Saul Merin

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Saul Merin (Jerusalem, 2004)

Saul Cvi Merin (Hebrew: שאול מרין‎; August 25, 1933 – August 28, 2012) was an Israeli ophthalmologist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of retinal and genetic eye diseases. His book Inherited Eye Diseases is now in its second edition.

As Professor of Ophthalmology at Israel's Hadassah Hospital, Merin worked at the St John Eye Hospital Group's East Jerusalem hospital, where he worked with ophthalmologists working in the area of the Palestinian National Authority.

While based primarily in Israel, worked for 25 years with The University of Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, where was a visiting professor.

Early life

Merin escaped deportation by train to Auschwitz on August 3, 1943, and was hidden by Aniela (Zawadzka) Szwajce in Będzin, a town in southwest Poland, until arrival of the Soviet army in January 1945. He emigrated to Israel in 1949.

Career

He studied at the Medical School of Hebrew University in Jerusalem from 1953-1960. Following conscription into Army Service in the IDF from 1961-1963, he trained in ophthalmology at Hadassah Medical Center under Professor I.C. Michaelson from 1963-1969, and was made a specialist in ophthalmology in 1969.

He worked in Malawi from 1965-1967, and made several professional tours in Africa.

He was awarded fellowships and had additional training at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada in pediatric ophthalmology, and at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois, USA for further medical study of the retina.

He was Professor of Ophthalmology at Hebrew University from 1979 until his death. He was Chairman of the Israel Ophthalmological Society from 1976-1982, Chairman of the Israel Society for Vision and Eye Research from 1985-1995, Chairman of the Israel Board of Ophthalmology, from 1989-1995, and Chairman of the Unit of Ophthalmology, at Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus from 1979-1998.

Prof. Merin died in August 2012.

References

Preceded by Michael Belkin

Chairpersons of the Israel Society for Vision and Eye Research 1986-1989

Succeeded by Shabtay Dikstein