Autor: Amr El Aswad

Jorge L. Alió, MD, Ph D, is Professor and Chairman of Ophthalmology and Medical Director of the Alicante Institute of Ophthalmology at the University of Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain. He is also founder of the VISSUM Corporation, comprising 40 clinics in Spain and founder of the Jorge Alió Foundation for the Prevention of Blindness. Dr. Alió has conducted extensive research work in various areas of ophthalmology and has been the Director of 57 doctoral theses. He has authored almost 400 original articles in indexed peer review journals as well as more than 200 book chapters. He is the author, editor, or co-editor of 71 books and has given over 1000 presentations at international scientific congresses. He has received 58 awards for clinical and research work, 21 of them at an international level. In 2011, Dr. Alió received the prestigious Gran Collar Rey Alfonso III in Madrid. He was co-founder of the International Ocular Inflammation Society, and its Chairman until 1998 and then Secretary to the present day. He has served on the editorial boards of many journals, including the Journal of Refractive Surgery, Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, European Journal of Ophthalmology, and British Journal of Ophthalmology. Dimitri T. Azar, MD, MBA, is Interim Dean of the College of Medicine, Professor and Head of the Department of Ophthalmology, and B.A. Field Endowed Chair of Ophthalmologic Research at the University of Illinois a t Chicago. Prior to his appointment at the University of Illinois, he served as Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School from 2003 to 2006, as well as Senior Scientist at the Schepens Eye Research Institute. Dr. Azar has received many awards and honors during his distinguished career, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology Honor Award in 1998, the American Academy of Ophthalmology Senior Achievement Award in 2004, and the Lans Distinguished Award from the International Society of Refractive Surgery in 2009. In 1996, assisted by Dr. J.C. Abad, Dr. Azar performed the first LASEK procedure worldwide. Dr. Azar has received research funding for a wide range of projects and is the holder of a large number of patents. He has served on several journal editorial boards, including currently that of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. Dr. Azar is the editor or associate editor of 14 books (with a further three in preparation), ca. 150 original research articles in peer-reviewed publications, and numerous other book chapters and reviews.