Ramin Tadayoni, MD, PhD, newly elected president of the European Society of Retina Specialists and highly esteemed member of the global retina community, died unexpectedly on April 20.
Tadayoni was a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Paris, chair of the ophthalmology department at the Rothschild Foundation Hospital and Lariboisière and Saint-Louis University Hospital in Paris, and director of the French Myopia Institute. He was the author of more than 200 scientific papers and multiple chapters in prestigious ophthalmology textbooks. His important contributions to research in the field of retina earned him the “habilitation à diriger des recherches,” the highest academic qualification in France. In 2019 he launched the EviRed project, which aimed at producing a new classification scheme for diabetic retinopathy based on the most advanced multimodal imaging technologies and AI.
“Ramin was a world-renowned visionary and force for good in the field of retina. He was a mentor to all who had the honor of working with him and learning from him. Perhaps most notably, he was a treasured friend whose loss feels immeasurable in this moment,” the Euretina board said in a statement posted on LinkedIn.
Ramin Tadayoni
Many colleagues around the world remembered his talent, enthusiasm and inspiring collaborative spirit.
Arshad M. Khanani, MD, MA, who met Tadayoni at the beginning of his career, called him his role model due to his “ever-ready infectious smile, his passion to collaborate, thirst for scientific knowledge and dedication to bring novel treatment for patients.”
“Over the past decade, we have collaborated on numerous papers, talks and meeting sessions. Ramin taught us humility, compassion and treating each other with respect. As friends and colleagues, we need to continue his legacy so future generations of physicians can learn how amazing and impactful Ramin was,” Khanani told Healio, encouraging all meetings and societies to name awards and lectures after Tadayoni “to continue his legacy and remember him forever.”
“I was deeply shocked,” Sundaram Natarajan, MD, said. “I was shattered to hear this shocking news. We had just signed for an Indian-French grant for research. There was so much shared enthusiasm about that project. I hope we all learn from Ramin’s example to cultivate joy, enthusiasm, integrity and kindness in our profession and beyond.”
“Many words and thoughts have been spread to honor Ramin,” Paolo Lanzetta, MD, said. “They testify how much Ramin was loved by all of us. Ramin has always embodied simple but enormous qualities — being a good man and a great physician. We will never forget his legacy, and Ramin will stay with us forever.”
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