Renato Ambrosio, Jr., MD, PhD, Begins Term as ISRS President
Highly-respected refractive surgeon from Brazil leads global society for refractive and cataract surgeons.
SAN FRANCISCO – Renato Ambrósio, Jr., MD, PhD, has begun his term as president of the International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS), a partner of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. An adjunct professor of ophthalmology at the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO) who is also in private practice, Dr. Ambrósio was nominated by his peers, who called him a “tireless clinical investigator, pioneer, and teacher in the global refractive surgery community.”
"This is a great honor and privilege to be the president of the ISRS, which I have been involved in since 1999 when I was still a resident interested in cornea and refractive surgery," said Dr. Ambrósio, the first president from South America since Dr. José I. Barraquer, ISRS's inaugural president.
"Through these 21 years, the ISRS was very important for my continued education and a great platform for networking with the leaders and peers in the field.”
Dr. Ambrósio has served on a variety of ISRS committees over the years, including the Executive Committee and as chair of the Webinar Task Force, and helped to make ISRS a global organization through his outreach efforts.
“My goal is to help keep the ISRS as the leading worldwide organization for refractive and cataract surgeons,” he said. “This involves promoting education to ophthalmologists and patients about elective corneal and intraocular refractive procedures, as well as on therapeutic procedures for diseases such as keratoconus.”
Dr. Ambrósio comes from a family of ophthalmologists. He is the first son of the late Renato Ambrósio, MD, who pioneered refractive surgery in Brazil in the early 1980s, and Vera Martins Ambrósio, MD, a resilient and dedicated ophthalmologist who upheld the family practice after the premature death of her husband in January 1994. His younger brother, Rodrigo Martins Ambrósio, MD, is a talented retina surgeon, and his wife Renata Siqueira da Silva, MD, is a noted glaucoma and contact lens specialist.
Dr. Ambrósio was elected president of the Brazilian Society of Administration in Ophthalmology in 2006, holding that position until July 2010. He founded the Rio de Janeiro Corneal Tomography and Biomechanics Study Group in 2008 and co-founded the BrAIn (Brazilian Study Group of Artificial Intelligence and Corneal Analysis) in 2010.
From 2012 until 2014, he was the last president of the Brazilian Society of Refractive Surgery before it was incorporated with the Brazilian Society of Cataract and Implants for the creation of BRASCRS. He was also vice-president of the Brazilian Council of Ophthalmology from 2013 to 2015.
Dr. Ambrósio has authored over 500 scientific publications and has received over 60 awards in Brazil and internationally. His primary research interests include imaging and artificial intelligence for enhancing diagnostic information from corneal tomography and biomechanical assessments, and ocular wavefront. His major focus is custom laser vision correction, refractive cataract surgery and therapeutic procedures for keratoconus.
Dr. Ambrósio concluded his residency in ophthalmology at the Instituto de Oftalmologia Tadeu Cvintal (São Paulo) in 1999, a fellowship program on cornea and refractive surgery and cornea at the University of Washington (Seattle, WA) in October 2002, and the Ph.D. Doctorate in Sciences at the University of São Paulo in May 2004. Currently, he is an adjunct professor of the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro and also an affiliated professor of the strictu sensu post-graduation program at the Federal University of São Paulo.
About the International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS)
The International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS), a partner of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, is the leading worldwide organization for refractive and cataract surgeons. Members are connected to refractive and cataract surgeons from over 90 countries through innovative educational programs, a clinical journal, newsletters, and meetings around the world. For more information, visit www.isrs.org.