MISSISSAUGA, Ontario – A Mississauga Muslim eye surgeon has won the 2017 Innovator of the Year, an award presented by the Eye Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (EPSO), in recognition of his groundbreaking work in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of highly complex eye diseases.

Dr. Iqbal K. Ahmed was presented his award at the EPSO’s annual general meeting on Thursday, Sept. 14 in Ottawa, Mississauga News reported.

A fellowship-trained glaucoma, cataract and anterior segment surgeon, Dr. Ahmed is recognized as being one of the most experienced and skilled eye surgeons in Canada.

He has been at the leading edge of novel treatments for micro-invasive glaucoma surgery and the latest designs in intraocular lens implants.

In 2010, Ahmed was selected as one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 — a prestigious national award recognizing significant achievements at a young age.

Ahmed has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers, as well as numerous book chapters. He has won five film festival awards, six best papers of session, a poster award at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), a European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ESCRS) first place video award, as well as an American Association of Ophthalmology (AAO) best of show award.

The Muslim eye surgeon has delivered over 750 scientific presentations thus far in his career, including 31 visiting professor’s lectures around the world.

Dr. Ahmed’s highest professional honor was when the ASCRS bestowed the prestigious Binkhorst medal upon him in 2014 for his revolutionary work on micro-invasive glaucoma surgery.

He is currently an assistant professor at the University of Toronto and a clinical assistant professor at the University of Utah. He is the director of research at the Kensington Eye Institute and director of the Glaucoma and Advanced Anterior Segment Surgery (GAASS) Fellowship at the University of Toronto.

Ahmed has a large tertiary glaucoma/cataract practice at Prism Eye Institute in the Greater Toronto Area. He primarily performs surgery at the Trillium Health Partners, TLC Mississauga and the Kensington Eye Institute with the University of Toronto.