Richard L. Lindstrom, MD
Founder and attending surgeon at Minnesota Eye Consultants, Adjunct Clinical Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota Department of Ophthalmology, Associate Director: Minnesota Lions Eye Bank, Board Member: University of Minnesota Foundation, and Visiting Professor: UC Irvine: Gavin Herbert Eye Institute. Dr. Lindstrom 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 a one year fellowship training in cornea and external diseases at the University of Minnesota and affiliated hospitals and extended his anterior segment surgery fellowship training at Mary Shiels Hospital in Dallas, Texas for 6 months. He then served as a Heed Fellow in Glaucoma at University Hospital in Salt Lake City for 6 months. 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 years 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 serving as managing partner for 15 years.
Dr. Lindstrom is medical director of Sightpath Medical, Co-Medical Director of TLC Vision, Co-Medical Director of Precision Lens, and Medical Director of Refractec. He is Chief Medical Editor of the USA and International editions of Ocular Surgery News, which reaches over 82,000 ophthalmologists worldwide.
Dr. Lindstrom is Past President of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons and the International Intraocular Implant Club. He currently serves on the Governing Board and is the Chair of the ASCRS Foundation. He is also Past President of the International Society of Refractive Surgery and the International Refractive Surgery Club. He is currently the Global Education Liaison of the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
He is Chairman and CEO of Lindstrom Restoration and Environmental Services, 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 38 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 several publicly traded and private companies including AcuFocus, Inc, TLC Vision, Sightpath, TearLab Corporation, Wavetec, Onpoint Medical Diagnostics, Revitalvision, Eyestore, Strathspey Crown, Refractec, the public foundations including the University of Minnesota Foundation, ASCRS Foundation and Inner City Tennis. Dr. Lindstrom consults widely for major companies including Alcon, Abbott Medical Optics, and Bausch + Lomb as well as start up and early stage companies. He is a venture affiliate at Versant Ventures and a consultant to Schroeder Venture Life Sciences. He has served as a source of early stage Angel Capital for 60 start up companies.
A frequent lecturer throughout the world on cornea, external diseases, cataract, refractive surgery, and glaucoma, he has presented over 40 named lectures and keynote speeches before professional societies in the U.S. and abroad, including the Binkhorst and Innovator Lectures at ASCRS, The Barraquer and Lans Lectures at ISRS, The IIIC Medal Lecture, 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. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and The International Society of Refractive Surgery.
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 ten 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 again Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society of Refractive Surgery in 1995 and 2002, the American Academy of Ophthalmology Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007, the Bausch and Lomb Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005, Benjamin F. Boyd Humanitarian Award in 2000, and the Paton Award and NACT from the Eye Bank Association of America.
Dr. Lindstrom lives in Minneapolis on the shores of Lake Minnetonka with his wife Jaci and has two children and 4 grandchildren.