Eyeworld

40 | EYEWORLD | SPRING 2024 ASCRS NEWS by Ellen Stodola Editorial Co-Director About the physician Nir Shoham-Hazon, MD Assistant Professor Dalhousie University, Halifax NS, Miramichi NB Campus Clinical Assistant Professor Memorial University of Newfoundland, Miramichi NB Campus Eye Physician and Surgeon Glaucoma & Advanced Anterior Segment Surgery (GAASS) Director, Miramichi EyeNB & Surgical Centre of Excellence Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada Dr. Shoham-Hazon completed his residency in Israel. He was interested in both teaching and research and took an early interest in glaucoma. "In 2010, I was accepted and did Ike Ahmed's fellowship on glaucoma and advanced anterior segment surgery," he said. As a glauco- ma surgeon, one must master complex cataract 'adventures,' as those arise frequently in this cohort of patients. Dr. Shoham-Hazon said he was particularly interested in participating in and teaching skills transfer labs at the ASCRS Annual Meeting, wanting to expand the glaucoma offerings, and he suggested to organizers that a course on tra- beculectomies and tube shunts should be added as an option. He led this course for several years and noted that there was a lot of interest. "We had a lot of industry support. Industry was keen on educating comprehensive ophthalmol- ogists about trabeculectomies and various tube shunts," he said. Dr. Shoham-Hazon continued to be in- volved in teaching opportunities with ASCRS skills transfer labs when he introduced MIGS to the programming. "It was an amazing oppor- tunity to transition from the tubes and trabs to teaching minimally invasive glaucoma surgery in the skills transfer labs," he said. "That has been going on for almost 10 years now, and I'm the lead instructor. I have been doing it because of my love for the profession and my desire to help comprehensive ophthalmologists and younger surgeons acquire the skills to help their patients, not only in cataract surgery but in glaucoma surgical care." Cataract and glaucoma are common comorbidities; hence, it would be beneficial to the patient to have both diseases treated at the time of cataract surgery. Our glaucoma patients are fortunate to be living in an era where we can treat them with a safe and effective procedure with a recovery time that is similar to cataract surgery recovery, benefiting from a MIGS procedure at the same time. Dr. Shoham-Hazon said he feels fortunate to be able to contribute by leading these labs and is looking forward to adding to the MIGS offerings this year with expanded programming. Nir Shoham-Hazon, MD, to receive 2024 ASCRS Educator Award "He has extensive academic knowledge, he is collabora- tive, and he genuinely cares about his students' progress, his patients, and promoting research within and outside of his community. Dr. Shoham-Hazon is a profes- sional model and exemplary clinician researcher. He is inclusive and team-oriented and instills a passion for research for those who are fortunate enough to be mentored by him. Dr. Shoham-Ha- zon is both a leader and collaborator within the ophthalmology community." —A nomination for Nir Shoham-Hazon, MD, to receive the ASCRS Educator Award T he embodiment of a teacher clinician scientist, an admirable teacher and physician, a close mentor to his learn- ers: These are just a few descriptions from those nominating the recipient of this year's ASCRS Educator Award, Nir Shoham-Hazon, MD. He was described as "an approachable person who is patient and does not hesitate to take all the necessary time to allow his students to achieve the best of them- selves." Dr. Shoham-Hazon has been involved in education and academics even before he got into ophthalmology. "Halfway through medical school, I developed a passion for research and teaching and stumbled across ophthalmology," he said. Dr. Shoham-Hazon's interest in oph- thalmology stemmed from a LASIK procedure that he underwent. "I thought it was an amaz- ing thing to go from requiring glasses from the moment I opened my eyes in the morning until I shut them at night to being completely inde- pendent of glasses for 20 years after that. That was life changing. It was a safe procedure, and my results were amazing, and I wanted to make these life-changing events for patients." This spurred Dr. Shoham-Hazon to research more about LASIK and ophthalmology. "I inter- viewed for residency and had a few research projects and papers under my belt, so I was accepted into ophthalmology," he said. continued on page 42

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