Malik Y. Kahook

The Slater Family Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Professor, Vice Chair, Chief of the Glaucoma Service and Co-Director of the Glaucoma Fellowship at the UCHealth Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, Colorado, USA

Why did you decide to pursue ophthalmology/your subspecialty?

This is a common question we ask applicants for ophthalmic residency and fellowships and the typical answer, which also applies to how I feel, is that ophthalmology is a great mix of clinical and surgical practice that allows for constant intellectual stimulation and helping people in concrete/measurable ways. In my case, pursuing ophthalmology had the added benefit of being a field ripe for innovation to pursue new ways for the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Ophthalmology has provided me with the chance to address unmet needs through basic research and collaboration with teams to introduce new therapies that are now used globally. I can't imagine doing any other subspecialty in medicine today.

Who is someone in ophthalmology/your subspecialty that you feel has been particularly influential over the past 10 years?

It is hard to compete with the achievements of Joel Schuman over the past couple of decades and he is showing no signs of slowing down. The introduction of optical coherence tomography, of which he is an inventor, has revolutionized the way we diagnose and treat ophthalmic diseases. He continues to innovate in the field of ophthalmic imaging while also branching out into innovative sustained drug delivery and cell-based therapy platforms that could further revolutionize the field of glaucoma therapeutics in years to come.

What is your prediction for where ophthalmology/your subspecialty will be 10 years from now?

The next decade will be remembered as the time when digital solutions, including artificial intelligence, were implemented into clinical practice in a meaningful way. We have been discussing the promise of augmenting clinician knowledge and decision making with digital co-pilots for many years. This promise is becoming a reality as we launch new tools to help guide analyses of diagnostic tests and mine big data sets to help tailor therapies to individual patients. I'm excited to see how my clinical and surgical practice changes and to be an active participant in the transformation of patient care in years to come. 

Do you have any personal missions for the next 10 years?

My personal goals over the next few years include continuing to push our sustained drug delivery solutions from clinical trials into clinical practice. I am excited for the work we are doing with SpyGlass Pharma (www.spyglasspharma.com) and expect this approach to have an impact across many ophthalmic diseases, with the first being glaucoma. I am also excited to continue working with our artificial intelligence team to implement new ways to diagnose and treat patients both in the clinic and the operating room. Finally, I hope to continue working with Orbis International to enhance equity in eye care across the globe and to support outreach through Sidra Tree Foundation (www.sidratreefoundation.com) whose mission is to preserve and enhance vision by partnering with key stakeholders to democratize global eye care. I feel confident that the next 10 years will be even more exciting than the past decade.