Anthony Khawaja

About Anthony Khawaja

What is the most exciting thing happening in glaucoma right now?

Clearly, the genomics and AI revolutions that are happening more widely in medicine are going to have a huge impact on patient care. I believe glaucoma patients could be some of the first to benefit from these technologies, as glaucoma is one of the most genetic of all common diseases and diagnosis and monitoring are heavily reliant on imaging that is ideal for AI development. For the first time, we are now in a position to develop a glaucoma screening approach, combining polygenic risk scores and AI-powered tests, to prevent late detection of glaucoma. This will enable us to more effectively prevent blindness through the growing number of glaucoma treatments and procedures, applying them before irreversible optic nerve damage has occurred.

Make a bold prediction for the future of glaucoma treatment?

While this is unlikely to happen soon, I do believe we will "crack" glaucoma surgery in the future. If we have a procedure for glaucoma that is as safe, predictable and durable as cataract surgery, we may even consider we have a "cure" for the disease (if it is not diagnosed late). This is a bold prediction, but the rate of progress in recent years and the volume of interest in this space give me hope. Having a one-off treatment for glaucoma could have a particularly large impact in settings where patients may only have intermittent access to care.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Be bold and ambitious, and do not be afraid to challenge long-standing dogma. For years I just believed what I was told about Goldmann applanation being the best form of tonometry, though clearly newer technologies have superseded this. Soon, I hope we will move away from bowl perimeters. We need newcomers to the glaucoma space to challenge the standards set by the previous generation, so we can progress for the benefit of our patients.