Yvonne Buys

Affiliation

University of Toronto

Biography

Dr. Yvonne Buys earned her MD degree, completed an ophthalmology residency and a Glaucoma Fellowship all at University of Toronto. She is a Full Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Dr. Buys has been involved in numerous professional organizations including President (2018-20) and Board Member (2010-21) of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS), President of the Toronto Area Glaucoma Society (2001-2) and Canadian Glaucoma Society (2007-9). She is on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Glaucoma. Dr. Buys has been involved in guideline development including the COS evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Glaucoma in the Adult Eye (2009), the COS policy statement on Medical use of Cannabis for Glaucoma (2010 and 2018), a guideline for Interprofessional Collaboration in the care of Glaucoma Patients and Glaucoma Suspects (2011), Screening for Open-Angle Glaucoma guideline for family physicians (2015), and A Practical Guide to the Pregnant and Breastfeeding Glaucoma Patient (2020). She has published over 175 peer-reviewed scientific papers, 16 invited editorials and 10 book chapters and has made over 500 presentations at meetings and symposiums globally. In recognition of Dr. Buys' pioneering work in course development, she received the Toronto Hospital Anderson Award (1998), the University of Toronto Clive Mortimer Postgraduate Teaching Award (1999) and the University of Toronto Colin Woolf Award for Long Term Contributions to CPD (2020). Dr Buys developed and organized Women in Ophthalmology under the COS from 2012-2018. In 2018 Dr Buys received the Champion for Change award from Women in Ophthalmology at the World Ophthalmology Congress. From 2014-16 Dr Buys was on the Planning Committee for Glaucoma Subspecialty Day at the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and in 2015 received the Achievement Award from the AAO. In 2019 Dr Buys was accepted to the American Society of Ophthalmologists with her thesis entitled Influence of age, sex, and generation on physician payments and clinical activity in Ontario, Canada: An age-period-cohort analysis. In 2021 Dr Buys received the Mitzel Award from the Glaucoma Research Society of Canada. Early in 2020 Dr Buys was involved in developing several ophthalmology specific national guidance documents related to COVID including Guidelines for Ophthalmic Care during COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian Glaucoma Society Recommendations for Providing Eye Care to Glaucoma Patients During COVID-19, Ophthalmology Clinic Reopening during COVID-19 Checklist for Canadian ophthalmologists, a national framework for Adult Ophthalmic Surgery Prioritization during COVID and Immediately Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery – Key Points. She also organized the development, financing and distribution of 1200 slit-lamp breath shields for ophthalmologist across Canada – to add a protective barrier when examining patients. On July 1, 2020 Dr Buys retired from clinical practice however has continued with her research focusing on sex disparity in medical practice in Canada and the ophthalmology backlog resulting from COVID. She is also transitioning to a hobby farmer and bird watcher and has a weekly column entitled Look What Flew through the County published in the Times, Wellington, Ontario.