commercial organization.

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W. Bruce Jackson, MD

Dr. Jackson completed his medical training at University of Western Ontario and residency in ophthalmology at McGill University. This was followed by a fellowship at the Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco in cornea and external disease. He was professor and chair of ophthalmology at McGill (1987-1991), and chair and director general of the University of Ottawa Eye Institute (1991-2008).

Dr. Jackson moved from Ottawa to Peterborough, Ontario in December 2014 and continues his subspecialty practice in cornea and external disease with an emphasis on ocular surface disease at the Peterborough Clinic. He is a participant on several pharmaceutical advisory boards and presents clinical and research studies at major meetings. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and chapters related to refractive surgery, dry eye disease and new therapies, as well as training many cornea fellows. Dr. Jackson is the recipient of the COS Lifetime Achievement Award; Castroviejo Medal, Cornea Society; and Senior Achievement Award, AOA.

Financial disclosure: I have/had an affiliation (financial or otherwise) with a commercial organization:

1. Allergan
2. Concordia International
3. Santen
4. Shire

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Louis Racine, MD

Dr. Racine completed his medical degree and residency in ophthalmology at the Université de Montréal. Following this, he was awarded a grant by the E.A. Baker Foundation for Prevention of Blindness to complete his post-doctoral fellowship training in cornea, cataract and laser refractive surgery. He spent a first year at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and a second year with the Rothschild Foundation in Paris, France.

Dr. Racine has vast experience in treating ocular surface disease with a special interest in dry eye disease, a topic on which he frequently lectures. In Canada, he is also one of the cornea specialists with the most experience treating patients with keratoconus through the use of corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) and topography-guided laser.

Dr. Racine is currently an associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of Montreal and practices at Hôpital Notre-Dame of the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) where he teaches cataract surgery to ophthalmology residents and specializes in corneal transplant and refractive surgery.

Financial disclosure: I have/had an affiliation (financial or otherwise) with a commercial organization:

1. Allergan
2. Bayer
3. Bausch and Lomb
4. Shire

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Setareh Ziai, MD

Dr. Ziai is an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Ottawa Eye Institute. She has completed two years of fellowship training in cornea, external disease, anterior segment and refractive surgery.

Her practice encompasses tertiary care clinical and surgical ophthalmology, with a focus on ocular surface disease, corneal transplantation, ocular tumour resection, anterior segment reconstruction and complex cataract surgery. She is heavily involved in clinical research, resident and surgical fellow training, as well as with the ophthalmic medical technology training program at the University of Ottawa Eye Institute.

Financial disclosure: I have/had an affiliation (financial or otherwise) with a commercial organization.

1. AMO
2. Allergan
3. Labtician
4. Santen
5. Shire