Photo caption: Dr. Varun Chaudhary and members of his research team in the Thomas Kevill Advanced Vitreoretinal Imaging Lab.
To advance care for millions of Canadians living with Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Dr. Varun Chaudhary, Chief of Ophthalmology at St. Joe's is leading research aimed at combating two of Canada's leading causes of blindness (Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Diabetic Retinopathy (DR)) through the application of AI algorithms designed to speed up diagnoses, identify biomarkers to predict disease development, and deliver personalized medicine.
“We're pairing the latest retinal imaging technology with expert level grading to analyze thousands of scans to understand how best to optimize outcomes for our patients. We're also developing artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to identify patterns that will help us to detect and diagnose these conditions earlier, so we can personalize treatments and ultimately preserve our patients' vision for as long as possible," says Dr. Chaudhary.
It's estimated more than 3.5 million Canadians are living with one of these common eye conditions. AMD is characterized by the deterioration of the macula – the middle part of the retina – and can result in a loss of clear, detailed central vision while DR is a complication of living with diabetes and can result in damage to the blood vessels in the retina leading to spots in a patient's vision. For both diseases, retinal imaging is crucial to their detection, diagnosis, and the monitoring of treatment effectiveness.
Retired chartered accountant and St. Catharines resident Thomas Kevill has donated $10 million to St. Joseph's Healthcare Foundation to support the groundbreaking research led by Dr. Varun Chaudhary. This gift marks one of Ontario's most significant philanthropic investments in eye health and research.
“A few years ago, I experienced a detached retina, and Dr. Chaudhary performed the reattachment surgery and gave me back my sight. I'm forever grateful for that," says Mr. Kevill, a resident of St. Catharines. “During our time together, I learned about his research pursuits. In my profession, I've learned that numbers don't lie. So, Dr. Chaudhary's interest in using numbers and evidence-backed big data to improve eye medicine resonated with me."
Mr. Kevill's gift builds on earlier contributions in 2023 and 2024, totaling more than $1 million to support and help equip the Thomas Kevill Advanced Vitreoretinal Imaging (AVI) Lab, which is a part of the Regional Eye Institute, a hub for ophthalmologic care and research. In recognition of his gift, the Institute will now be known as the Thomas Kevill Regional Eye Institute.
Located at St. Joe's King Campus in Hamilton, the Regional Eye Institute supports the ophthalmology needs of 1.4 million people living across the Greater Hamilton, Niagara and Brantford regions. More than 7,000 eye surgeries take place at the Eye Institute each year, including corneal transplants, cataract removals, vitreoretinal, oculo-plastic and glaucoma procedures. There are more than 80,000 outpatient visits annually – all aimed at improving or retaining the vision of St. Joe's patients.
The significant boost to the research lab will support the achievement of a four-pronged vision of innovative research and care:- Early Detection: Deploying advanced retinal imaging to identify biomarkers that will help to diagnose AMD and DR sooner in patients and even hypothesize about who may be most likely to develop these conditions.
- Personalized Precision Treatment: Using machine learning to evaluate efficacy and tailor treatments to each patient's specific disease, condition, biology and retinal anatomy.
- Novel Therapeutics: Expanding access to and evaluating the effectiveness of new and emerging treatments through world-class clinical trials.
- Global Collaboration: Standardizing care through international data sharing and evidence synthesis with other eye centres across the world.
To learn more visit: www.stjoesfoundation.ca