EyeCan
Canadian Ophthalmological Society
EyeCan: A Canadian Lens on Ophthalmology. In this series, we examine all aspects of what it means to be an Ophthalmologist in Canada; we speak with leaders in our field about their contributions and life journey; we explore new and emerging techniques and technologies in eye care. Through it all we hope to connect with our community and have those that listen understand the value of who we are and what we do for our patients. We’ll share our experiences as ophthalmologists today and tackle some of challenges we face as healthcare providers.
Hosted by Dr. Guillermo Rocha and Dr. Setareh Ziai (seasons one and two), Dr. Mona Dagher and Dr. Hady Saheb (seasons 3 and 4), and Dr. Heather O'Donnell and Dr. Hady Saheb (season five).
Brought to you by the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. Seasons 1 and 2 of the EyeCan podcast were sponsored by MD Financial Affinity Grant. Seasons 3, 4 and 5 are sponsored by Bayer.
Written and directed by Kim Tytler, Manager of Communications at the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, and produced by John Allaire of Allaire Strategic Works.
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Top 10 EyeCan Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best EyeCan episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to EyeCan for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite EyeCan episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
04/11/23 • 49 min
On this episode of EyeCan, we are excited to introduce our listeners to Dr. Carol Shields, Director of Oncology Service, Wills Eye Hospital, and Professor of Ophthalmology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
She completed her medical school at the University of Pittsburgh and residency in Ophthalmology at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia in 1987. She subsequently completed fellowship training in Ocular Oncology, Oculoplastic Surgery, and Ophthalmic Pathology.
Dr. Shields has authored or coauthored 12 textbooks, over 2000 articles in major peer-reviewed journals, over 340 textbook chapters, given over 1000 lectureships, and has received numerous professional awards; on January 11, 2023, she was awarded the 2023 NCAA Theodore Roosevelt “Teddy Award” in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Shields has been chosen as the number one ophthalmologist in The Ophthalmologist’s 2023 Power List.
She is a member of numerous ocular oncology, pathology, and retina societies and has delivered 74 named lectures in America and abroad. She serves on the editorial board of several journals including JAMA Ophthalmology, Retina, Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and International Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Dr. Shields practices Ocular Oncology on a full time basis with her associates on the Oncology Service at Wills Eye Hospital.
She is an avid sportswoman with interest in basketball, tennis, downhill skiing, biking, hiking and others. She also enjoys watercolor and oil painting. She maintains farm hobbies of raising chickens, goats, dogs, and cats. She and her husband Jerry are the parents of 7 children, ranging from ages 22 to 34 years.
With your hosts, Dr. Guillermo Rocha, Dr. Setareh Ziai, Dr. Mona Dagher, and Dr. Hady Saheb.
Written and Directed by Kim Tytler.
Produced by John Allaire of Allaire Strategic Works.
The EyeCan Podcast is made possible by support from Bayer.
01/30/24 • 52 min
On this episode of EyeCan, we introduce our listeners to the topic of Myopia, with returning guest Dr. Vivian Hill.
Dr. Hill completed a fellowship in Ocular Pathology at the University of Ottawa, then completed an ophthalmology residency and a Pediatric Ophthalmology fellowship in Calgary.
Dr. Hill is an assistant professor at the University of Calgary and her clinical practice focuses on Pediatric Ophthalmology and adult strabismus. She led undergraduate ophthalmology for over a decade and led a revision of the medical school ophthalmology curriculum at the Cumming School of Medicine. She is a member of the examination board of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada as an optics and pediatric ophthalmology examiner.
Dr. Hill sits on the executive of the Eye Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta as past Fees Chair and current advocacy lead and is the COS Advocacy Council Chair (term ending June 2024). Her interests include pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus, retinopathy of prematurity, medical education, and vision safety in the setting of expanding injectable medical esthetic. She is a former director on the Board of West Island College in Calgary which excels in academic rigour and experiential learning. She has received Calgary’s Top 40 under 40 Award as well as teaching awards at the Cumming School of Medicine.
With your hosts, Dr. Mona Daghar and Dr. Hady Saheb.
Written and directed by Kim Tytler.
Produced by John Allaire of Allaire Strategic Works.
The EyeCan Podcast is made possible by support from Bayer.
Show Notes
This episode of EyeCan was researched and written by Lauren Khoury, a medical and MSc student (considering ophthalmology) at McGill University (2026).
Dr. William Stell
Carr & Stell 2017 – Link to Webvision chapter:
http://webvision.med.utah.edu/book/part-xvii-refractive-errors/the-science-behind-myopia-by-brittany-j-carr-and-william-k-stell/
Dr. Vivian Hill
Ask the Expert on Pediatric Vision Health
See the Possibilities
https://www.seethepossibilities.ca/children-ama/
American Academy of Ophthalmology
Nearsightedness: What is Myopia? Resource
https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/myopia-nearsightedness
ICEE Clear Vision for the Future – Press release
https://www.cos-sco.ca/clear-vision-for-the-future-canadian-ophthalmological-society-celebrates-indigenous-children-eye-examination-project-impacting-6000-lives-to-date/
On this episode of EyeCan, we discuss the Upcoming Challenges in Retina, specifically Concerns about Capacity, with Dr. Shaheer Aboobaker, a retina specialist in Toronto.
With the recent approval of the first FDA approved treatment for geographic atrophy in the United States, we have invited Dr. Aboobaker to discuss the upcoming potentials of this new treatment as well as the challenges this may create in the Canadian context. Dr. Aboobaker is involved in multiple Phase 3 clinical trials and has presented at local and national meetings.
He is a fellowship trained retina surgeon, having completed a two-year Vitreoretinal fellowship at the University of Toronto. He obtained his medical degree at the University of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa and completed his residency at the prestigious University of Cape Town. While at the University of Cape Town, Dr. Aboobaker was awarded the Ophthalmological Society Medal for academic achievement by the Fellowship of Ophthalmologists of South Africa. He joined the world renowned team at the Toronto Retina Institute in 2018.
Dr. Aboobaker's academic and research interests include advancements in technology and innovative treatment options. He is also a sub-investigator in numerous ongoing industry trials. He has published several peer reviewed journal articles and has presented at both local and national meetings. He also established the TRI Journal Club.
Dr. Aboobaker's passion for education and philanthropy led him to co-found the Young Professionals Bursary, a scholarship aimed at assisting disadvantaged students in South Africa.
With your hosts, Dr. Mona Daghar and Dr. Hady Saheb.
Written and directed by Kim Tytler.
Produced by John Allaire of Allaire Strategic Works.
The EyeCan Podcast is made possible by support from Bayer.
Show notes:
Toronto Retina Institute (TRI) https://www.torontoretinainstitute.com/#/
Updated inventory and projections for Canada’s ophthalmology workforce; Dr. Yvonne Buys, Dr. Lorne Bellan https://www.canadianjournalofophthalmology.ca/article/S0008-4182(22)00184-3/abstract
Age-related Macular Degeneration – various resources:
- Dr. David Maberley, AMD Ask the Expert (patient resource)
- AMD Patient Resources on See the Possibilities – video, brochure and more
- COS Press Release for AMD Awareness Month
12/16/24 • 49 min
Today on EyeCan we welcome Dr. Mona Dagher, head of the department of ophthalmology at Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) and adjunct Professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, McGill University.
Dr. Dagher was chair of the annual meeting planning committee of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) and has served as Board member of COS since 2012.
Dr. Dagher enjoys teaching medical students, ophthalmology residents and clinical and research cornea fellows as well as training MSc and PhD students as well. She 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 over 130 scientific 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 and instructor at ophthalmology conferences internationally.
With your hosts, Dr. Heather O'Donnell and Dr. Hady Saheb.
Written and directed by Kim Tytler.
Produced by John Allaire of Allaire Strategic Works.
The EyeCan Podcast is made possible by support from Bayer.
Show Notes:
The following resources were referenced in this episode:
COS Board of Directors https://www.cos-sco.ca/about-us/board-of-directors/
COS Team https://www.cos-sco.ca/who-we-are/contact-us/
Volunteering in Action https://www.cos-sco.ca/cos-membership/volunteer/
Advocacy in Action at COS https://www.cos-sco.ca/advocacy/
COS Position Statements on the Practice Resource Centre https://www.cosprc.ca/info-hub/info-content/position-statements-guidelines/
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group https://www.cos-sco.ca/equity-diversity-and-inclusion-edi-working-group/
Artificial Intelligence in Ophthalmology – Dr. Fares Antaki https://www.seethepossibilities.ca/ai-opinions/
COS Annual Meeting and Exhibition, Vancouver, June 2025 https://sites.grenadine.co/sites/cos-sco/en/2025-cos-meeting-and-exhibition-vancouver
COS Cornea Learning Modules (members only) https://www.cosprc.ca/cornea-learning-modules/
COS EyeNovation International Webinar Series (members only) Info Hub - Online Resources - Practice Resource Centre
01/17/22 • 26 min
On this episode of EyeCan we talk with Dr. Nupura Bakshi about her recently new role as chair of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion working group.
Dr. Bakshi is a retina and uveitis specialist in Toronto. Dr. Bakshi is an Assistant Professor in Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Toronto, and a staff clinician at Unity Health Toronto, Mount Sinai Hospital, and Kensington Eye Institute. Dr. Bakshi has a special interest in medical and surgical education, and advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in medicine. In addition to serving as the Director of EDI for the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Toronto, this busy physician is also the Chair of the COS’ new EDI Working Group.
With your hosts, Dr. Guillermo Rocha and Dr. Setareh Ziai.
Written and Directed by Eric Johnson.
Produced by John Allaire of Allaire Strategic Works.
The EyeCan Podcast is made possible by support from MD Financial Management and Scotiabank, proud financial partners of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society and Canada's ophthalmologists.
02/08/21 • 35 min
On this episode of EyeCan we talk with Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) President Dr. Colin Mann and CEO and Executive Director of the COS Elisabeth Fowler about what’s in store for the organization in 2021.
Nova Scotia native, Dr. Colin Mann is a comprehensive ophthalmologist based in Halifax. He has been a part of the COS since 2001 as part of the Maintenance of Certification committee and an active member on the COS Board of Directors since 2012. He is currently in year one of his two-year term as President of the COS.
We’re also joined by CEO and Executive Director of COS, Mrs. Elisabeth Fowler. Elisabeth started with the COS in October 2019. She comes from a diverse and robust background of business and marketing, spending her entire career in the healthcare sector with significant experience in advocacy and engagement in health policy.
With your hosts, Dr. Guillermo Rocha and Dr. Setareh Ziai.
Directed by Eric Johnson.
Produced by John Allaire of Allaire Strategic Works.
On this episode of EyeCan, we enjoy a conversation on Artificial Intelligence with Dr. Delan Jinapriya.
Dr. Jinapriya is an Ophthalmologist who specializes in Glaucoma and Cataract Surgery. He is the Fellowship Director for the Surgical and Medical Glaucoma Fellowship at Queen’s University, an Assistant Professor at Queen’s University, the Medical Director and CEO of the Galen Eye Centre, the Medical Director of Euclid Telehealth, and an Executive Member of the Canadian Glaucoma Society.
He is the past Chair of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society Skills Transfer Courses, a reviewer for the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology, the Journal of Glaucoma, and a grant reviewer for the Canadian Glaucoma Research Council, and the Canadian Institute of Health Research. He is a key opinion leader in the field of Ophthalmology and the specialty of Glaucoma and serves as an advisor to Ontario Health’s Health Technology Assessment program, which helps determine the value of new technologies and whether they should be funded by Ontario’s Provincial Health Plan. He has developed and continues to develop Continuing Medical Education curricula approved by the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. He has been an invited speaker and presenter at the World Glaucoma Society, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, American Glaucoma Society, Canadian Ophthalmological Society, Canadian Glaucoma Society and many International and National conferences and continuing medical education symposia.
He completed his medical training at Queen’s University, and his Fellowship at University of Toronto. He has certificates from the Rotman School of Management in the areas of Health Systems Transformation, and Leadership. He spent the first 15 years of his career focused on delivering, and training ophthalmologists to deliver tertiary level surgical, procedural, and medical management of glaucoma.
Dr. Jinapriya became a physician to make a daily contribution to the betterment of people’s lives. After becoming an ophthalmologist, he made it his mission to reduce preventable vision loss. He believes that vision is the one sense that has the greatest impact on our ability to be independent, productive and happy. Saving vision, or delaying its deterioration by even a few years, has a tremendous impact on a person’s quality of life and their ability to lead an independent and maximally productive life. He also believes in order to deliver the best care to people, there needs to be a dedication to continual education and improvement, both for himself and for the field, and for this reason is dedicated to education initiatives through developing and delivering continuing medical education programs, training future ophthalmologists, training future glaucoma specialists, educating non-ophthalmology health care professionals, and educating patients and their families. In addition to the practice of ophthalmology, and being an educator, he is now dedicating much of his energy to finding ways to improve the systems and processes of ophthalmic healthcare delivery to serve more people and save more vision.
With your hosts, Dr. Mona Daghar and Dr. Hady Saheb.
Written and directed by Kim Tytler.
Produced by John Allaire of Allaire Strategic Works.
The EyeCan Podcast is made possible by support from Bayer.
Show notes:
Galen Eye Centre https://www.galeneyecentre.com/
See the Possibilities – Hot Topic Expert Article
https://www.seethepossibilities.ca/ai-opinions/
07/11/24 • 68 min
Our guest on this episode is Dr. Sherif El-Defrawy, a prominent Canadian ophthalmologist with extensive experience and numerous accolades in the field. He served as the Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Toronto from 2012 to 2023. Additionally, he was the Ophthalmologist-in-Chief at the Kensington Eye Institute, an institution affiliated with the university.
Dr. El-Defrawy completed his PhD in Pharmacology at Queen's University and obtained his Medical Degree from the University of Calgary. He undertook his internship at the University of Toronto (Sunnybrook Hospital) and his residency in Ophthalmology at the University of Ottawa. In 1995, he joined the University of Ottawa Eye Institute, eventually becoming the Residency Program Director there from 1999 to 2004. He then chaired the Department of Ophthalmology at Queen's University from 2004 to 2012.
Throughout his career, Dr. El-Defrawy has been recognized for his contributions to medical education and research. He has received several teaching awards, including the Professional Association of Interns and Residents of Ontario's Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award twice. He has also been instrumental in global health initiatives, leading missions to countries such as Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, and the Caribbean to perform eye surgeries and train local surgeons.
Dr. El-Defrawy has held various leadership positions, including serving as President of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society and the Association of Canadian University Professors of Ophthalmology. He has also been involved in several Ontario Expert Panels and vision task forces.
With your hosts, Dr. Mona Daghar and Dr. Hady Saheb.
Written and directed by Kim Tytler.
Produced by John Allaire of Allaire Strategic Works.
The EyeCan Podcast is made possible by support from Bayer.
Show Notes
Kensington Health
https://www.kensingtonhealth.org/
University of Toronto Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences https://ophthalmology.utoronto.ca/
EyeCan with Bob Bell https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/eyecan-season-3-episode-2-fixing-canadian-health-care/id1541770048?i=1000589051032
Competence by Design, Dr. Lorne Bellan – COS Forum 2023 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5TrNHI-QYQ&t=51s
05/27/24 • 36 min
On this episode of EyeCan, we talk to Dr. Louis Racine about dry eye disease.
Dr. Racine completed his medical degree and specialization in ophthalmology at the Université de Montréal. Following this, he was awarded a grant to complete his post-doctoral fellowship training in cornea, cataract and laser refractive surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and with the Rothschild Foundation in Paris, France.
Since 2003, Dr. Racine has performed more than 25,000 laser refractive surgeries. In 2004, he became one of the first surgeons in Montreal to be certified for use of the IntraLase femtosecond laser. That same year, he also underwent PRK surgery on both eyes. In Canada, he is also one of the cornea specialists with the most experience treating patients with keratoconus through use of corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL).
Dr. Racine is an associate professor of ophthalmology at the Université de Montreal and practices at Hôpital Notre-Dame of the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM). He teaches cataract surgery to ophthalmology residents and specializes in corneal transplant and complex cataract surgeries. As a recognized expert on dry eye syndrome, Dr. Racine is part of a Canadian group working to evaluate all therapeutic modalities for this condition.
Dr. Racine was awarded grants by the E.A. Baker Foundation for the Prevention of Blindness, and by the Université de Montréal Research in Ophthalmology Fund.
In 2003, Dr. Racine took part in United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) trials for the AcrySof® Toric intraocular lens. Dr. Racine has given many lectures in the United States and Europe on refractive surgery, dry eyes and intraocular lenses. He has participated in the publication of many book chapters and scientific papers, including the American Journal of Ophthalmology.
With your hosts, Dr. Mona Daghar and Dr. Hady Saheb.
Written and directed by Kim Tytler.
Produced by John Allaire of Allaire Strategic Works.
The EyeCan Podcast is made possible by support from Bayer.
02/07/23 • 42 min
On this episode of EyeCan, we are excited to bring back to the podcast Dr. Yvonne Buys, glaucoma specialist and past president of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS).
Dr. Buys completed her MD degree, Ophthalmology residency and Glaucoma Fellowship at the University of Toronto. She is a Full Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences where she has trained many ophthalmology residents and over 40 glaucoma fellows from around the globe. She has also been involved in numerous professional organizations and is a Past President of the COS and served on the Board 11 years. She is also a Past President of the Canadian Glaucoma Society and Toronto Area Glaucoma Society.
Dr. Buys has co-authored several guidelines on glaucoma and in 2020 oversaw several ophthalmology specific national guidance documents related to COVID-19. She also developed, obtained financing, and organized the distribution of 1,200 slit-lamp breath shields for ophthalmologists across Canada.
She has published over 180 peer-reviewed scientific papers, 16 invited editorials and 10 book chapters and has made over 500 presentations at meetings and symposiums globally.
Dr. Buys has received several awards during her career including The Achievement Award from the AAO in 2015, the Champion for Change award from Women in Ophthalmology at the World Ophthalmology Congress in 2018, the University of Toronto Colin Woolf Award for Long Term Contributions to CPD in 2020, the Mitzel Award from the Glaucoma Research Society of Canada in 2021 and last year she received the International Scholar Award from the American Glaucoma Society becoming the first Canadian and first female to ever receive this award.
On July 1, 2020, Dr Buys retired from clinical practice but is still involved in many ophthalmological issues, including Women in Ophthalmology, which we’ll be speaking about in this episode.
With your hosts, Dr. Guillermo Rocha, Dr. Setareh Ziai, Dr. Mona Dagher, and Dr. Hady Saheb.
Written and Directed by Kim Tytler.
Produced by John Allaire of Allaire Strategic Works.
The EyeCan Podcast is made possible by support from Bayer.
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FAQ
How many episodes does EyeCan have?
EyeCan currently has 47 episodes available.
What topics does EyeCan cover?
The podcast is about Health & Fitness, Canada, Medicine, Podcasts, Canadian and Ophthalmology.
What is the most popular episode on EyeCan?
The episode title 'EyeCan Season 3, Episode 1 - Dr. Phil Hooper, COS President – Vision for 2023 and beyond' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on EyeCan?
The average episode length on EyeCan is 35 minutes.
How often are episodes of EyeCan released?
Episodes of EyeCan are typically released every 20 days, 23 hours.
When was the first episode of EyeCan?
The first episode of EyeCan was released on Nov 24, 2020.
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