Eyeworld

50 | EYEWORLD | SPRING 2024 ASCRS NEWS Contact Berdahl: john.berdahl@vance thompsonvision.com by Ellen Stodola Editorial Co-Director About the physician John Berdahl, MD Vance Thompson Vision Sioux Falls, South Dakota takeoff in 2024. Be the first to learn about the debut. The Winning Pitch Challenge puts three start-up ophthalmologist innovators on stage in a Shark Tank-like environment where an esteemed panel of judges and the audience will decide who wins the cash prizes worth $45,000. See all the top new companies tell their story with Presenting Company Showcases on a variety of topics and technologies. Eyecelerator will dive deep with the FDA and determine if the dry eye landscape is indeed drying out or if it remains a fertile opportunity for investors. There will also be networking opportunities with the industry shapers, and the event will wrap up with the People's Choice Awards and a networking reception. Eyecelerator is a great way for ophthal- mologists, innovators, and industry to dive into their Annual Meeting experience," Dr. Berdahl said. "It has become a can't miss event." Eyecelerator back at ASCRS E yecelerator, the most attended inno- vation meeting, is back to kick off the ASCRS Annual Meeting. Eyecelerator @ ASCRS will take place all day Thursday, April 4, at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport. This year's program is led by co-chairs John Berdahl, MD, and Julie Schallhorn, MD, and program director Gil Kliman, MD. "Eyecelerator represents the best of oph- thalmology. Not only is it a collaboration between industry and ophthalmologists, it is a collaboration between our two biggest societies, AAO and ASCRS," Dr. Berdahl said. Eyecelerator will set the stage with a state of the union address diving into market over- view and a data-driven look at trends and capital markets. Then, it will follow the money as top financiers discuss who's making money, who's losing money, and who's willing to spend it. Back by popular demand is the Wheels Up session, a showcase of new products attempting Peter Choyce, BSc, MBBS, MS, FRCS, FRCOphth (1919–2001), was an early pioneer, innovator, and advocate for intraocular lenses. "Dr. Choyce embodies the maverick spirit that was within the founding DNA of ASCRS. He was principled and fought strongly for the use and development of IOLs," Steve Speares, ASCRS Executive Director, said. "He was considered by many as Sir Harold Ridley's lieutenant. While Ridley carried the battle for IOLs in a diplomatic fashion, Choyce was described as a pugilist, never backing down from the fight for IOLs no matter how horribly he was treated. Without this steadfast belief, there would be no AIOIS, no ASCRS." In 1999 Dr. Choyce wrote that Dr. Ridley's orig- inal IOL procedure would not be fully realized until there were improvements to technologies and techniques. 1 "I thought that he would be proved right in the long run, but it took longer than I imagined, primarily because of the nega- tive attitude adopted by most of the profession." "Peter's battles to get the idea of Ridley's inven- tion accepted took courage and a thick skin," said Richard Packard, MD, FRCS, FRCOphth. "His desire to create a lens that would defy his critics led him, ultimately as we have seen, to the Mark IX lens. This was the first IOL to receive FDA approval in 1982. Peter was very proud of this." Dr. Choyce received his medical degree from the University College Hospital Medical School, University of London, and trained at Moorfields Eye Hospital. In addition to IOLs, Dr. Choyce re- searched intracorneal inlays and had an exper- tise in tropical ophthalmology. He co-founded the International Intra-Ocular Implant Club with Dr. Ridley and was a founding member and president of the United Kingdom Intra-Ocular Implant Society (now called UKISCRS). Reference 1. Choyce PD. Harold Ridley's first patient. J Cataract Refract Surg. 1999 June;25(6):731. ASCRS Hall of Fame Inductee: Peter Choyce, BSc, MBBS, MS, FRCS, FRCOphth

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