W. BRUCE JACKSON General Campus (see Contact page for maps)

Clinical Investigator, Vision, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Ottawa

Director of Refractive Surgery, Laser Program
University of Ottawa Eye Institute, The Ottawa Hospital

Biographical Sketch

W. Bruce Jackson completed his undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Western Ontario which was followed by an ophthalmology residency at McGill University, Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, Quebec.  He did a fellowship in Cornea and External Disease at the Francis I. Proctor Foundation, UCSF, funded by the Medical Research Council of Canada.  He then joined the Faculty of McGill University for seventeen years and developed a Cornea and External Disease Fellowship Program, graduating twelve fellows and initiated the McGill Low Vision Clinic.  In 1986, he became Ophthalmologist-in-Chief at the Royal Victoria Hospital and in 1987, Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at McGill, Program Director, and Research Director.

In 1991, Dr. Jackson moved to Ottawa to establish the new University of Ottawa Eye Institute, Ottawa General Hospital.  He became Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Ottawa and Director General of the Eye Institute until June 30th, 2008.  He was Ophthalmologist-in-Chief of the Department of Ophthalmology of the OGH from 1991 until 1998.  He started the excimer laser program at the Eye Institute in 1992 and has recruited a research team of six into this program.  This was the first excimer laser in a university training program in Canada.  He has developed and carried out clinical research in the treatment of myopia, myopic astigmatism, hyperopia, and hyperopic astigmatism and PresbyLASIK from 1993; data used for FDA approval of myopic astigmatism and high hyperopia in the U.S.  As a result of this program, additional research projects have been funded by Industry, MRC, and CIHR. 

In 1979, Dr. Jackson founded the Canadian External Disease and Cornea Society and chaired the Society until 1988.  He is past Chairman of the Association of Canadian University of Professors of Ophthalmology.  He has been an oral examiner for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and a member of the written Test Committee.  His research interests are in bacterial infections of the external eye, new antibiotics, ocular surface disease, excimer laser surgery, machine design, software, and outcome analysis. He is a reviewer for many ophthalmic journals and a consultant to the Health Protection Branch, Bureau of Human Prescription Drugs, Health and Welfare Canada.

Research Interests

• Excimer laser surgery – equipment, software, surgical techniques
• Wavefront technology
• Antibiotics and antivirals for ocular infections
• Ocular surface disease
• New technology for Ophthalmology – bioengineered cornea for refractive onlays and transplantation
• Outcome analysis

Major Research Interests

• Excimer Laser Program – University of Ottawa Eye Institute (1993-)

The Eye Institute has been the major beta-test site for AMO helping to develop hardware and software modifications to the excimer laser for the treatment of myopia, astigmatism, hyperopia, and presbyopia. Data collected at the University of Ottawa Eye Institute used for FDA approval of high myopia and astigmatism in the US, fall of 1997 and hyperopia in 1998, and high myopia in 2005.  Currently, the research is centered on the surgical correction of presbyopia and new laser designs.

• Ocular Pharmacology – Antibiotics Anti-allergics, Dry eye, and Blepharitis products

Re:  Use of antibiotics and anti-allergic medications for ocular surface disorders.  My research has looked at the penetration of antibiotics into the eye and their effect in sterilizing the eye prior to cataract surgery and for the prevention of endophthalmitis.  Current investigations include management of ocular surface disease, lid inflammations, and dry eye.

Major Awards/Affiliations

• Castroviejo  Medal Award Recipient, The Cornea Society – 2007
• The Ottawa Life Sciences Council Career Achievement Award - 2006
• Senior Achievement Award, American Academy of Ophthalmology - 2005
• A.J. Bedell Lecturer – Wills Eye Conference, Philadelphia, PA – 2003
• Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal Recipient, 2002
• University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine Award of Excellence – 2001
• The Resident Teaching Merit Award for Medical Teaching 2000-2001, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Ottawa
• 1st Annual Bruce Jackson Lecture, Canadian Cornea/External Disease and Refractive Surgery Society – 2001
• Sean B. Murphy Lecturer, Annual Clinical and Scientific Research Day McGill University, Department of Ophthalmology – 2001
• Keynote Lecturer, Refractive Surgery Interest Group (RSIG), American Academy of Ophthalmology - 2000
• Richard L. Lindstrom Surgical Keynote Lecturer, CLAO – 2000
• Researcher of the Year, Ottawa General Hospital – 1996
• Proctor Lecturer, The University of California, San Francisco, Department of Ophthalmology and the Francis I. Proctor Foundation – 1996
• Honor Award of the American Academy of Ophthalmology - 1995

Current Funding Sources

• AMO
• Allergan

Current Publications (5 selected publications)

• Jackson WB.  Blepharitis:  current strategies for diagnosis and management.  Can J Ophthalmol 2008;43(2):170-179.
• Gooi P, Brownstein S, Jackson WB, Mintsioulis G.  Meesmann’s corneal dystrophy managed with an epithelial delaminator.  Can J Ophthalmol. 2007 Dec;42(6):879-80.
• Munger R, Jackson, WB. Chapter 15: Topography-Guided Corneal Refractive Treatment: The VISX Model. 2006:157-66.In Corneal Topography in the Wavefront Era, Edited by Ming Wang 2006.
• Griffith M, Liu Y, Carlsson D, Hodge W, Li F, Munger R, Bueckert D, Becerril C, Jackson WB.  Implantable Onlays.  Cataract & Refractive Surgery Today, 2005 Jan;5(1):80-82.
• Jackson WB, Al-Muammar A.  Photorefractive Keratectomy.  In:  Cornea, 2nd Edition by Krachmer JH, Mannis M, Holland EJ.  Part X1:  Refractive Surgery, Section 3, Chapter 157, November 2004.