SAP: Course Directors and Facilitators /  Programme d'autoévaluation: Directeurs de cours et facilitateurs

CAPGHO - Mobile Eye Care Devices: Beyond the clinic, bridging the gap in healthcare

CAPGHO - Remote eye care in Canada: Meeting the needs of the communities

Dr. Marie-Josée Aubin (Director), MD, MPH, M.Sc. (PHO) is a uveitis specialist at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, in Montreal, Canada. She has a double appointment as an Associate Professor in the Departments of Ophthalmology and of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Montreal. Dr Aubin earned her medical degree at McGill University. She completed an ophthalmology residency at the University of Montreal, followed by a fellowship in uveitis at La Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris, France. She holds a master in Public Health from the University of Montreal, where she was awarded the Prix Armand-Frappier, and a master in Public Health Ophthalmology from the International Center for Eye Health in London, UK. Her research and teaching interests include access to eye care services, international blindness prevention, screening strategies in ophthalmology, and the study of infectious and inflammatory eye diseases. She is engaged in public health international activities.

Dr. Myrna Lichter (Director), MD, RCPSC received her undergraduate and MD degrees from the University of Manitoba and completed her ophthalmology training at the University of Toronto.  She followed this with a Pathology fellowship at AFIP in Washington, DC, and returned to Toronto to do comprehensive ophthalmology.  She joined Saint Michael’s Hospital as outdoor attending physician, and in 2000 was asked to run the HIV eye clinic, after Saint Michael’s Hospital merged with the Wellesley Hospital.  At her clinic she met a blind homeless Indigenous patient and recognized the need to do more for the homeless community.  Since 2010, she has been actively involved in Eyecare for Homeless.  She has visited over 50 shelters, given out hundreds of pairs of glasses (thanks to a generous donor), and encouraged many students who have volunteered with her over the years.  She has also been involved with the refugee committee, and Native population.

She has won awards for her work, including EPSO Innovator of the year Award in 2015, Saint Michael’s Urban Angel award, and the John Vincent Hughes Humanitarian award.

CORNEA - Corneal topography: Case-based highlighting the essentials

Dr. Mona Dagher (Director), MD, FRCSC is a professor of ophthalmology at the Université de Montréal, and head of the department of ophthalmology at Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM). Dr. Dagher is chair of the annual meeting of the Canadian Ophthalmologic Society (COS) and has served as Board member of COS since 2012. She is currently president elect of the COS. Dr. Dagher enjoys teaching medical students, ophthalmology residents and clinical and research cornea fellows as well as training MSc and PhD students as well. Dr. Dagher completed her undergraduate degree at McGill University where she received the Hilda Diana Oakley scholarship for ranking top female student at McGill. She then completed her medical degree and specialization in ophthalmology at Université de Montréal, graduating on the dean’s honor list. Dr. Dagher then pursued post-doctoral fellowship training in cornea, external eye diseases, and refractive surgery at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Dagher has brought her expertise on keratoprosthesis surgery to Canada after conducting considerable research and clinical work at Harvard Medical School under the mentorship of Dr Claes Dohlman. After restoring sight to several Canadian patients through implantation of the Boston Keratoprosthesis, Dr. Dagher was chosen ‘Personality of the Week’ by La Presse and Radio-Canada. Dr. Dagher has completed extensive research in the field of ophthalmology and more particularly, on the Boston Keratoprosthesis and on refractive surgery. Dr. Dagher has published numerous articles and acts as a reviewer for many ophthalmology journals. She has also authored numerous book chapters about cornea and external eye diseases. Dr. Dagher has been a guest lecturer at ophthalmology conferences internationally. 

Dr. Weronica Jakubowska (Director), MD, MSc, MEd, is currently a PGY-4 ophthalmology resident at Université de Montréal. She completed her medical training at Université Laval while pursuing a Master's in Experimental Medicine, specializing in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. She completed a one-year research fellowship in Cornea, Anterior Segment and Refractive Surgery at the Precision Cornea Centre in Ottawa. Passionate about medical education, Dr. Jakubowska holds a Master's in Health Profession Education from the University of Ottawa.

Dr. David Plemel (Director), MD, FRCPC, is an Associate Professor at Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University. His practice is based at the Ivey Eye Institute with a focus on orbit, oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgery. He is the Secretary on the Canadian Ophthalmological Society Board of Directors, and the Canadian Ophthalmological Society's Drug Shortages Liaison. 

Dr. Maya Tong (Director), MD, FRCSC, is a cornea and anterior segment specialist at the Ivey Eye Institute in Ontario. As an Associate Professor at Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, she teaches medical students and residents at Western University. 

Dr. Yelin Yang (Director), MD, FRCSC, received her Bachelor of Health Sciences from Mcmaster University followed by Doctor of Medicine from University of Ottawa. She completed her ophthalmology residency at University of Toronto, and fellowship in Cornea and External Diseases at University of Montreal. She is currently practicing at Michael Garron (Toronto East General) Hospital

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT - Good to Excellent: Quality Improvement and Patient safety principles to improve efficiency, efficacy, equity, timeliness, safety and patient-centered care

Dr. Amanda Mayo (Director), MD, MHSc, FRCPC, is a full-time Clinician in Quality Improvement Physiatrist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. She subspecializes in Amputee Rehabilitation. Dr. Mayo has a MHSc in Clinical Engineering with a focus on Human Factors Engineering and Usability of Health Technology. Her current QI focus is on improving the continuum of care for individuals with limb loss and preventing dysvascular amputations. Recent projects include reducing wait-times for outpatient rehabilitation, Implementing Prehab for vascular patients, 3D printing of prosthetics, and innovating care pathways for amputees.

Dr. Wendy Hatch (Co-Director), OD, MSc, is an Associate Professor and Director of Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (QI&PS) in the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Toronto and an optometrist in midtown Toronto. She has taught the principles of QI&PS to ophthalmology residents for over a decade, published an ophthalmology QI&PS primer and recently received a certificate in Teaching for Quality (Te4Q) from the American Academy of Medical Colleges. Her QI&PS focus has included using province-wide administrative data to measure and inform wait times and adverse events in cataract surgery, assessing the utility of patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) to help prioritize patients for cataract surgery, measuring the safety and efficacy of corneal cross-linking in the treatment of keratoconus, infection control in ophthalmic procedures with SARS-coV-2, and establishing a dataset to the test the utility of retinal imaging with OCT as a potential biomarker for neurodegenerative disease.

Dr. Christian El-Hadad (Facilitator), MD, CM, FRCSC

Dr. Stephanie Low (Facilitator), MD

Dr. Stephanie Low is a comprehensive Ophthalmologist and cataract surgeon with the University of Toronto at the Kensington Eye Institute and North York General Hospital in Toronto. She completed her residency training at the University of Toronto, where she served as Chief Resident and was awarded the Woywitka Cup Award, Dr Sigmund Vaile Award and KEI Residency Proficiency Award upon graduation. Dr. Low completed her Masters of Science in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety from the Institute for Health Policy and Management at the University of Toronto, where she continues to serve a QI Committee Lead for the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences.  

REFRACTIVE SURGERY - Principles and Basis of Laser Vision Correction

Dr. Mark Cohen (Director), MD, CM, FRCSC

Dr. Cohen completed his medical degree and specialization in ophthalmology at McGill University. While at McGill, he was awarded the Holmes Gold Medal, given to the graduate of the faculty of medicine with the highest academic standing upon completion of four years of medical school. He then completed his training with a post-doctoral fellowship in corneal transplantation and refractive surgery at the Université de Montréal. As a cornea and laser vision correction specialist, Dr. Cohen is responsible for teaching laser eye surgery to ophthalmology residents from the Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Montréal, and McGill University. He also teaches the basic science of corneal imaging to all first-year Canadian ophthalmology residents at an annual course offered at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Samir Jabbour (Director), MD, FRCSC

Dr. Samir Jabbour (MD, FRCSC) is a Cornea Specialist at the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) and an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Université de Montréal and an Adjunct Clinical Professor at McGill University. He earned his MD from McGill University and completed his residency at the Université de Montréal. Dr. Jabbour further specialized through fellowships at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute (Cornea & Refractive Surgery) and Moorfields Eye Hospital (Cornea & External Disease). He is completing a Master in Public Health at Havard University. With a dedication to excellence, he contributes to medical education while making a significant impact in the field of cornea and refractive surgery.

Dr. Vikram Lekhi (Director), BSc, MBT, MD, MBA, FRCSC

Dr. Avi Wallerstein (Director), MD, FRCSC