Dr. Richard Lindstrom

Physician Member

Dr. Richard Lindstrom is currently serving as a physician member on the UVP Board of Directors.

Dr. Richard L. Lindstrom, founder and attending surgeon of Minnesota Eye Consultants and Adjunct Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota Department of Ophthalmology, is a board-certified ophthalmologist and internationally recognized leader in corneal, cataract, refractive 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 and was a Heed Fellow in Glaucoma at University Hospital in Salt Lake City. 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 Professor Emeritus, Chairman of the Vision Foundation, and Associate Director of the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank at the University of Minnesota. He entered private practice in 1989 and has led the growth and expansion of Minnesota Eye Consultants having served as managing partner for 15 years. He is also medical director of TLC Vision, Sightpath Medical, and Refractec. 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 Surgeons; he also serves on the Executive Committee and is the Chair of the Corporate Gifts Committee for the ASCRS Foundation. He has in the past served as the President of the International Society of Refractive Surgery, the International Intraocular Implant Club, and the International Refractive Surgery Club. He is the Global Education Liaison of the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

He is 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 holds over 30 patents in ophthalmology and has developed a number of solutions, intraocular lenses and instruments that are used in clinical practices globally. He serves on the Board of Directors of AcuFocus, Inc, TLC Vision, Occulogix, eyeonics, Refractec, the Minnesota Medical Foundation, and Inner City Tennis.

A frequent lecturer throughout the world on cornea, cataract and refractive surgery, he has presented over 37 named lectures and keynote speeches before professional societies in the U.S. and abroad, most recently giving 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 Nuremberg, Germany.

Dr. Lindstrom serves on a number of journal editorial boards, including JCRS, JRS, and Ophthalmic Surgery. 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, including Liaison of the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

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 also was honoured with another lifetime achievement award in October 2002, the Binkhorst Lecture Award from the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the Bausch and Lomb Lifetime Achievement Award, April 2005, and the Paton Award and NACT from the Eye Bank Association of America.