Presented by Club Jules Gonin

The Jules Gonin Lecturer of the Retina Research Foundation is selected by members of Club Jules Gonin every two years. The award recipient is chosen for making a significant contribution to the understanding and treatment of eye diseases. The $20,000 award is presented at the Biennial meetings of Club Jules Gonin.

2024 Gonin Lecturer

Anat Loewenstein, MD, MHA

Professor and Director, Division of Ophthalmology Tel Aviv Medical Center, VP Ambulatory Services Tel Aviv University President, Israeli Ophthalmological Society Tel Aviv, Israel,  Sidney Fox Chair of Ophthalmology at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University, and President Elect of the Euretina.

Jules Gonin Lecture presented at XXXIVth Meeting of the Club Jules Gonin, Mallorca, Spain, Friday, May 24, 2024

Dr Loewenstein’s main fields of interest are the investigation of drug administration and toxicity to the retina, early detection of macular degeneration and home monitoring of retinal disease. At present, she leads several groundbreaking technologies implementation efforts in large scale clinical trials and in the clinical setting. One relates to home OCT, a first-of its kind artificial intelligence-enabled algorithm for monitoring retinal diseases, using an OCT device in the patient’s own home, and another relates to implementing virtual reality technology into vitreoretinal surgery in order to replace the standard operating microscope. She  has published more than 500 papers in peer reviewed journals, and contributed chapters to ophthalmology textbooks and serves as an editor for multiple publications.

Dr. Loewenstein serves in numerous national and international roles as a leader in the field of retinal disease. She is a member of the National Council of Surgery, a member of the Israeli Academy of Medicine, and a member in the Academia Ophthalmological Internationalis. She leads mentorship groups of ARVO, Euretina and  in addition to her service on advisory boards of a majority of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, she leads industry sponsored programs.

2020/2022 Gonin Lecturer

Ramin Tadayoni, MD, PhD

Professor of Ophthalmology at the Université Paris Cité, France’s leading multidisciplinary university.

Department Chairman at three Parisian hospitals, Lariboisiere, Saint Louis and Rothschild Foundation Hospitals, in France.

Jules Gonin Lecture presented at XXXIIIrd Meeting of the Club Jules Gonin, Dubrovnik, Croatia, September 9, 2022

In addition to his clinical and management activities, Professor Tadayoni has authored over 200 scientific articles as well as other contributions to the written literature in the field of retina. He is also the leader of French government funded EviRed research program on artificial intelligence for diabetic retinopathy, EURETINA President Elect, past President of the French-speaking Retina Specialists Society (CFSR) and elected as associate of the “French National Academy of Surgery”. Dr. Taydoni has been awarded HDR, the highest academic degree in France, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award. He is very committed to education and has the honor of having trained several clinical vitreoretinal and research fellows.

Education: Professor Tadayoni graduated as medical doctor and ophthalmologist from Paris V University. He completed his vitreoretinal fellowship at Lariboisiere University Hospital, Paris. He also pursued his PhD at Paris VII University, and Paris Vision Institute.

2018 Gonin Lecturer

Morten Dornonville de la Cour, MD

Chairman, Ophthalmology Department, Glostrup Hospital, Copenhagen University, Denmark

Jules Gonin Lecture presented at XXXIth Meeting of the Club Jules Gonin

Jersey, Channel Islands (GB), July 11-14, 2018

Dr. La Cour’s Title: Simulators in the training of surgeons – is it worth the investment in money and time?

Education

Bachelor in mathematics and MD, both University of Copenhagen, specialist in ophthalmology

Academic positions

Assistant professor in ophthalmology 1998-2008, Professor in ophthalmology 2008-2015, Tenured professor (chair) in ophthalmology 2015-, University of Copenhagen

Clinical positions

Consultant in vitreoretinal surgery, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark: 2001. Head of Eye Department, Rigshospitalet, Denmark, 2015

Research interests

• Epidemiology of retinal diseases and vitreoretinal surgery. Major contribution is the utilization and adaptation of the Danish National Patient Registry for ophthalmological problems. This includes some very good estimates of the risk of pseudophakic retinal detachment and fellow eye retinal detachment. Also population bases epidemiology of Age Related Macular Degeneration in Denmark.
• Randomized controlled trials of vitreoretinal surgery. Major contributions. RCT demonstrating the benefit of ILM peeling in macular hole surgery. RCT demonstrating the non-inferiority of non-supine positioning versus face-down positioning in macular hole surgery. RCT demonstrating that surgery for epiretinal membranes in eyes with good visual acuity can safely be deferred.
• Experimental surgery. Major contributions: Studies on the functional and histopathological consequences of subretinal surgery in pigs.
• Basic science. Major contributions: Studies on transport of ions and water across the retinal pigment epithelium, including the identification of a molecular water pump in the apical membrane of the epithelium.

Published Scientific work

184 MEDLINE indexed articles, 13 book chapters. H-index for published work: 30. Morten la Cour is an experienced speaker, and has given numerous invited lectures in Europe and abroard.

2016 Gonin Lecturer

Thomas W. Gardner, MD, MS

Thomas W. Gardner, MD

Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences,

Molecular and Integrative Physiology, and Internal Medicine

Kellogg Eye Center, Ann Arbor, MI

Jules Gonin Lecture presented at XXXth Meeting of the Club Jules Gonin

Bordeaux, France, July 8, 2016

Dr. Gardner’s Title: The Neurovascular Unit: A New Dimension in Diabetic Retinopathy

2016 RRF Gonin Lecturer Dr. Gardner with Dr. Thomas Wolfensberger, Secretariat, Club Jules Gonin

Tom Gardner has advanced the concept that diabetic retinopathy is a neurovascular disease. His research includes collaborative studies that revealed a molecular basis for retinal vascular permeability and diabetic macular edema, as well as mechanisms for the accelerated death of retinal neurons. He has extended the role of neurosensory retinal damage in diabetes to quantify visual function impairment in persons with diabetes, and to adopt these techniques as dynamic endpoints for therapeutic clinical trials. His current work includes team science investigations of the metabolic basis of diabetes complications.

Jules Gonin, Pioneer of Retinal Detachment Surgery

Previous RRF Gonin Lecturers

2020/2022 Ramin Tadayoni, MD, PhD
2018  Morten Dornonville de la Cour, MD
2016   Thomas W. Gardner, MD
2014    Frank G. Holz, MD
2012    Professor José-Alain Sahel
2010    Anthony Adamis, MD, and  N. Ferrera, MD
2008    Einar Steffanson, MD
2006    Alain Gaudric, MD
2004    Leonidas Zografos, MD
2002    Joan Miller, MD
2000    Veit Peter Gabel, MD
1998    Peter Wiedemann, MD
1996    Evangelos Gragoudas, MD