The Knife and the Retina

Meet the surgeons

Noemi Lois is Professor of Ophthalmology, Queen’s University in Belfast, Honorary Consultant Ophthalmic and Vitreoretinal Surgeon, The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK

Route to the Retina: I was lucky to do subspecialty training in vitreoretinal surgery at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital in the UK, with David Wong. He is an outstanding and gifted surgeon: innovative, enthusiastic, very humble, and a fantastic teacher. I am very grateful to him for everything he has taught me.

Before that, I’d done an Ocular Oncology Fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia (under the direction of Jerry and Carol Shields), and a Medical Retina Fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London (under the direction of Alan Bird). I was also very lucky to be able to do training in phaco-chopping techniques with an amazing cataract surgeon, Carlos Figueiredo, in São José do Rio Preto, Brazil. This experience helped me with phacovitrectomy – a very efficient surgical approach (when needed), which I very much enjoy doing.

David Almeida is a vitreoretinal eye surgeon and director of clinical research at Erie Retinal Surgery, a retina-only private practice in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA

Route to the Retina: My circuitous route sometimes feels like an adventure race spanning two continents and three countries! I completed medical school and ophthalmology residency at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Previously, I had finished a PhD in pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of Szeged in Hungary and an MBA in healthcare administration from The George Washington University School of Business. My aim was to blend my skill set and I was lucky enough to join the vitreoretinal service at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa for a two-year vitreoretinal surgery fellowship. Every day I am grateful for my journey to the retina and for the superb training and genuine friendships I developed along the way.