Recognized as Founder of Modern Corneal Science

NEW ORLEANS– The American Academy of Ophthalmology is presenting its highest honor – the 2007 Laureate Recognition Award – to Claes H. Dohlman, MD, PhD, for his distinguished career and contributions to ophthalmology. Dr. Dohlman is to receive the award on November 11 at the Academy's 2007 Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans. . In addition, a new Harvard Medical School professorship named in his honor will be announced at a special reception for Dr. Dohlman held on November 9.

“This honor acknowledges the debt that we all owe to Dr. Dohlman for his contributions to the profession,” said C.P. Wilkinson, MD, president of the Academy. “In addition to his own remarkable work, his commitment to teaching and education has enabled many of his students to leave their mark on the field of ophthalmology. We are proud to honor his outstanding accomplishments.”

Internationally recognized as the founder of modern corneal science and for his years of teaching young ophthalmologists in the field of cornea, Dr. Dohlman has made an extraordinary impact on the field of modern corneal surgery. As a professor, researcher, writer and scientist, Dr. Dohlman has dedicated his life to surgical innovations in keratoplasty and keratoprosthesis. Along with his clinical and laboratory collaborators, he has developed artificial cornea designs, surgical techniques, postoperative treatments, and repair procedures to a degree that has made this procedure considerably more successful.

A native of Uppsala, Sweden, Dr. Dohlman earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Lund in 1950. In 1958, Dr. Dohlman was invited to go to Boston and work at the Retina Foundation (now Schepens Eye Research Institute), as well as at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Harvard Medical School. A laboratory for corneal physiology that he started at the Retina Foundation grew rapidly and the cornea service at the infirmary became a large referral service for complicated cornea patients and a program for two-year fellowship training and research.

In 1968, Dr. Dohlman was appointed assistant professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, becoming a full professor in 1974. That same year he became chairman of Harvard’s Department of Ophthalmology, chief of Ophthalmology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and director of the Howe Laboratory of Ophthalmology at Harvard.

In 1989, Dr. Dohlman retired from the administrative positions but continued to work full-time with corneal patients. His bibliography lists some 275 publications. At this time, at age 85, Dr. Dohlman is still pursuing his work on a full-time basis as professor of ophthalmology.

About the American Academy of Ophthalmology
AAO is the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons — Eye M.D.s — with more than 27,000 members worldwide. Eye health care is provided by the three “O’s” — opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. It is the ophthalmologist, or Eye M.D., who can treat it all: eye diseases and injuries, and perform eye surgery. To find an Eye M.D. in your area, visit the Academy's Web site at www.aao.org.