Dr. Varun Chaudhary named City-wide Chief of Eye Medicine and Surgery at St. Joe’s and HHS
Message sent on behalf of Dr. Sarah Jarmain, Chief of Staff, EVP Medical and Academic Affairs, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton
After an extensive search process, we are pleased to announce that Dr. Varun Chaudhary has accepted the position of City-wide Chief of Eye Medicine and Surgery for St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and Hamilton Health Sciences effective November 1st, 2024, pending board approval. This will be Dr. Chaudhary’s third term as Chief and reflects the many accomplishments he has contributed to care, teaching and research at St. Joe’s, McMaster and the field of Ophthalmology nationally and internationally.
During his first two terms, Dr. Chaudhary has led his Department in clinical initiatives to standardize care pathways for emergency eye care and eye surgery dramatically improving performance through increased access and decreased wait times. His Department has become a national leader in screening for eye disease in “at-risk” populations and has participated in the nation CIHR funded S.P.O.R. Network: Diabetes Action Canada. He has explored ways to drive cost-containment and sustainability, and generate revenue for the program.
Dr. Chaudhary is Professor of Surgery and Academic Division Head of Ophthalmology at McMaster University. He is the current President for the Canadian Retina Society, Editor-in-Chief for the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology and the Retina Section Editor for Eye.
Dr Chaudhary is passionate about evidence generation in the field of retina. He has over 120 peer reviewed publications and has delivered over 20 invited key-note lectures globally. He serves on multiple clinical and medical advisory boards and global steering committees for retina endeavors spanning from basic science research to multi-national clinical trials in the field of retina.
Dr. Chaudhary established and serves as the Principal Investigator for the International Retina Trials Consortium with 50 clinical sites globally. He established the Advanced Vitreoretinal Imaging (AVI) Lab at the Hamilton Regional Eye Institute where his research team employs cutting edge technology and AI capabilities to optimize outcomes for patients living with AMD and diabetic retinopathy.
He has been awarded multiple Education, Achievement and Research Awards including the 2023 NSERC Brockhouse Canada prize for interdisciplinary research in Science and Engineering, Surgeon Scientist Mid-Career Research Award, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University (2024), the Honor and Senior Honor Award by the American Society of Retinal Specialists & the Award for Excellence in Ophthalmic Research by the Canadian Ophthalmological Society.
As a clinician, Dr. Chaudhary is actively involved in medical and surgical management of vitreoretinal diseases. He has served as clinical expert advisory for various provincial working groups in the field of Ophthalmology and helped establish LHIN-wide tele-retina screening programs for “at-risk” patient populations.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Varun Chaudhary on continuing this role at St. Joe’s.