Neuro-Ophthalmology in Canada

When writing about neuro-ophthalmology in Canada, one has to start by mentioning that one of the founding fathers of modern neuro-ophthalmology was a Canadian. Frank Walsh, MD, was born in Saskatchewan. Dr. Walsh received formal education in Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, completed medical school in Manitoba, and later returned to Saskatchewan, where he spent 9 years working as a general practitioner. He then began a residency in ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins and became one of the founders of neuro-ophthalmology as a subspecialty.

Worldwide Neuro-Ophthalmology Neuro-Ophthalmology in Canada W hen writing about neuro-ophthalmology in Canada, one has to start by mentioning that one of the founding fathers of modern neuro-ophthalmology was a Canadian. Frank Walsh, MD, was born in Saskatchewan. Dr. Walsh received formal education in Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, completed medical school in Manitoba, and later returned to Saskatchewan, where he spent 9 years working as a general practitioner. He then began a residency in ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins and became one of the founders of neuro-ophthalmology as a subspecialty (1) (Fig. 1). There are many Canadian neuro-ophthalmologists who have left an indelible mark on our specialty. When thinking about the development and growth of neuroophthalmology as a subspecialty in Canada, the name of James Sharpe, MD, immediately comes to mind. Dr. Sharpe was one of the first practitioners of neuroophthalmology in Canada. After neurology training in Toronto, he completed 3 neuro-ophthalmology fellowships: the first was at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute with Drs. Joel Glaser and Robert Daroff; the second was at the University of California, San Francisco, with Dr. William Hoyt; and his final fellowship was at London's Queen Square with Dr. Michael Sanders. Dr. Sharpe then returned to Toronto where he did groundbreaking research on eye movement disorders. In addition, he trained 34 neuro-ophthalmology fellows. One of his trainees, Dr. Agnes Wong went on to become one of the leaders in the field of amblyopia and eye movement research. She has been working at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children for the past 16 years. Dr. Dan Boghen has been practicing neuroophthalmology at the University of Montreal since 1973. This was after completing training with Drs. Daroff and Glaser in Miami, with Dr. Hoyt in San Francisco, and with Dr. Michael Sanders at Queen's Square in London. Dr. Fiona Castello completed neuro-ophthalmology training at the University of Iowa and now practices in Calgary, Alberta. She is an expert in multiple sclerosis and has published articles on optical coherence tomography. This technology has expanded our understanding of the afferent visual pathways. Dr. Jason Barton is a recognized expert on higher cortical function and prosopagnosia. He completed his fellowship in Margolin: J Neuro-Ophthalmol 2019; 39: e1-e2 the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Iowa and now serves as the director of a neuroophthalmology fellowship at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Neuro-ophthalmology is a well-recognized subspecialty in Canadian schools of medicine, and each school has at least one neuro-ophthalmologist. In fact, many of the neuro-ophthalmologists currently practicing in Canada have been trained in the United States. Because of the reciprocity of Canadian medical licensure with that in the United States, some Canadian-trained neuroophthalmologists have moved to the United States either immediately after training or sometime later in their FIG. 1. Frank B. Walsh, MD (1895-1978). e1 Copyright © North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. Worldwide Neuro-Ophthalmology TABLE 1. Neuro-Ophthalmologists in Canada Name Albreiki, Danah Aroichane, Maryam Atikins, Edward Barton, Jason Bell, Raymond Boghen, Dan Boudreault, Katherine Buncic, Raymond Burstyn, Lulu Chuo, Jen Costello, Fiona Evoy, Francois Fletcher, Bill Fraser, Alex Gans, Mark Gordeau, Alain Hershenfeld, Seymour Ing, Edsel Johnson, Michael Johnston, Janine Karanjia, Rustum Kellen, Rodney Kowal, Kristopher Lam, Cindy Lavallee, Andreane Lelli, Danny Levin, Leonard Lewis, James Luneau, Katie Mansouri, Behzad Margolin, Edward Maxner, Charles Micieli, Jonathan Najem, Kinda Nicolle, David Ranalli, Paul Reginald, Arun Roberts, Richard Rodriguez, Amadeo Rouleau, Jacinthe Sheldon, Clair Sexton, Briar Simpson, Sara Ann Subramaniam, Suresh Sundaram, Arun Sutton Brown, Martin Ten Hove, Martin Tyndel, Felix Vanek, Irene Wade, Kevin Neil Wakelin, David Wan, Michael Wein, Francine Wong, Agnes Zackon, David e2 Practice Location Ottawa, Ontario Vancouver, British Columbia Victoria, British Columbia Vancouver, British Columbia Cobble Hill, British Columbia Montreal, Quebec Montreal, Quebec Toronto, Ontario London, Ontario Vancouver, British Columbia Calgary, Alberta Sherbrooke, Quebec Calgary, Alberta London, Ontario Montreal, Quebec Quebec City, Quebec Toronto, Ontario Toronto, Ontario Raymond, Alberta Winnipeg, Manitoba Ottawa, Ontario Winnipeg, Manitoba Surrey, British Columbia Toronto, Ontario Quebec City, Quebec Ottawa, Ontario Montreal, Quebec Edmonton, Alberta Montreal, Quebec Winnipeg, Manitoba Toronto, Canada Halifax, Nova Scotia Toronto, Ontario Montreal, Quebec London, Ontario Toronto, Ontario Toronto, Ontario Montreal, Quebec Hamilton, Ontario Montreal, Canada Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver, British Columbia Calgary, Alberta Toronto, Ontario Nanaimo, British Columbia Kingston, Ontario Toronto, Ontario Toronto, Ontario Vancouver, British Columbia Duncan, British Columbia Toronto, Ontario Montreal, Quebec Toronto, Ontario Ottawa, Ontario career. For instance, Dr. Lanning Kline, the immediate past editor-in-chief of the Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology, is originally from Alberta. Dr. Kline completed an ophthalmology residency at McGill University in Montreal, and a neuro-ophthalmology fellowship at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute before establishing a practice at the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham. Both neurology and ophthalmology residencies are 5 years in duration in Canada (one more year than in the United States). Therefore, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Canadian graduates are highly sought after and have been very successful in entering into prestigious fellowship training programs in the United States in both neurology and ophthalmology. Neuro-ophthalmology is a required part of ophthalmology residents' curricula in all ophthalmology residency programs and is one of the examination stations at the Royal College Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, the passage of which is a requirement for obtaining a medical license. There are currently 2 neuroophthalmology fellowships in Canada, one in Vancouver and one in Toronto. The Canadian Neuro-Ophthalmological Society is a Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) affiliate that meets once yearly at the annual COS meeting. At this event, at least one visiting professor is invited to give a formal lecture and members present their research. Apart from contributions to neuro-ophthalmology, 2 of the Canadian neuro-ophthalmologists are currently serving as chairs of their ophthalmology departments: Dr. Martin ten Hove at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, and Dr. Len Levin at McGill University in Montreal. Every year, Canadians are well represented at NANOS meetings, are involved at the Walsh meeting, and present platform and poster presentations. There has recently been an influx of young neuro-ophthalmologists throughout Canada who have completed their training in the past decade and will certainly leave their mark on our subspecialty. Table 1 is a list of all known Canadian neuroophthalmologists and their practice locations. It is a privilege to be a part of this very bright, collegial, and talented group. Edward A. Margolin, MD, FRCSC, Dipl ABO Division of Neurology, Departments of Medicine and Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada REFERENCE 1. Karanjia R, Sadun AA. The foundation of neuro-ophthalmology in the United States of America. Ophthalmology. 2016;123:447- 450. Margolin: J Neuro-Ophthalmol 2019; 39: e1-e2 Copyright © North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.