The Antti Vannas Fellowship was initiated in July 2006 by the Institute for Eye Research to celebrate and honour the contributions of Professor Antti Vannas to science and eye research and to recognise his great capacity to stimulate colleagues and researchers alike to seek better ways of working together to improve sight for all people. The Fellowship targets international interdisciplinary scholar exchange in eye research.
The first Antti Vannas Fellow, awarded by Antti himself, is to Finnish ophthalmologist, Dr Jukka Moilanen, a scientist and ophthalmologist at Helsinki University Eye Hospital who was chosen by Antti on the basis of his excellent work with Antti on a number of surgical projects. Jukka Moilanen will arrive in Australia this month to take up the inaugural Fellowship, working in India, Australia and the US, taking Antti’s work on the surgical correction of refractive error to a new level.
As one of the world’s most experienced corneal surgeons, Antti’s research included myopia, refractive correction, corneal physiology and development of new vision correction methods. Through his outstanding work and love for life he developed a network of research collaborations in Finland, Australia, USA and India. Antti played a key role in advancing corneal and refractive surgery, corneal implantation and the understanding of ocular inflammation, and inspired an enormous number of people to continue towards better and permanent solutions to myopia and to make vision correction accessible throughout the world. Antti was also a very keen supporter of the humanitarian work of organisations such as the International Centre for Eyecare Education.
Jukka will be involved in both the Corneal Onlay and DV Gel projects. The Corneal Onlay is a small, synthetic lenticule implanted under the surface of the cornea to change the shape of the corneal surface, in order to achieve the desired vision correction with minimal intrusion into the eye. The DV gel is an intra ocular gel lens that restores accommodation and therefore vision at all distances.
Jukka said, “Owing my deepest gratitude to Antti Vannas, who introduced me to Brien and Debbie and the brilliant people in Vision CRC partners in Sydney and Hyderabad, I feel happy to shift from remote work to the real battlefield. Not only are the ongoing and future projects highly ambitious and fascinating, there is also a clear synergy with the work I have been doing in Finland. This is a great opportunity to learn more, hopefully give something in return, and I couldn’t have hoped for better support from the people in Vision CRC and IER to make this possible.”
Professor Deborah Sweeney of the Vision CRC, Trustee of the Vannas Fellowship, expressed her thanks to all those who have donated to the Institute for Eye Research Foundation to make the Antti Vannas fellowship possible.
“The response to the Vannas Fellowship has been outstanding with friends of Antti committing over $500,000 to the perpetual trust to be run by the Institute for Eye Research. We would like to provide more opportunities for researchers in optometry and ophthalmology to explore collaborative research with the offering of additional Fellowships. We would therefore encourage others who may have known Antti or who would like to support this important initiative to provide their support.”
Ms Yvette Waddell, Chief Operating Officer of the Institute for Eye Research said “The IER was keen to establish this Fellowship not just to honour Antti as a great friend of Australia and supporter of inter-professional collaboration but to attract the best in the world to breakthrough research through collaboration. The IER Foundation could not have achieved the funding necessary without the wonderful support of his family, especially his children Meri and Tomi, but also his great friend Jim O’Donnell – from UC San Francisco ophthalmology and yachting fame, and Pam Capaldi, IER’s consultant in the US.”
Brien Holden, CEO of Vision CRC, said “Antti was a great mate. His powers of concentration and dedication to the task – be it surgery, research, sailing or enjoying a Sydney pub, were awesome. His made friends everywhere, loved life and achieved in clinical practice and research like few others. His legacy will go on with this award but he is sorely missed.”
The Fellowship is open to researchers (from Finland, Australia, India and America and later from other Countries across the globe), who wish to have the opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary ophthalmology-optometry research collaboration. Applications will be called for again in 2010.
At the launch of the fellowship in Helsinki just before his death in 2006, Professor Vannas had said that “I am deeply honored by the establishment of the Vannas Fellowship and I am pleased that it will support eye research cooperation. Hopefully it will provide a chance for young researchers to experience the wonderful spirit and the immense value of collaborations such as the ones I have enjoyed so much across the globe”.
Read the newsletter at www.ierfoundation.org for more information about Jukka
and how you can continue to support the Vannas Fellowship Fund.
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