The highest honour that The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) can bestow is that of Honorary Fellow. It is awarded in recognition of a lifelong contribution to ophthalmology.
Three new Honorary Fellows 2021
Three new Honorary Fellows were commended at the recent RCOphth Annual Admission Ceremony, Professor Roger Buckley, Dr Santosh Honavar and Professor Sir Peng Khaw.
Details of all Honorary Fellowships, with full citations here
Peng Khaw, Bernie Chang, Roger Buckley
1. Professor Roger Buckley
In total Roger’s ophthalmic career spans five decades, including 31 years working at Moorfields Eye Hospital. His research activities, which continue to this day, have resulted in nearly 100 peer-reviewed papers, 16 book chapters and numerous other publications.
Mr Christopher Liu gave the full citation for Professor Roger Buckley.
He has also lectured extensively at conferences and symposia both at home and overseas. In my opinion and that of many other senior figures in ophthalmology, Professor Roger Buckley more than meets many of those conditions necessary for being made an Honorary Fellow of our College. In a highly distinguished career over 50 years, he has demonstrated exemplary service and certainly changed things for the better.
2. Dr Santosh Honavar
‘I give this citation for Dr Santosh Honavar for his outstanding and continued contribution to Ophthalmology, not just in the Indian subcontinent but world-wide. Dr Honavar is an internationally acclaimed ophthalmologist working as Director of Ocular Oncology and Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery at Centre for Sight, Hyderabad, India. He is also the Director of National Retinoblastoma Foundation and Director of Medical Services for the Centre for Sight group of Hospitals in India.
Dr Honavar is widely considered the father of ocular oncology of the Indian sub-continent and is credited with establishing adult and paediatric ocular oncology as dedicated sub specialities. His efforts have led to improved quality of care for countless eye cancer patients. He is best known for his research on retinoblastoma, and this has made significant impact on the diagnosis, management, and outcomes in the Indian sub-continent. Santosh has dedicated his life to ocular oncology.’
Mr Sachin Salvi gave the full citation for Dr Santosh Honavar (who was unable to attend the Admission Ceremony in person due to Covid travel restrictions).
3. Professor Sir Peng Khaw
‘Professor Sir Peng Khaw’s principal appointments are Consultant ophthalmic surgeon, Moorfields Eye Hospital (1993); Professor of Glaucoma and Ocular Healing, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology (1998); Director, Moorfields NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (2007); Director of Research, Development and Innovation at Moorfields Eye Hospital (2007).
As a clinician Professor Khaw’s specialisation is in glaucoma in young patients – those patients with the most challenging glaucoma. He leads the largest paediatric glaucoma service in the world, to which infants and children are referred from all over the UK and internationally, with outcomes matching the best achieved internationally. Influenced by the life-changing consequences of unsuccessful glaucoma surgery, from his time as a research trainee to the present he has developed and championed new treatments from laboratory through to international clinical trials, in particular anti-scarring drugs and delivery systems for use in glaucoma surgery.
He is a true translational researcher, passionately believing that scientific research will enable us to develop new and better treatments to changes lives for the better. Peng is a colleague who has given exemplary service to our specialty, who really has changed things, with an emphasis on practical achievement; has demonstrated innovation and entrepreneurship; is an example of the best sustained and selfless voluntary service; and has delivered in a way that has brought distinction to UK life. His achievements fully justify the award of Honorary Fellowship of our College.’
Mr Frank Larkin gave the full citation for Professor Sir Peng Khaw