In this episode, podcast host Peter Cackett (Consultant Ophthalmologist, NHS Lothian) and guest speaker Steven Schallhorn (refractive surgeon, prior consultant to NASA and NATO, and former aviator and TOPGUN instructor for the US Navy) soar through Steven’s experiences with TOPGUN and the role of vision in aviation, alongside his role in pioneering refractive surgery for the Department of Defence and consultation for NASA.

After graduating from Colorado State University, Dr Steven Schallhorn entered the US Navy in 1977 and trained as an F-14 naval aviator. Following several deployments on USS Ranger, he was selected and served as a Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) pilot and then instructor, teaching air combat to fleet fighter pilots. He then completed a medical degree at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, before undertaking an ophthalmology residency at the Naval Medical Center San Diego and a cornea followship at the Doheny Eye Institute, University of Southern California.

Throughout his career, Professor Schallhorn has received many awards and has led multiple case studies and publications on the safety profile and efficacy of eye surgery. He has served as a clinical investigator on numerous FDA clinical trials and has presented and written an impressive collection of academic papers. He was the founder of the Department of Defence refractive surgery program, which now consists of over 20 centres providing mission-enhancing surgery to active-duty personnel and was instrumental to the NASA approval of laser vision correction.

This is a non-promotional podcast organised and funded by Bayer plc.

November 2023 | PP-EYL-GB-1994

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