Carnegie Corporation of New York has chosen Independence Day, July 4th, to honor distinguished immigrants for their contributions to advancing American society. This year 41 honorees from more than two dozen countries are named as leaders in a range of fields. These naturalized citizens have changed the face of America.
The site states that “Dr. Gholam Peyman, born in 1937, in Shiraz, Iran, is an ophthalmologist and retina surgeon who, over his four-decade career, has been granted approximately 150 U.S.patents for his work advancing his field. He is best known for his invention of the revolutionary LASIK eye surgery, which corrects patients’ vision. He was voted into the Hall of Fame of Ophthalmology in 2005 and he was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, in 2013.”
To learn more about this prestigious honor and it’s 41 2014 recipients visit: Great Immigrants: The Pride of America website: http://greatimmigrants.carnegie.org/
To learn more about Carnegie Corporation and it’s mission visit www.Carnegie.org
A Letter from AZ House of Representatives to Dr. Gholam Peyman
Thursday, September 12, 2013
UA College of Medicine – Phoenix Physician Among Those Honored by President
Dr. Gholam Peyman, LASIK Surgery Inventor, Wins National Medal of Technology and Innovation
Gholam A. Peyman, MD, a faculty member at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, was named today by President Obama as one of the 12 eminent researcher recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. Dr. Peyman is also a professor of Optical Sciences and Engineering at the UA.
Eleven extraordinary inventors were also named recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. This award and the National Medal of Science designations are the highest honors bestowed by the federal government upon scientists, engineers, and inventors. The recipients will receive their awards at a White House ceremony in early 2013.
Dr. Peyman is an ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal surgeon who has more than 135 patents. His most widely-known invention is LASIK eye surgery, a vision correction procedure designed to allow people to see clearly without glasses. Dr. Peyman’s inventions cover a broad range of novel medical devices, intra-ocular drug delivery, surgical techniques, laser and optical instruments, as well as new methods of diagnosis and treatment. He has won numerous honors and awards, including being inducted into the Hall of Fame of Ophthalmology.
“This is a great national honor for the tremendous contribution Dr. Peyman has made to medicine, science and technology” said Dr. Stuart D. Flynn, dean of the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix. “We are so proud of Dr. Peyman, and our faculty and students are grateful for the opportunity to have this amazing physician as part of our College.” In addition to his faculty appointments, Dr. Peyman’s practices at Arizona Retinal Specialists in Sun City West.
Dr Peyman is a member of the editorial board of nine distinguished ophthalmology journals. His awards include the Lifetime Achievement Award of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the first translational research award from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and inclusion in the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Hall of Fame.
Dr Peyman conducted pioneering studies in intraocular drug delivery and refractive and vitreoretinal surgery. He established the techniques of eye-wall resection and endoresection for intraocular tumors, and was the first to perform a retinochoroidal biopsy and transplant retinal pigment epithelial cells for age-related macular degeneration. He is also a pioneer in laser and photodynamic therapy.
He developed the first pressure-controlled valve that became known as the Krupin valve for glaucoma surgery, and developed the first telescopic IOL for patients with macular disease. He was also among the first to implant an artificial silicone retina in patients with retinitis pigmentosa.
The National Medal of Science was created by statute in 1959 and is administered for the White House by the National Science Foundation. Awarded annually, the Medal recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to science and engineering. A committee of Presidential appointees selects nominees on the basis of their extraordinary knowledge in and contributions to chemistry, engineering, computing, mathematics, or the biological, behavioral/social, and physical sciences.
“I am so honored by this award,” said Dr. Peyman. “What a wonderful surprise. I am gratified that our work has touched so many people. We work always to enhance treatments and improve the outcomes for patients. We continue to look forward since there are many more problems to solve. ”
The National Medal of Technology and Innovation was created by statute in 1980 and is administered for the White House by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Patent and Trademark Office. The award recognizes those who have made lasting contributions to America’s competitiveness and quality of life and helped strengthen the Nation’s technological workforce. Nominees are selected by a distinguished independent committee representing the private and public sectors.
This year’s recipients are listed below.
National Medal of Science
- Dr. Allen Bard, University of Texas at Austin
- Dr. Sallie Chisholm, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Dr. Sidney Drell, Stanford University
- Dr. Sandra Faber, University of California, Santa Cruz
- Dr. Sylvester James Gates, University of Maryland
- Dr. Solomon Golomb, University of Southern California
- Dr. John Goodenough, University of Texas at Austin
- Dr. M. Frederick Hawthorne, University of Missouri
- Dr. Leroy Hood, Institute for Systems Biology (Wash.)
- Dr. Barry Mazur, Harvard University
- Dr. Lucy Shapiro, Stanford University School of Medicine
- Dr. Anne Treisman, Princeton University
National Medal of Technology and Innovation
- Dr. Frances Arnold, California Institute of Technology
- Dr. George Carruthers, U.S. Naval Research Lab
- Dr. Robert Langer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Dr. Norman McCombs, AirSep Corporation (N.Y.)
- Dr. Gholam Peyman, University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix/Arizona Retinal Specialists, AZ
- Dr. Art Rosenfeld, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Calif.)
- Dr. Jan Vilcek, NYU Langone Medical Center
- Team:
- Dr. Samuel Blum, IBM Corporation, New York
- Dr. Rangaswamy Srinivasan, IBM Corporation, New York
- Dr. James Wynne, IBM Corporation, New York
- Company:
- Raytheon BBN Technologies, Mass., *Represented by CEO Edward Campbell
Affiliations listed are the awardees’ most recently identified employers; some awardees are now retired.
White House media contact:
Becky Fried
Communications Analyst
The White House | Office of Science & Technology Policy
O: 202.456.6045
M: 202.503.7122
E: rfried@ostp.eop.gov
