Cless Best of the Best Award

The Cless Best of the Best Award recognizes the most significant lectures given at the leading ophthalmologic professional society meetings each year, AAO (American Association of Ophthalmology), held in October/November, and ARVO (Association for Research and Ophthalmology) held in May. By recognizing the best talk, the award also recognizes important contributions to the advancement ophthalmologic care through basic and clinical research. The Cless Best of the Best Award is made possible by a generous gift from the Cless Family Foundation.

Eligibility

To be nominated for the Cless Best of the Best Award, individuals must be established professionals conducting research in the field of or relevant to ophthalmology and visual science. Eligible nominees must also hold an academic appointment in a medical college. The nomination letter must identify a qualifying talk that appears on the official schedule at the annual AAO or annual ARVO meeting.

Nomination Process

Nominations for the Cless Best of the Best Award can be made by heads of ophthalmology departments and vision researchers who serve as PIs of National Eye Institute grants at the time their nomination. Nominations can be made for a period of one month following the last day of the AAO or ARVO meeting.

2009 AAO Deadline

The 2009 AAO meeting ended on October 27, 2009. Nominations will be accepted until 5:00 p.m., December 4, 2009.

Nomination Form

Download nomination form(as pdf) or Download nomination form(as Word doc)

Please email completed form to dazar@uic.edu or fax to 312-996-7770.

Previous Cless Best of the Best Awardees

Ilene Gipson, Ph.D., Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School (ARVO 2007)

Judah Folkman, M.D., Andrus Professor of Pediatric Surgery and Professor of Cell, Biology Harvard Medical School, Surgeon-in-chief, Emeritus, and director, Vascular Biology Program, Childrens Hospital. (AAO 2007) Dr. Folkmans award is in memoriam.

Lois E. H. Smith, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Ophthalmology, Childrens Hospital, Harvard Medical School (ARVO 2008)

Jean Bennett, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Ophthalmology, F. M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania (ARVO 2009)

Joe G. Hollyfield, Ph.D., Professor of Ophthalmology, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University.

Review and Selection

A review committee of diverse experts in clinical and basic ophthalmological research will review nominations and make the final selection.

Review Committee

NAME AFFILIATION TERM

Anthony Adamis, MD

President and CEO, Jerini Ophthalmic Inc.
Research Professor
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
University of Illinois at Chicago

2008-2011

Dimitri Azar, MD

B.A. Field Chair of Ophthalmologic Research
Professor and Head, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Professor of Ophthalmology in Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology
University of Illinois at Chicago

Permanent Member

Gerhard Cless

President, Zebra Technologies
Director, Cless Family Foundation

Permanent Member

Joseph Flaherty, MD

Dean and Professor
University of Illinois College of Medicine - Chicago

Permanent Member

Michael Gilmore, PhD

C.L. Schepens Professor of Ophthalmology
Harvard Medical School
Ankeny Director of Research and CEO, Schepens Eye Research Institute

2008-2011

Morton Goldberg, MD

Joseph Green Professor of Ophthalmology
Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute

2008-2011

Gregory Hageman, PhD

Professor of Ophthalmology
University of Iowa

2008-2009

Peter Kaiser, MD

Associate, Cole Eye Institute
Cleveland Clinic

2008-2011

Paul Kaufman, MD

Peter A. Duehr Professor and Chair
Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

2008-2011

Asrar Malik, PhD

Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology and Head
Department of Pharmacology
Professor of Pharmacology in Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
University of Illinois at Chicago

2008-2011

Bartly Mondino, MD

Bradley R. Straatsma Professor of Ophthalmology
Chair, Department of Ophthalmology
Director, Jules Stein Eye Institute
University of California - Los Angeles

2008-2009

Jerry Niederkorn, PhD

The George A. and Nancy P. Shutt Professor Director of Ophthalmic Research Departments of Ophthalmology and Microbiology
U.T. Southwestern Medical Center

2008-2011

Joan O’Brien, MD

Professor of Ophthalmology
University of California – San Francisco

2008-2011

Allen Putterman, MD

Professor
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
University of Illinois at Chicago

2008-2011

Mrinalini Rao, PhD

Vice President for Academic Affairs
University of Illinois 
Professor
Department of Physiology & Biophysics
University of Illinois at Chicago

2008-2009

Harris Ripps, DSc, PhD

Professor Emeritus
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
Department of Physiology and Biophysics
University of Illinois at Chicago

2008-2011

Joseph Rizzo, MD

Associate Professor of Ophthalmology
Harvard Medical School

2008-2009

Deepak Shukla, PhD

Associate Professor
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Department of Immunology and Microbiology
University of Illinois at Chicago

2008-2011

Mary Ann Stepp, PhD

Associate Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology
Associate Professor of Ophthalmology
George Washington University Medical Center

2008-2011

James Tsai, MD

Professor and Chair
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science
Yale University School of Medicine

2008-2011

Scott Whitcup, MD

Executive Vice President
Head, Research & Development
Allergan, Inc.

2008-2009

Charles Wilkinson, MD

Professor
Department of Ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins Chair
Department of Ophthalmology at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center
President, AAO

2008-2011