Team

ENG: Gerrit Melles is a cornea specialist and founder of the Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery (NIIOS), the Melles Cornea Clinic Rotterdam, and Amnitrans EyeBank Rotterdam. His clinical work focuses on the management of corneal disorders and he is actively involved in research and development of ophthalmic surgical techniques and has invented several advanced lamellar keratoplasty techniques among others Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) and Bowman layer transplantation. Furthermore, he has developed instruments and medical devices required for the invented techniques, pioneered the use of staining solutions such as VisionBlue®, MembraneBlue® for ophthalmic surgeries and developed the Surgicube® for performing ophthalmic surgeries under sterile conditions in any clinical setting.
Dr Melles has received several awards in recognition of his contribution to ophthalmology. Among others, Dr Melles is the 2017 Helen Keller Award Laureate, and received the 2015 Dastgheib Pioneer Award in Ocular Innovation at the Duke University Eye Center, and an American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award in 2009 and 2005.
Dr Melles has authored almost 300 peer-reviewed scientific publications and book chapters.

NL: Dr. Gerrit Melles is corneaspecialist en oprichter van het NIIOS, de Melles Hoornvlieskliniek en Amnitrans EyeBank. Hij studeerde Geneeskunde in Leiden en behaalde zijn specialisatie Oogheelkunde in Nijmegen. Zijn promotieonderzoek verrichtte hij zowel in het Sharp Cabrillo Hospital, San Diego, VS, als aan de Universiteit van Nijmegen. Zijn klinische werkzaamheden focussen op hoornvliesaandoeningen en hij is baanbrekend in onderzoek en ontwikkeling van oogheelkundige chirurgische technieken (zoals DMEK). Hij ontwikkelde medische instrumenten en apparatuur en was pionier in het vereenvoudigen van oogoperaties door middel van kleuroplossingen. Ook is hij de uitvinder van de Surgicube®, een mobiele steriele operatiekamer. Hij heeft meerdere prijzen ontvangen voor zijn bijdragen aan de oogheelkunde. In 2017 kreeg hij nog de Helen Keller Award in de VS, in 2019 de Tilanusmedaille. Dr. Melles heeft meer dan 300 wetenschappelijke publicaties op zijn naam. Zijn missie is om minimaal invasief en met behoud van de natuurlijke anatomie oogheelkundige problemen te lijf te gaan.

ENG: Dr. Achraf Laouani started his fellowship at NIIOS on October 11th, 2021.

NL: Dr. Achraf Laouani startte zijn fellowship bij NIIOS op 11 oktober 2021.

Chelo Temprano Acedo is one of the best ophthalmologists. She has professional experience for several years in the field. She is a diligent and skilled specialist. She completed her medical studies at the Spanish Medical Faculties in Salamanca and Barcelona. Dr. Temprano has been conducting research. During this phase, she developed an interest in ophthalmology. This resulted in her starting her specialization as an ophthalmologist in Barcelona in April 1986. She came to the Netherlands to gain experience at the Eye Hospital in Rotterdam in 1989. She has worked and specialized further in the Netherlands. She is an expert in Insured eye care and refractive surgery. She has the passion to build trust and to provide the highest standards of medical excellence, scientific knowledge, and patient care.

ENG: Lydia van der Star joined NIIOS as an optometrist in 2019. She has a background in general optometry, refractive laser, and cataract surgery with keen interest for the cornea and is committed to improve eye care in general. During her studies she was involved in several international eye health care projects. Her current working profile at the NIIOS consist of optometric examinations and assisting during UV-crosslinking, lamellar keratoplasty and Bowman layer transplantations at the Melles Cornea Clinic. Her current research focuses on Bowman layer transplantation for advanced keratoconus and on the management of endothelial corneal disorders.

NL: Lydia van der Star trad in 2019 in dienst bij NIIOS als optometrist. Ze heeft achtergrond in algemene optometrie, refractieve laser en cataractchirurgie met een grote interesse voor hoornvlies en ze zet zich in om de oogzorg in het algemeen te verbeteren. Tijdens haar studie was ze betrokken bij verschillende internationale oogzorgprojecten. Haar huidige werkprofiel bij NIIOS bestaat uit optometrische onderzoeken, assisteren bij UV-crosslinking, lamellaire keratoplastiek en Bowman layer transplantaties in de Melles Cornea Clinic. Haar huidige onderzoek richt zich op Bowman layer transplantatie voor gevorderde keratoconus en op de behandeling van endotheelaandoeningen.

ENG: Korine van Dijk is head of Melles Cornea Clinic Rotterdam (MHR) and has an eloborate knowledge of corneal disorders. After her graduation in Optometry in 1995 from the Hogeschool van Utrecht, her clinical work mainly concentrated on the anterior segment of the eye. After joining NIIOS in 2009, next to her clinical activities she conducted multiple research projects focussing on the clinical outcomes and optical performance of the different modern lamellar keratoplasty techniques performed at MHR, such as DMEK and Bowman layer transplantation. In collaberation with Leiden University, she defended her PhD on this subject in 2018. Currently, her work is a combination of managing clinical and executive activities in the clinic and clinical research.

NL: Korine van Dijk is het hoofd van de Melles Hoornvlieskliniek (MHR) en heeft uitgebreide kennis van hoornvliesaandoeningen. Na haar afstuderen in optometrie in 1995 aan de Hogeschool van Utrecht, concentreerde haar klinische werk zich voornamelijk op het voorste deel van het oog. Nadat ze in 2009 bij NIIOS kwam werken, voerde ze naast haar klinische activiteiten meerdere onderzoeksprojecten uit, gericht op de klinische resultaten en optische prestaties van de verschillende moderne lamellaire keratoplastiektechnieken die bij MHR worden uitgevoerd, zoals DMEK en Bowman layer transplantatie. In samenwerking met de Universiteit Leiden verdedigde ze in 2018 haar promotie op dit onderwerp. Momenteel is haar werk een combinatie van het managen van klinische en uitvoerende activiteiten in de kliniek en klinisch onderzoek.

Vincent Bourgonje is an R&D scientist at NIIOS since 2014. He graduated from Utrecht University in the field of Biomedical Sciences with electives in virology and physiology. His PhD research at Medical Physiology (Utrecht University) concerned translational research on cardiac arrhythmias and remodeling. At NIIOS his research focuses on clinical outcomes after corneal transplantation and clinical validation of ophthalmological devices. Besides R&D activities, he also leads the clinical imaging team, is biosafety officer of the cell culture lab, and auditor in the quality team. His interests are broad, which his position at NIIOS reflects perfectly.

Indre Vasiliauskaite is a research scientist at NIIOS since 2019. Indre has a background in biomedical sciences and obtained her MSc degree at the Erasmus University Rotterdam in Clinical Research. Her current research focusses on clinical outcomes and graft survival after DMEK. She is especially interested in long-term outcomes after corneal transplantation and how outcomes are affected by specific donor-, surgery-, or patient-related parameters. She also contributes to many other projects at NIIOS thanks to her strong data analysis skills. Currently, Indre is working towards obtaining a PhD degree here at NIIOS in affiliation with the Leiden University Medical Center.