Richard L. Lindstrom

Dr. Lindstrom is the founder and attending surgeon at Minnesota Eye Consultants, Adjunct Clinic Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota Department of Ophthalmology and visiting professor at the UC Irvine Gavin Herbert Eye Institute. He is a board-certified ophthalmologist and internationally recognized leader in corneal, cataract, refractive, glaucoma and laser surgery. He has been at the forefront of ophthalmology’s evolutionary changes throughout his career, as a recognized researcher, teacher, inventor, writer, lecturer and highly acclaimed physician and surgeon.

After graduating Magna Cum Laude from the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Lindstrom completed his doctorate degree in medicine in 1972. He conducted research, residency and fellowship training in cornea at the University of Minnesota and affiliated hospitals and extended his anterior segment surgery fellowship training at Mary Shiels Hospital in Dallas followed by a Heed Fellowship in Glaucoma at University Hospital in Salt Lake City. From July 1979 to May 1980, Dr. Lindstrom was in private practice with Quinn-Harris-Lindstrom Ophthalmology Center in Dallas Texas and, from July 1979 to May 1980, he was Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas Texas. In 1980, Dr. Lindstrom returned to the University of Minnesota, where he spent ten years on the faculty of the Department of Ophthalmology, the last two as a full professor and the Harold G. Scheie Research Chair. He continues as Adjunct Clinical Professor Emeritus and a Trustee for the University of Minnesota Foundation. He entered private practice in 1989 and has helped lead the growth and expansion of Minnesota Eye Consultants having served as managing partner for 15 years. He is chief medical editor of the USA and International editions of Ocular Surgery News, which reaches 82,000 ophthalmologists worldwide.

Dr. Lindstrom served as President (2007-2008) of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS); he later served as chair of the ASCRS Foundation for 6 years and continues to serve on the ASCRS Executive Committee and its Foundation. He has also served as president of the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the International Intraocular Implant Club, and the International Refractive Surgery Club.

He has served for 25 years as chairman and CEO of Lindstrom Cleaning and Construction, a three-generation family business. He has endowed funds supporting the University of Minnesota Department of Ophthalmology, the Eye Bank Association of America, and the University of Minnesota Tennis Team.

Dr. Lindstrom has been awarded over 40 patents in ophthalmology and has developed a number of corneal preservation solutions, intraocular lenses, drugs, devices, and instruments that are used in clinical practices globally. He serves on the Boards of Directors of Lindstrom Restoration, Minnesota Eye Consultants, TearLab, Ocular Therapeutix, Imprimis, Refractec, AcuFocus, Lentechs, LENSAR, CorneaGen, SURFACE, Combangio, LAGRANDE, MDbackline, ForSight#6, IICayr, Equinox, Visionary Ventures, and Flying L Ventures. Previously, he served on the Boards of Directors of the following acquired companies: Eyeonics, Advanced Vision Science, Midwest Surgical Services, Laserboyz, Citation Ventures, LVCI Vision, VisionCorrection, TLC Vision, Sightpath, Onpoint Medical Diagnostics, Vision Twenty-One, Occulogix, ianTech, and Wavetec. Dr. Lindstrom is a Trustee of the following non-profit entities: The University of Minnesota Foundation, InnerCityTennis, the ASCRS Executive committee and its Foundation Board, and The International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

A frequent lecturer throughout the world on cornea, cataract, glaucoma, laser, and refractive surgery, he has presented over 40 named lectures and keynote speeches before professional societies in the U.S. and abroad, more recently giving the Kelman Lecture at the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Castroviejo Lecture at the Cornea Society, the Barraquer Lecture at ISRS, the Worst Medal Lecture at IIIC, and the Binkhorst and Innovator Lectures as ASCRS. Internationally, he has delivered, among others, the Blumenthal Memorial lecture in Jerusalem, Israel, the Benedetto Strampelli Medal Lecture in Rome, Italy, and the Albrecht von Garefe-Vorlesung Innovator’s Lecture in Nurenberg, Germany.

Dr. Lindstrom serves on a number of journal editorial boards, including JCRS and JRS. He is the Honorary Editor-in-Chief of the U.S./Chinese Journal of Ophthalmology. He has co-edited seven books, published over 350 peer reviewed journal articles and 60 book chapters. His professional affiliations are extensive.

He is the recipient of numerous awards for distinguished service by national and international ophthalmology associations, including the LANS, Barraquer and the first lifetime achievement award from the International Society of Refractive Surgery in October 1995 and was honored with a second lifetime achievement award in October 2002, the Binkhorst and Kelman Lecture Award from the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the Bausch + Lomb Lifetime Achievement Award in April 2005, and the Paton Award and NACT Award from the Eye Bank Association of America.