Guillermo Rocha, MD, FRCSC

Guillermo Rocha, MD, FRCSC is originally from Mexico City, Mexico. He obtained his Medical Degree in Mexico, followed by a research fellowship in Microvascular Surgery (Mexico City and Houston, TX). He trained in Ophthalmology at McGill University in Montreal and has completed subspecialty training in Ocular Immunology and Inflammation (McGill University), and Cornea and External Diseases (University of South Florida, Tampa).

He is past Head of the Department of Surgery at the Brandon Regional Health Centre (2004-2009). He is past Associate Editor and Cornea Section Editor for the international journal Techniques in Ophthalmology, past Editor-in-Chief of Online Clinical Communications for Ophthalmologists and co-Editor of three books, Bringing you the future in ophthalmology, Advances in Refractive and Corneal Surgery and Surgical Correction of Astigmatism. He has over 60 published citations including book chapters, major topic reviews, medical journal articles and abstracts of studies presented at international meetings. In addition to his activities as Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba, he is Adjunct Professor at the University of Ottawa Eye Institute. In the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, he is a past Board Member, past Chair of the Council on Continuing Professional Development and President of the Canadian External Disease and Cornea Society. More recently, he has developed the Brandon Ophthalmic Surgical Course (BOSC Boot Camp, www.micro-surgery.ca ) which fosters the training of ophthalmology residents in surgical techniques.

Dr. Rocha has been intensely involved in both basic and clinical research in the areas of corneal wound healing, refractive surgery, ocular immunology and corneal graft rejection. He has presented his work on refractive and therapeutic excimer laser surgery, LASIK, INTACS, Holmium Laser Thermokeratoplasty and correction of astigmatism at numerous meetings. In 1995, he was awarded the Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation & Medical Research Council of Canada Resident Research Award for his work on the causative factors of ocular inflammation. Dr. Rocha received two Best Paper of Session awards at the 2001 American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) Meeting in San Diego, CA. He currently is involved with wavefront (customized) vision correction, IntraLase for LASIK and INTACS, phakic and presbyopic intraocular lens implants, treatment of keratoconus (Intacs and crosslinking) and endothelial keratoplasty.

Dr. Rocha currently resides in Brandon, Manitoba. Here he provides surgical and medical eye care services to the Westman region. He is Medical Director of GRMC Vision Centre, active Medical Staff in the Brandon Regional Health Centre and Minnedosa District Hospital, and Attending Surgeon at Image Plus Laser Eye Centre in Winnipeg. In addition, he is the Medical Director of the Lions Eye Bank in Winnipeg, and coordinates the Westman Regional Eye Donation Project.