Current Position

Professor of Veterinary Ophthalmology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich

Education and Experience

Originally from the Netherlands, Simon graduated from the Utrecht University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2000 and worked as a private practitioner for a number of years before pursuing an internship in Utrecht and an ophthalmology specialty residency in Madison, Wisconsin, in the USA. Since 2009, he has worked as a faculty member at the Vetsuisse Faculty in Zurich, Switzerland, where he currently holds a professorship in Veterinary Ophthalmology. Simultaneously, he has finished a PhD on corneal wound healing and fibrosis in the Laboratory of Applied Mechanobiology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ).

Teaching Experience

Simon has over 15 years of experience as a University Teacher and Professor, during which he has been responsible for the Ophthalmology curriculum, supervised >25 specialty interns and residents, and supervised numerous undergraduate, doctoral thesis, and PhD students.
He has been a speaker at >150 national and international continuing education courses, professional meetings and scientific conferences and has authored several book chapters and well over 50 publications in peer reviewed scientific journals.
He has been a member of the ECVO Examination Committee for the past 10 years.

Research

Research Focus 1 explores high-resolution ocular imaging using tools like optical coherence tomography OCT, OCT angiography (OCTA) and confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (cSLO) to diagnose retinal and optic nerve diseases in veterinary patients. It aims to enhance imaging in awake animals, improve diagnostics, and develop gene defect identification methods.

Research Focus 2 investigates treatments for corneal infections, wound healing, and scarring. It explores UV-A/Riboflavin cross-linking, alternative therapies, and sutureless solutions for corneal defects. The goal is to enhance therapies using innovative technologies and molecular research.