LASIK inventor honored by President Obama

Washington, DC-President Barack Obama awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest honor bestowed on an American innovator, to Gholam Peyman, MD, inventor of LASIK surgery, during a ceremony at the White House Feb. 1.

Dr. Peyman, a professor of optical sciences and engineering at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, was among 12 researchers to receive the honor.

“We are so grateful to all of you,” President Obama said to the award winners. “The incredible contributions you’ve made have enhanced our lives in immeasurable ways that are practical but also inspirational. Thank you so much for everything that you’ve done.”

Dr. Peyman holds more than 135 patents. Although he is widely known for inventing the LASIK vision correction procedure, Dr. Peyman’s inventions cover a broad range of novel medical devices, intro-ocular drug delivery systems, surgical techniques, laser and optical instruments, and new methods for diagnosis and treatment.