EyeWorld is the official news magazine of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
Issue link: https://digital.eyeworld.org/i/932603
145 EW IN OTHER NEWS February 2018 by Ellen Stodola EyeWorld Senior Staff Writer Couple met through shared interests Dr. Waring and Dr. Rocha both work in cornea, cataract, and refractive surgery in Charleston, South Carolina F or George Waring IV, MD, FACS, and Karolinne Maia Rocha, MD, PhD, not only did their personal relation- ship begin in ophthalmolo- gy, but because of similar interests in cataract and refractive surgery, their professional relationship has devel- oped, with collaboration on research and clinical work. Now, a decade after they met, they discussed the beginnings of their relationship, its development, and how they balance their personal and professional lives on a daily basis. When asked about when they first met, Dr. Waring said that the story depends on who you ask. "Karolinne was an editor for a paper that I had submitted for a sup- plement for the Journal of Refractive Surgery looking at spherical aberra- tion for hyperopic LASIK," he said. "When I got the reviews, I was taken aback by how many there were." Dr. Waring said he knew who the editor was, and he was a fan of her work in spherical aberration and depth of focus, though they had never met. A few months later while they were both at the Wavefront Congress, Dr. Waring introduced himself when he saw Dr. Rocha at the back of the auditorium after his presentation, and "thanked her for her constructive criticism" in her review of his manuscript. Following that meeting, they both attended the Surface Ablation and Femto- second Laser Congress where they were lecturing and finally had the chance to chat. Dr. Waring asked if he could join Dr. Rocha and a friend for lunch. Dr. Waring invited them both to a reception at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmol- ogy meeting honoring his father, George Waring III, MD, with the prestigious Weisenfeld Award. They came, but Dr. Waring was too shy to speak to them. Dr. Rocha, who was "miffed" and didn't understand why he would invite her and not speak to her, decided to leave. Before she Dr. Waring and Dr. Rocha Dr. Rocha and Dr. Waring with their son, George V continued on page 146