EURETINA introduces Ramin Tadayoni Award in honor of late president

Image credit: EURETINA

The European Society of Retina Specialists (EURETINA) announced it has established an award, supported by Oculis Holding AG, in memory of Ramin Tadayoni, MD, PhD. Tadayoni, who passed away suddenly in April, was the EURETINA president and Chief Scientific Officer at Oculis. In a press release, the award was described as “a lasting tribute to Professor Tadayoni’s legacy.”¹

“The Ramin Tadayoni Award has been established to honor the memory of a remarkable individual whose contributions significantly advanced ophthalmic disease research,” said Anat Loewenstein, MD, President of EURETINA. She described Tadayoni as a visionary leader and a cherished friend. “This initiative serves both as a legacy to an incredible man and a tribute to his work. By preserving the contributions of Tadayoni, we are also investing in the future generation of brilliant ophthalmologists who will drive research excellence and innovation in retinal care.”

The Ramin Tadayoni award will be presented to talented ophthalmologists who have made outstanding contributions and have exceptional potential in retina research. The annual award will grant €30,000 (~$32,000) for research support, and an additional €5,000 (~$5300) directly to the candidate. Applications are open now, and will be accepted through July; the inaugural award will be presented at the 2024 EURETINA Congress, 19 - 22 September.

Tadayoni was a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Paris. He was also head of the ophthalmology department at the Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild Hospital, where he served as director of the French Myopia Institute, and the Lariboisière and Saint-Louis University Hospital, both in Paris.

Image credit: EURETINA

At the time of his passing, Tadayoni was only a few months into his 2-year term as EURETINA president. In an interview about his plans for the future of the organization, Tadayoni said he planned to advocate for changes to funding throughout Europe to increase the scope of research in the field.² “We have a lot of challenges as retinal specialists in terms of keeping pace with a rapidly evolving landscape in terms of new treatments, regulations, technologies and innovations coming on stream,” Tadayoni said at the time. As such, the award’s research funding will help to carry out Tadayoni’s stated goals for EURETINA and the retina research community worldwide.

Tadayoni was appointed Chief Scientific Officer of Oculis in February 2024, and had previously served as Chair of the Oculis Retina Scientific Advisory Board. Riad Sherif, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Oculis, said that Prof Tadayoni was an “exceptional friend” who “played a key part in Oculis progress since its inception.” In the news release announcing the award,1 Dr Sherif stated, “In addition to his scientific achievements, he is remembered for his kindness, mentorship and unwavering commitment to advancing the field and bettering patients’ lives. Tadayoni has left behind a profound legacy and we are very pleased that this award will carry forward his dedication to high quality research in the field of retina, to education, and to patients suffering from blinding diseases.”

On its website, EURETINA shared the eligibility criteria for the award.³ These include:

• Applicants must be post-doctoral or clinical fellows conducting research in the retina field in a specialized retinal unit or university hospital in a European country. (For the purposes of the award, a European country includes all member states of the European Union (EU), countries within the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland and the United Kingdom.)
• Applicants must hold an MD and/or PhD and have completed their most recent doctoral degree or medical residency within the past ten years by the start of this award in 2025.
• Applicants must be current EURETINA members.

Applications are currently open online and close on Monday 29th July 2024. The winning applicant will be chosen by a panel of leading retina specialists nominated by the EURETINA Board and Oculis. Those wishing to apply can do so on the EURETINA website.

References:

1. Oculis Holding AG. Oculis and EURETINA Announces the Ramin Tadayoni Award. News release. Published 27 June, 2024. Accessed 27 June, 2024. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/06/27/2905032/0/en/Oculis-and-EURETINA-Announces-the-Ramin-Tadayoni-Award.html

2. Hayes, H. Retina community mourns sudden loss of Ramin Tadayoni, MD, PhD. Ophthalmology Times Europe. Published 22 April, 2024. Accessed 27 June, 2024. https://europe.ophthalmologytimes.com/view/retina-community-mourns-sudden-loss-of-ramin-tadayoni-md-phd-euretina-death-obituary

3. The Ramin Tadayoni Award. EURETINA.org.