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Recent Award Winner
Cornea Research Foundation of America announces inaugural Torchbearer Award winner
Spain’s Dr. Jorge Alió receives recognition for development of non-invasive method to treat glare and halos post laser surgery
INDIANAPOLIS—Sept. 12, 2009—The Cornea Research Foundation of America, an Indianapolis-based non-profit organization with the mission to give people back the use of their eyes, announces today it has selected the first recipient of the Torchbearer Award, Dr. Jorge Alió of Alicante, Spain. The award was presented during last week’s European Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery Conference in Barcelona, Spain.
The annual award recognizes individuals whose lifetime service and commitment to the field of vision care has helped light the way for others. It was developed by CRFA Founder Dr. Francis W. Price, Jr., M.D. to recognize dedicated ophthalmic research physicians throughout the world.
About Dr. Jorge Alió
Dr. Alio is professor and chairman of ophthalmology at Miguel Hernández University in Alicante, Spain. In cooperation with this institution, he created the Institute of Ophthalmology of Alicante and the Jorge Alió Foundation for the Prevention of Blindness. Due to its advanced technology and high level of patient care, the Institute is considered one of the most important eye care centers worldwide focused in the private sector.
He is being recognized for development of the technique using Yag laser treatments to eliminate epithelial ingrowth after Lasik. Epithelial cells rarely grow into the interface between the Lasik flap and underlying stromal bed after primary procedures. However, after re-treatments, where Lasik flaps are lifted and replaced, epithelial ingrowth can occur in up to 5 to 10 percent of cases. Dr. Alió’s innovative treatment creates a dramatic improvement in this condition. Previously flaps had to be re-lifted to remove the cells. The epithelial ingrowth could recur after its removal, and in some cases the Lasik flaps would require suturing down to prevent the epithelial cells from returning. Now with the use of the YAG laser, there are no more flap lifts or sutures to correct this condition providing better outcomes and more comfortable treatments for patients.
Dr. Alió is a member of 26 scientific societies and holds executive committee positions in the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, the International Society for Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the International Ocular Inflammation Society and the European Association for Vision and Eye Research.
The Cornea Research Foundation of America is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization that depends on donations, grants, and planned gifts to conduct research and publish findings. The organization was founded by Dr. Francis Price, Jr., M.D., in 1988 with a mission to establish a world center for corneal research and medical education specializing in corneal disease, corneal transplantation and intraocular lens surgery. In 2009, the Foundation established fiscal sponsorship of Working Vision, a non-profit nonprofit charitable organization formed to reduce the incidence of work-related eye injuries in developing nations by distributing new and lightly used safety eyewear to workers.
Since its inception, the Foundation has been led by Dr. Price and his passion for innovation and lifelong learning. Today the Foundation houses the largest data base of corneal transplant information in the Western hemisphere, has participated in over 80 clinical and investigational studies, and published over 100 papers and manuscripts. The Foundation hosts medical education seminars regularly for physicians and publishes a newsletter for patients to share developments in ophthalmology. For more information visit http://www.Cornea.org.
