Dr. Cindy M. L. Hutnik, MD, PhD
Dr. Hutnik is a full professor in the Departments of Ophthalmology and Pathology at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry. She served as Medical Director of the Ophthalmology Basic Science Laboratory at the Lawson Health Research Institute in the Center for Clinical Investigation and Therapeutics for 18 years and Chair of Research in the Department of Ophthalmology for 15 years. She earned her doctoral degree at the National Research Council followed by undergraduate medical training, both in Ottawa, Canada. She then obtained her ophthalmology training at the University of Western Ontario, in London, Canada followed by subspecialty glaucoma training under the mentorship of Dr. Paul Kaufman at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. She currently is a member of a number of editorial and research review boards. She has served as medical education section editor for the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology. She supervises an independent program of clinical, basic science, educational research and collaborates with local colleagues engaged in health economics research.
Her administrative roles have included Faculty Chair of the Summer Research Training Program at the University of Western Ontario as well as membership on the Faculty Clinician-Scientist committee, MD/PhD selection committee, medical advisory committee of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind Mobile Eye Care Program, councilor and secretary/treasurer of the Canadian Glaucoma Society and co-chair of the Canadian Glaucoma Clinical Research Council. She also served on the clinical expert panel for the creation of Ontario glaucoma quality standards and was both the provincial glaucoma representative on the Tariff Committee of the Eye Physician and Surgeons of Ontario (EPSO) and clinical advisor to the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH). She has been elected as the Chair of the National Research Award Committee of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. She has worked closely with the Faculty of Health Sciences to create a business plan and proposal for Interprofessional Health Education Undergraduate Curriculum in the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University. She is currently Chair of the Governing Committee of the Academic Medical Organization of Southwestern Ontario (AMOSO).
Her major research interest is focused on the pathophysiology and management of glaucoma with a sub-interest in ocular surface and macular disease. She has supervised and mentored in focused research activities more than 125 students at all levels of training ranging from high school to graduate science and medicine. Her work has been presented and published both nationally and internationally and has been recognized with over 70 awards. She continues to have keen interest in the development of novel and/or optimization of existing treatments for patients with glaucoma. Believing strongly in collaborative models of eye care she is proud of the global partnerships she has developed between the Schulich School and key centers in China, Italy and the United States.
Financial disclosure: Dr. Hutnik has/had an affiliation (financial or otherwise) with a commercial organization: