ASCRS News: ASCRS Annual Meeting preview
Spring 2025
by Ellen Stodola
Editorial Co-Director
The Charles D. Kelman, MD, Innovator’s Lecture will be given by Damien Gatinel, MD, PhD, during the Saturday Main Stage session at the 2025 ASCRS Annual Meeting.
Both honored and pleasantly surprised by this distinction, Dr. Gatinel said he sees it as a meaningful recognition of his contributions to mathematical and optical modeling in ophthalmology. His lecture will be “an intellectually stimulating deep dive into ablation profiles, trifocal IOL design, IOL power calculations, and keratoconus detection.”
Dr. Gatinel said he has long been fascinated by engineering, and when he chose to pursue medicine, he quickly realized that ophthalmology was the perfect field to merge his passion for physics, optics, and laser research. The unique interplay between mathematics and vision correction make it an ideal avenue for him to apply high-level computational modeling to real-world clinical challenges, he said.
Dr. Gatinel plans to discuss advancements in wavefront analyzing to make it more clinically relevant, as well as new aberration classifications. Advancements in AI in the field also have a mathematical structure underneath, which he is interested in exploring. When he first began working in ophthalmology, biometry and aberrometry were not so advanced, and he noted research in both of these areas.
Dr. Gatinel also mentioned the importance of collaboration in research, particularly working with mathematicians and other non-physicians; this often adds a fresh perspective.
Beyond technical expertise, a mindset of curiosity and intellectual independence has shaped much of his work. A significant part of his research stems from a willingness to challenge established dogmas and approach problems from an unconventional, sometimes orthogonal perspective. He thinks that fostering a critical and original way of thinking is essential, even if it means questioning long-standing principles.
Dr. Gatinel emphasized the value of stepping outside one’s comfort zone, drawing inspiration from John F. Kennedy’s famous “We choose to go to the moon” speech: We choose to do some things not because they are easy, but because they are hard. He thinks that pushing the boundaries of knowledge, even in the face of challenges or failures, ultimately leads to progress. Every effort made contributes to personal and scientific growth, and even setbacks offer valuable lessons for the future.
About the physician
Damien Gatinel, MD, PhD
Head of the Anterior and Refractive Surgery Department
Rothschild Foundation
Paris, France
Contact
Gatinel: gatinel@gmail.com
