Anat Loewenstein, MD, Full Professor of Ophthalmology, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and Sidney Fox Chair of Ophthalmology at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at the Tel Aviv University, and the Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Tel Aviv Medical Center.

Studied medicine at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Following that, was 4 years in the Israeli Navy, serving as a physician officer at the Navy’s Headquarters.

Completed residency in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Tel Aviv Medical Center in Tel Aviv, and fellowship in retina vascular diseases and vitreoretina surgery unit at the Wilmer Institute, at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Following this, returned to Israel and after 2 years as the Head of the Vitreoretina Unit, became the Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Tel Aviv Medical Center. Completed also a Master of Health Administration degree at the Tel Aviv University Business School.

Doctor profile

EDUCATION

Medicine, MD. Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

Ophthalmology, Masters (with honors). Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

Health Administration, MHA. Recanati School of Business Administration, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL ROLES

Full Professor of Ophthamology and Vice-Dean of Medical School. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

Head of Department of Ophthalmology. Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel

Introduce yourself: who you are, where you work, what are your subspecialty and main areas of interest.
Introduce yourself: who you are, where you work, what are your subspecialty and main areas of interest.

Prof. Anat Loewenstein is the Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Tel Aviv Medical Center, Israel and Vice-Dean at the Faculty of Medicine at the Tel Aviv University, Israel. She is a retina specialist, dealing with both medical and surgical retina. Her main research interests is the development of technologies for early detection, monitoring and treatment of AMD.

Who has been the most influential person of your career? Who would you consider your masters and mentors?
Who has been the most influential person of your career? Who would you consider your masters and mentors?

Prof. Anat Loewenstein talks about her main mentors during her educational path back at the medical school, the residency period and the fellowship she attended. Among the most important mentors she mentions Dr. Neil Bressler and Dr. Susan Bressler, Prof. Julia Haller and Prof. Eugene De Juan.

What have been your greatest achievements and contributions to the advances of ophthalmology?
What have been your greatest achievements and contributions to the advances of ophthalmology?

Prof. Loewenstein talks about her main professional achievements, including breakthrough research projects like the development of early detection technologies for AMD, her research on the non-toxicity of bevacizumab to the retina and sustained-release drug delivery devices for retinal diseases.  She considers her mentoring and teaching young retina specialists as a great achievement in her career, together with the development of guidelines and participation to various consensus groups all over the world.

You are present in the international scene and involved in the big advances of ophthalmology. How much of what you do and learn internationally are you able to apply at home for the benefit of your patients in everyday practice?
You are present in the international scene and involved in the big advances of ophthalmology. How much of what you do and learn internationally are you able to apply at home for the benefit of your patients in everyday practice?

Prof. Loewenstein says that her international participation in international expert groups and meetings makes her a better physician for her patients. She thinks that the discussion with her peers contributes greatly to her professional growth and helps her bringing home increasingly better ways of taking care of patients in her daily routine. The knowledge she gains by discussing and exchanging ideas with her international peers contributes to constantly improve and keep up to date the ophthalmology practices in her country.

How important is you profession in your life? What are your passions and hobbies outside your profession?
How important is you profession in your life? What are your passions and hobbies outside your profession?

Prof. Loewenstein rates her profession 10 on a scale of 1 to 10.  Contributing to the development of treatments for retinal disease is one of the greatest satisfactions in her life. Her family is very important too, even more than her career. The greatest passion she has is her work, from the treatment of patients to surgery, but also teaching and learning. She also likes spending time with her family and doing sports like running and swimming.

The Aladdin lamp. One wish: one breakthrough innovation you would like to have ready now for your patients.
The Aladdin lamp. One wish: one breakthrough innovation you would like to have ready now for your patients.

Prof. Loewenstein speaks about vascular retinal diseases stating that we have pretty much the solution, even if we can improve it and make it less burdensome. She thinks that the next step is the treatment of degenerative retinal diseases, such as geographic atrophy, retinitis pigmentosa and other blinding diseases for which no treatment is currently available.