ESCRS Council Elections 2023

I have worked in the field of cataract and refractive surgery in recent 20 years, and published over 200 papers in this subfield, and a few textbooks. I am included in TOP 2% ranking of world-best scientists prepared by Stanford University for 2019-2022 and according to Expertscape worldwide ranking: No 1 in cataract extraction, and No 2 in Endophthalmitis. I feel deeply honored to be included in the 'Top 100 Most Influential and Inspirational People in Ophthalmology' within the TOP 20, as published by The Ophthalmologist in The Power List 2023, among giants of contemporary Ophthalmology. 

My major scientific interests include artificial intelligence, ocular infections prevention and treatment, and economization of healthcare - all of them important topics for ESCRS. I have recently co-founded International Society of AI in Ophthalmology (https://iaisoc.com) and believe that artificial intelligence will play an important role in the future of Ophthalmology. I have been active as member of the ISRS International Council, Euretina (co-opted board member 2016-2018), life-long member of European Academy of Ophthalmology (EAO), and chairman of Polish Presbyopia Club. I have chaired the EVER cataract/ lens section in years 2018-2023, and been recently elected EVER President (2023-2024).

I would be happy to increase cooperation of ESCRS with other important ophthalmic European societies, including EVER and EAO. I would like to develop ESCRS evidenced-based recommendations, educational programs in poorer parts of Europe, and ESCRS Surveys - I believe that they help us better understand trends in clinical practice and educational needs.

Glory to Ukraine!

I would like to state my intention to participate in the upcoming ESCRS elections as a candidate for the Board of Directors.

I have lived in Thessaloniki, Greece, for the last 23 years, since the completion of my studies and subspecialty training in London, UK. Three elements have my professional carrier: exploring the potentials of anterior segment surgery, transferring knowledge and experience, and most of all caring for the patient.

I have served on the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Society of Intraocular Implant and Refractive Surgery (HSIOIRS) since 2009, as a treasurer and for the last 4 years as its President. We upgraded our program for the education and training of young ophthalmologists – the YES project –, with specially designed web tools, dedicated Congress, and the upcoming Surgical Simulator.

I have been Greece’s representative at the International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS), and a full member of the European Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) since 2000. My role as a leader in the HSIOIRS has given me the opportunity to collaborate with the ESCRS, through many joint ventures: local organizing committee for 2017, and 2019 Winter ESCRS, organizer of the first ESCRS Connect Academy webinar, participating in the Moving Simulators project, and Sustainability in Ophthalmology. 

Collaborating with ESCRS has been a rewarding experience. I feel very close to the spirit of society and would like to contribute to its forward-thinking efforts to promote and support medical practice, study, and research in our field of interest.

My name is Christina Grupcheva and my academic career and positions are based on teaching, education, knowledge transfer and research. I am also actively practicing ophthalmologist with expertise in complicated cataract-refractive, and corneal surgery, utilizing new technologies such as 3D microscopy, femtosecond laser and experimental devices such as capsulaser. I walked the long way from intracapsular cataract extraction to the contemporary high-tech phacoemulsification.

I hold positions as an educator and opinion leader in numerous learned societies. In the past I was a Chair of the education committee and subsequently The President of the European Board of Ophthalmology.

At this stage of my career I am prepared to dedicate time, effort and expertise in order to contribute to the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. The clear goals for promotion of science, education and professional development are not only my professional vision, by also my mission in life. Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed medical procedure in the world, therefore requires fast growing resources and flexible mechanisms for exchanging knowledge and innovations readily available to the ESCRS peers. I truly believe that I can apply my long mastered skills and teaching expertise in the numerous activities and initiatives of ESCRS. I am also, strongly motivated to contribute for development, preparation and organization of the FEBOS exam.

I am motivated, prepared and hope that I can contribute to the ESCRS!

Already involved in the ESCRS circle as a national specialist in refractive cataract, I have the honor to run for election.

I am currently one of the two heads of department of ophthalmology in Cochin hospital, Paris, especially in charge of the OR. I am a high-volume surgeon with approximately one thousand procedures per year. I have a double expertise in refractive cataract and in inflammation, with a PhD in Immunogenetics, and I am more particularly studying the link between HLA and diseases. I think this second area of expertise could be useful to the ESCRS, as most of the anterior segment diseases and surgery have a link with inflammation and/or genetics.

I actively participated in the Femcat study comparing manual and Femto-assisted cataract surgery, the results of which were published in the Lancet in 2020. Besides, I work on the simplification of anesthesia in cataract surgery through clinical research.

I have a sensitivity for sustainable development; I think that we have a considerable margin of progress in this matter, and I will be very proud to join the ESCRS and its positioning in that field.

I am also the current vice-president and will be president in 2 years of the French national society in cataract and refractive surgery SAFIR. By this position, I wish to strengthen the link between our two societies, by encouraging the participation of my French colleagues and will be very happy to be at the service of the ESCRS and its ambassador in the world.

As the Head and Chairman of the largest Ophthalmology Department in Poland, and the Head of the Postgraduate Education College of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, I would like to participate - as a lecturer - in the training of European residents, and help organize programs within the ESCRS. The ESCRS is an organization with significant capacity for knowledge transfer and research organization. Therefore, I would also like to contribute to further extension of the Society’s educational services so that knowledge can be shared according to the recommendations, and in line with the strategies of the ESCRS.

My research focuses on cataract and refractive surgery, presbyopia, IOLs, cornea and glaucoma. I am the author/co-author of 300 published scientific papers and over 650 presentations at International and Polish Congresses.

I am the President Elect of the Polish Society of Ophthalmology, where I have acted as a Board Member (since 2010) and President of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Section. In the ESCRS I was a Member of a Focus Group, a co-opted Board Member (2014 – 2015), and a Board Member in the years 2016-2019. I have been active in the Education and Charity Committees, EBO-ESCRS Exam Board as well as an ESCRS Academy speaker and WetLab instructor during ESCRS Congresses. I will continue to be at your disposal to work hard in many different ESCRS committees in order to secure the highest educational and scientific quality as it has always been and should be in the future.

Dear ESCRS member,

ESCRS’ mission is to support research and education and these are also my personal values. Specifically, I have:

• Actively supported ESCRS for 20 years as faculty member in 28 instructional courses and giving more than 63 presentations and invited lectures.
• Bridged the private and public sectors by chairing a University Eye Clinic (Geneva) and co-founding two private institutes in Zurich with a strong translational research component (IROC and ELZA Institute).
• Besides my work as clinician and surgeon, I am very active in conducting research by leading both a basic research laboratory at the University of Zurich and a clinical research team at the ELZA institute.
• Helped change clinical practice in terms how corneal ectasias and infections are treated.
• Published over 240 peer-reviewed publications and have been cited more than 13,000 times, with an h index of 57.
• Co-organized the annual CXL Experts’ Meeting since 2005.
• Co-founded the Light for Sight Foundation, which currently is active in more than two dozen countries. 

My passion is to educate ophthalmologists across the world, trying to overcome geographical, cultural and language barriers. 

As council member, my aim would be to proudly represent ESCRS while continuing my international educational and research efforts, enlarging the outreach. Also, I want to encourage young people to pursue their interests to make their career fulfilling.

I respectfully ask for your support in the ESCRS Council election as candidate from Switzerland.

Sincerely, Farhad Hafezi
CV and publication list: https://linktr.ee/farhadhafezi

Hello, my name is Joaquín Fernández, from Spain, and I present my candidacy for the ESCRS Council Election.

As Members of the ESCRS, we should feel extremely proud that our Organization has become the leading Scientific Society for Anterior Segment Surgeons worldwide, thanks to the dedicated efforts of our past Presidents and the Board in maintaining its Scientific Rigor.

Continuing with that line, developing training policies that empower our Members with Critical Reading Skills for Scientific Articles and provide them with the highest levels of corroborated Evidence, we can further enhance the Value that ESCRS brings to our Decision-Making Process regarding the Visual Health-Care of our Patients in Clinical Practice. With all humility, I would like to collaborate in this endeavor, building upon my 4 years of training in the Master in Evidence-Based Medicine at the University of Oxford and my work as Coordinator of the Evidence-Based Medicine Area for the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology and the Spanish Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

For these reasons, it would be a true Honor for me to receive your vote in the ESCRS Council Election. 

Please accept my sincerest Appreciation and my Warmest Regards, Dear Colleague.

Dear fellow members of ESCRS,

It is with great honour and enthusiasm that I put myself forward as a candidate for the ESCRS board elections.

As a long-time member of ESCRS I have seen first-hand how impactful the meetings have been. The meetings encourage collaboration, education and innovation. It is for these reasons I am passionate about the society and I wish to be part of its future development.

If elected, I pledge to work tirelessly to promote the highest standards of the society. A particular interest is developing further resources for skills development as knowledge has no limit. Young ophthalmologists are the future, I am passionate about supporting their development as well as shaping and creating initiatives that could greatly benefit all members of the society. I humbly ask for your vote and support in this election.

Together, I am confident that we can continue the development of ESCRS for the benefit of all. 

Thank you for your consideration. Julian Stevens

I am a cataract, cornea and refractive surgery Consultant at the Sussex Eye Hospital, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom, where I lead cataract, cornea, contact lens & research departments. I am a honorary senior clinical lecturer at the Brighton & Sussex Medical School and have received several research grants from institutions (e.g., ESCRS MEROV study grant) and industry.

I have published >110 papers in high-impact journals, including RCTs, Cochrane reviews, case-control, cohort, and retrospective studies and have >300 national and international presentations. I contribute as the organiser, committee member, panelist, or faculty at several national and international meetings, including ESCRS, ASCRS, RCOphth, BSRS, etc. I am a Section Editor of Eye and an Editorial board member of Current Eye Research & IJKECD journals, and I have been a reviewer for 12 ophthalmology journals for the past two decades and a member of ‘The JCRS 100 club’. I am a member of the Scientific & Cataract workforce committees at RCOphth and the Cataract guidelines committee at the ESCRS. I serve as a chief examiner for CertLRS at RCOphth, Honorary Secretary at the UKISCRS and have been programme lead at UKISCRS. I am a council member at the BSRS. 

If elected to the ESCRS council with your support, through my experience, knowledge, and enthusiasm, I will further the role of clinical research and continuous learning concerning constantly evolving techniques & technologies and further intensify the role of ESCRS in the clinical & surgical progress of ophthalmologists globally.

My name is Nic Reus and I stand for re-election to the council of the ESCRS. I would like to be your voice and advocate on the council for another 4 years.

I finished my residency in 2009 and then focused on cataract surgery at the Rotterdam Eye Hospital (the Netherlands). Since 2014, I have been working at the Ophthalmology department of the Amphia hospital in Breda, the Netherlands, where I have continued to train many residents in cataract surgery.

In the ESCRS, I am the current Chair of the Young Ophthalmologists (YO) Committee and of the European Society of Ophthalmic Nurses and Technicians (ESONT). I have been teaching courses and wetlabs at the ESCRS meetings since 2011. Since 2016, I have been a member of the Programme Committee. I enjoy creating excellent educational resources for both young and senior ophthalmologists. I also enjoy mentoring the future educators in cataract and refractive surgery. With ESONT, we have recently developed several new courses to further improve the skills of ophthalmic personnel.

Besides ESCRS, I have served on the board of the Netherlands Intraocular Implant Club (NIOIC) since 2009 and became its Secretary in 2022. I am also passionate about scientific research and have authored 44 peer-reviewed articles on topics such as straylight and patient-reported outcome measures. 

If you re-elect me, I will continue to strive for good educational content, mentor the next generation of educators, and engage more national YO societies. I hope you will support me in this election.

Dear friends and colleagues

I am Sathish Srinivasan a consultant corneal and cataract surgeon at University Hospital Ayr in Ayr, Scotland and Professor of Health and Life Sciences at the University of West of Scotland. I have been a member of the ESCRS for well over a decade.

My clinical interests are in lamellar corneal surgery, laser refractive surgery, micro incision cataract surgery and anterior segment reconstruction. I have published over 130 papers in peer-reviewed journals, has over 100 scientific presentations in national and International meetings. I have been working as the European Associate Editor of the Journal of Cataract and refractive surgery since 2015. I have also been a member of the editorial board of the Euro times and member of the publications committee of the ESCRS since 2015. I was the president of the UK and Ireland Society of cataract and refractive surgery from 2020 to 2022.

I believe these opportunities have given me enough experience to apply for the upcoming council election of the ESCRS. I am passionate about education, teaching and clinical research. Being a part of the ESCRS board will give me the opportunity to work with my colleagues in finding new ways to educate and train the current and the next generation of Ophthalmologists. My personal values about education training are in very much aligned to the ESCRS mission and vision to educate and help our peers excel.

I would be extremely honoured and grateful to receive your support.

Broad background:

Prior to my residency in ophthalmology, I spent 8 years in clinical research and the pharmaceutical industry. Since founding the Vista Alpina Eye Clinic (Switzerland) in 2008, I have been working and teaching there, living out my passion for quality and innovation, and mastering the many challenges ophthalmic surgeons face every day. I also have an MBA degree and speak fluent English, German, French and Flemish. -passion for refractive cataract surgery and clinical research- Besides teaching and operating (2000 surgeries per year), I am very interested in clinical research, with a special focus on refractive cataract surgery and phakic lenses. In 2014, I received the "Best Presentation Award" at the ESCRS Congress for my work on improving toric IOL design. My current research focus is EDOF lenses, specifically (double-blind!) head-to-head comparisons of some of the new EDOF lenses. 

Board experience:

I have 5 years of experience as a board member of the Swiss Society of Ophthalmology and successfully introduced innovative flat fees for ophthalmic surgeries in Switzerland in 2018 as president of the tariff committee. -ESCRS Board- As an ESCRS board member, I would like to work on clinical guidelines that are practical and easy to implement in daily practice, in collaboration with other ophthalmology societies. Second, I would like to help ESCRS promote clinical trials that put new lenses and technologies to the test by conducting randomized, comparative studies instead of backing up companies' advertising claims with non-comparative observational studies.

Thank you for your vote! - Kristof Vandekerckhove

I am the Head of the Society of Ukrainian Ophthalmic Surgeons during last 5 years. Our Society is affiliative Society of the ESCRS. For this period of time we started a lot of educational programs. Every year we hold annual surgical Congress "Ophthalmic Light. Ophthalmic Surgery in Ukraine" and many master-classes in all directions of ophthalmic surgery from cataract surgery to vitreoretinal surgery and blepharoplasty. Every year more than 1000 Ukrainian ophthalmologists participate in our educational projects. Two times in 2019 and 2023 during our National Congress we held satellite symposium of the ESCRS with participation of President and main members of Board of the ESCRS. 

Last year became the real challenge personally for me and for all Ukrainian people, including Ukrainian ophthalmologists. Our Society concentrated all our efforts on humanitarian projects to help Ukrainian people in this unprecedented military aggression from Russia. All civilian countries and people united in wish to help Ukraine in this war. I am very proud of our cooperation with ESCRS and other organizations. Our common personal efforts allowed distributing of humanitarian goods in all Ukrainian ophthalmic departments and hospitals on more than 2,5 million Euros. Thanks to this, thousands Ukrainian military and civilian patients could receive high-quality ophthalmic care and prevent blindness. I, as the Head of Ophthalmic Clinic "Visiobud", have already operated hundreds Ukrainian combatants. We do all this operation free of charge.

I hope, that my election in the Board will give new possibilities for Ukrainian ophthalmology and for the ESCRS.

I humbly request your vote to join ESCRS Council. 

I love ESCRS as the best ophthalmic society in the world. I have attended ESCRS Congress annually for the last 14 years and admire its ability to be a leader in clinical care, education and research. It has been my honour to organise symposia at main congress and winter meetings, as well as to teach didactically on surgical skills courses or to present research papers and surgical videos. My dedication to ESCRS is clear in my previous roles. As a Young Ophthalmologists committee member, I organised and chaired Young Ophthalmologist speaker sessions and poster conferences. I have reviewed abstracts for inclusion in ESCRS congresses and contributed to JCRS (the journal of ESCRS) both as an author and as a reviewer. ESCRS has trained me as a surgeon, committee member and author, and has given me lifelong friendships with colleagues across the world. I will be a positive addition to ESCRS Council. As a resident, I was the lead for the Young Ophthalmologists Programme of the United Kingdom & Ireland Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (UKISCRS), where I arranged symposia and masterclasses that greatly increased resident attendance. As an ESCRS Young Ophthalmologist, I attended Council meetings and understand what the role involves.

My supporters tell me I am collaborative and energetic, and I wish to bring these qualities to give back to the Society that has made me the person I am today. 

Thank you for your vote.

In a changing world, ESCRS needs to help us understand and use emerging digital technologies. 

In my first term as a Council Member, I have been a strong voice for digital transformation in ESCRS, leading the development of the Digital Health Special Interest Group, organising symposia on deep learning and generative AI, and helping to create new ESCRS research funding for digital health projects. 

With your support, I would like to continue this work, and to create new opportunities for you to get involved.