Undergraduate education
Study Direction:  Scientific B, completed in 1970 with distinction
Graduate education
Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of the VUB (1971-1977)
Completed with high distinction

 

Training in Ophthalmology
1977 – 1978    Scholarship at the OCMW Hospitals of Brussels
1978 – 1981    Trainee in Ophthalmology at the University Hospital Brussels (AZ VUB)
1981    Recognition as Ophthalmologist with registration number 1-17252-21-370
1990    PhD thesis obtained at the Rijksuniversiteit Leiden
1999    Recognition as physician-specialist in ophthalmology and in professional revalidation of the visually disabled (K) with registration number 1-17252-21-374
2008    Recognition as physician-specialist in insurance medicine
Accessory education
Management training for medical doctors with an executive mission: 33 hours (academical year 1997-1998)

Career
1981 – 1982    Candidate staff member at the University Hospital Brussels (AZ VUB)
1982 – 1984    Staff member 1st term at the University Hospital Brussels (AZ VUB)
1984 – 1986    Staff member 2nd term at the University Hospital Brussels (AZ VUB)
1986 – 1991    Associate Professor at the University Hospital Brussels (AZ VUB)
1991 – 2000    Head of Department at the University Hospital Antwerp
Head Instructor at the University of Antwerp
2000 – 2002    Professor (60 %) at the University of Antwerp
2003 –    Full Professor (100 %) at the University of Antwerp
2008 –    Medical Director of the Antwerp University Hospital

Memberships and board functions
National scientific societies
Member of 8 national societies
Board member of 6 national societies (president or past-president of 4 national societies)
International societies
Member of 18 international societies
Board member of 5 international societies:
Past-President of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ESCRS)
Chair of the Programme Committee of the ESCRS
Treasurer of the International Uveitis Study Group (IUSG)
Past-President of the European Board of Ophthalmology (EBO)
Board Member of the Société Française d’Ophtalmologie (SFO)
Graduate and postgraduate education
Supervisor for full education in ophthalmology for 6 trainees
Board member of the Dutch accreditation committee for training in ophthalmology
Member of the board of the Paritary committee for ophthalmology of the Belgian social security (RIZIV)
Member of the Belgian social security, committee medical devices (RIZIV)
Member of the European Professors Organisation (EUPO)
Board member of the European Board of Ophthalmology (EBO)
Vice-President and Chair of the Residency Review Committee (2000 until 2004)
President-elect from 2005 until 2006
President from 2007 until 2008
Past-President 2009-2010
Board member of the Collegium Ophthalmologicum Belgicum (COB)
Vice-President from 2002 until 2005
President from 2005 until 2007

Internal services
University Hospital Antwerp (UZA)
Medical board
1st term (1997-1999) as member of the medical board
2nd term (2000-2003) as vice-president of the medical board
Operating theatre
Head of the operating theatre from 2000 until present
Nominated as Medical Director of the Antwerp University Hospital (2007-2011)

University of Antwerp (UA)
Representative of the University of Antwerp at the Ministry of social affairs, funds for occupational illness (1999)
Vice-President of the commission of postgraduate education for trainees (1999-2001)
Effective member of the disciplinary body (2000-present)
Vice-dean of the Faculty of Medicine (2001-2003)
Substitute member for appeal (RIZIV accreditation) of the University of Antwerp (2000-present)
Member of the general assembly of the medical foundation Horlait-Dapsens (2002-2007)
Board member of the University Professors Society of Antwerp (2005-present)

Humanitarian projects (accross borders)
A project in Peru (Huanoco) has been conducted in 1999 and 2000.  The objective of this project was to create a training center in ophthalmology for the Faculty of Medicine of Huanoco.  Because of political reasons, this project aborted in 2001.

Attendance at international congresses, courses and symposia
The average frequency of attendance to international congresses is between 4 and 5 yearly.  Priority is given to these congresses in which I am involved as member of the Board.

Attendance at Belgian meetings and postgraduate courses
Yearly spring meeting of the Belgisch Oogheelkundig Gezelschap (BOG)
Yearly spring meeting of the Belgian Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (BSCRS)
Yearly annual fall meeting of the Belgian scientific societies (OB)
Monthly evening meeting of the interuniversity postgraduate courses (RUG–KUL–VUB–UA)
Monthly evening meeting of the Antwerpse Refereeravonden (UZA–AZM) held at the University of Antwerp (from 1991 until 2000)
Antwerp cycle of ethics and economics: 4 meetings per year: collaboration between UZA–AZM–Monica–St-Augustinus (from 2001 until present)

Training outside Belgium
8 programmes in the field of retinal detachment and vitreo-retinal surgery (1985–2002)

Clinical experience
Surgery
Ophthalmic surgeon since 1985 with personal participation of 59 % of total surgical activities of the ophthalmic operating rooms.  Initial training in vitreo-retinal surgery and retinal detachment (1985–1992).  Since 1992 the surgical activity has been oriented towards cataract surgery, corneal surgery and vitreo-retinal surgery in decreasing order of importance in surgical volume.
Evolution of the financial income of the Department of Ophthalmology
7-fold increase of the total income between 1991 and 2009

Research projects
In collaboration with pharmaceutical companies or institutes
27 projects have been conducted between 1984 and 2009
In collaboration with the European Union
4 projects have been conducted between 1992 and 2009

Lectures (1978–2009)
total number of lectures: 288
number of national lectures: 102  (50% on invitation)
number of international lectures: 186  (60% on invitation)

Educational activities
Belgian postgraduate educational courses (1984–2009)
53 courses
Supervision of medical students for their master degree (1986–2009)
43 projects
Educational activities at the Faculty of Medicine
Educational programme of medical students (part ophthalmology) from 1985 until present
Educational programme of residents in ophthalmology from 1991 until present
Educational programme at postgraduate level from 1991 until present
Continuous medical education at international meetings (1998–2008)
26 courses and wetlabs at the meetings of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ESCRS), the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).
Education for paramedicals and related occupations (1998–2007)
Lectures given in 3 programmes for paramedicals
Promotor of doctoral theses
Posterior capsule opacification: search for a therapy (Van Tenten Yasmine, MD) (September 2002)
On the wavefront aberrations of the human eye and the search for their origins (Rozema Jos, MSc) (physicist) (December 2004)
Prevention of posterior capsule opacification by new surgical techniques and a new intraocular lens design (De Groot Veva, MD) (September 2005)
Bio-optics of the human eye (Van de Velde Frans, MD) (November 2009)
Therapeutical approach of keratoconus (Koppen Carina, MD) (in preparation)

Publications (1979–2009)
total number of publications: 192
number of national publications: 84
number of international publications: 108

Books
23 chapters in 19 books

Published abstracts (1982–2009)
total number of abstracts: 146
number of abstracts in abstractbook: 114
number of abstracts in an international journal: 32

Posters (1987–2009)
34 posters in national and international meetings
Scientific videos (1999–2009)
17 scientific videos of which 6 awards (including ESCRS and Videorefrattiva)

PhD thesis
Subject:    Laser photocoagulation in retinal tissue
Promotors:    Prof. dr. J.A. Oosterhuis, Rijksuniversiteit Leiden (ophthalmologist)
Prof. dr. G.F.J.M. Vrensen, Interuniversitair Oogheelkundig Instituut Amsterdam (oculomorphologist)
Prof. dr. M. Brihaye-Van Geertruyen, AZ VUB Brussel (ophthalmologist)
 Prof. dr. A.C. Breebaert, Universiteit Amsterdam (ophthalmologist)
Prof. dr. W. Luyendijck, Rijksuniversiteit Leiden (neurologist)
Defended:    This doctoral thesis has been defended in Leiden on October 11th, 1990

Fund raising (1989–2009)
Participation at 33 projects, funded by the Funds for Research in Ophthalmology, European Union (Leonardo da Vinci programme – European Science Foundation), National Funds for Scientific Research, Industry.

Organisation of scientific meetings (1991–2009)
72 meetings of which 10 ESCRS Annual meetings and 10 ESCRS Winter meetings

Chair of sessions (1993–2009)
87 sessions mainly in international meetings

Editorial board and reviewer
Reviewer of the Bulletin de la Société belge d’Ophtalmologie
Editor of the BSCRS/SOBEVECO journal
Member of the editorial board of Lasers in Medical Science (Saunders Company)
Member of the editorial board of Dialoog: Nederlands tijdschrift voor oogheelkunde
Member of the editorial board of Comprehensive Ophthalmology Update (American journal)
Reviewer of the Britihs Journal of Ophthalmology, Ophthalmic Research
Reviewer of the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (common journal of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery [ASCRS] and the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery [ESCRS])

Patents
American Patent n° 6,027,531 for the design of a new type of intraocular lens for the prevention of posterior capsule opacification
American Patent n° 6,200,342 for the design of an intraocular lens with accommodative properties for phakic patients with refractive disorders
European Patent 00940679.4-2310-PCT/1202684 (UK: 2K266BG0, The Netherland: 2K266NL0, Germany: 2K266DE0) for an intraocular lens with accommodative properties for phakic patients with refractive disorders
European Patent EP 0 916 320 A3 for an intraocular lens and method for preventing secondary opacification (accepted March 18th, 2004)
European Patent 98 119 336.0 – 2310 (Ref: 1830/2D739-EP) for an intraocular lens (Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, The Netherlands and Sweden)
American Patent (in publication) for a removable, replaceable optic intraocular lens

Development of instruments
Tassignon capsulorhexis caliper: Duckworth and Kent, 9-675 (straight) and 9-675-1 (curved) (2001)
Tassignon alcohol chamber, Duckworth and Kent, P2855 (A), P2856 (A), P2857 (A) (2003)
Confetti caliper, Morcher (2003)
Tassignon ring caliper positioner, Eye Technology, SH-7017
Ring caliper, Morcher (design Tassignon, V.2.0.0 type 5 and type 6)

Awards
Honorary member of the Instituto Barraquer (Barcelona) (2002)
Kritzinger award of the African Society of Refractive Surgery (2003)
Golden medal award for innovation of the Indian Academy of Ophthalmology (2006)
Member of Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis (2006)
American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Achievement Award (2007)
Member European Academy of Ophthalmology (2007)
Award International Symposium of Ophthalmology Hong Kong (2007)
Alumni Pretoria University – Republic of South Africa (2008)