Newswise — Dr. Dimitri Azar, B.A. Field Endowed Chair of Ophthalmologic Research at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, is the 2009 recipient of the Lans Distinguished Award from the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
The award is given to leaders in the field of refractive, cornea, cataract and lens-based surgery. It is named for Leedert J. Lans, a renowned ophthalmology researcher who defined the basics of refractive surgery -- surgery that corrects problems of visual acuity.
Azar has made significant contributions to the treatment of corneal diseases and refractive surgery through sophisticated analysis and application of advanced optics. His research has resulted in better understanding of corneal wound healing, the applications and complications of laser keratectomy (corneal surgery), and the molecular organization of the normal and injured cornea.
Azar became professor and head of ophthalmology and visual science at UIC in 2006, coming from the faculty of Harvard Medical School. He was named a University Scholar earlier this year. He has published more than 177 peer-reviewed articles, more than 185 other articles and book chapters, and well over 100 abstracts. He is the editor or co-editor of 14 books on cornea and refractive surgery.
Azar has taught and mentored more than 80 research and clinical fellows in cornea, external diseases and refractive surgery and countless residents. In addition, he has pioneered novel approaches to ophthalmology continuing education -- developing the Illinois Eye Review, an annual course introduced in 2008.
U.S. News and World Report ranked The Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary of the University of Illinois Medical Center one of America's Best Hospitals for Ophthalmology.
The International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology is the leading organization for refractive surgeons, with members in more than 80 countries. The award will be presented at the society's gala at the American Academy of Ophthalmology's joint meeting Oct. 23 in San Francisco.
UIC ranks among the nation's top 50 universities in federal research funding and is Chicago's largest university with 25,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world.
For more information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu
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