After graduating from Outremont High School in 1957, I spent the next 8 years at McGill University (obtaining my BSc and MD degrees) followed by 2 years at the Montreal Jewish General Hospital (in Internal Medicine), 3 years as a resident in Ophthalmology in New York City (where there were the most “eyes” and the greatest concentration of single women), and over 1 year in ophthalmic pathology at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington DC.  I then accepted a teaching fellowship in Djakarta, Indonesia for an amazing 3 months after which I returned to McGill University as a GFT professor in ophthalmology and pathology at the Royal Victoria Hospital for 20 years. In 1992 I was recruited by the University of Ottawa to assist Dr. Bruce Jackson to develop our own Eye Institute following which academia and travels flourished including the major meeting in Ophthalmologic Research (ARVO) during the first week of May in Fort Lauderdale, Florida annually where I represent the University of Ottawa and which is why I am unable to attend our class’s 50th anniversary celebration this year. 

In 1975, I met at a singles party in the Rockhill apartment complex in Montreal, where I resided, an Israeli “Sabra”, Hana, who immediately caught my eye and captivated my heart. Hana became my partner in life providing us with 3 children and, as of January 15th, 2007, 5 grandchildren who call me “Saba” (I reserve “Zaida” only for my late Dad, “Zaida Joe”). While my 2 daughters, Galit and Ariella, have been producing babies, my youngest child, Jonathan, who is turning 19 next month, is in the Biomed Program at the University of Ottawa, and is considering Medicine as his future career.

On October 28th, 2006, I received the Ottawa Health Research Institute’s highest honour, the J. David Grimes Research Career Achievement Award, which was presented to me at the Annual Gala of The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa. Almost all of my travels are partially tied in with academia and accompanied by my wife Hana, in particular to Israel for 1 month every couple of years, including the past summer during the war, where I lectured simultaneously Israeli and Palestinian doctors. This coming summer, 2007 will be highlighted by my participation in the International Ocular Oncology meeting in Siena, Italy, for 1 week followed by 3 weeks of travelling by automobile throughout Italy, where Hana and I will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary.

I look forward to reviewing the biographies and photographs of my former school mates and I wish all of you what is evolving to be a spectacular, memorable 50th Anniversary Class Reunion.

My best wishes to all. 

Seymour Brownstein, MD FRCSC

Director, Ophthalmic Pathology Laboratory

Chairman, Research Day and UOMRF Committee

Les Amis Chair in Vision Science

Professor, Departments of Ophthalmology and Laboratory Medicine (Pathology)

University of Ottawa Eye Institute

501 Smyth Road, Suite 3818

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada    K1H 8L6

Email sbrownstein@ohri.ca