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National Eye Institute's Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Trials Network.
In April 2000, David established an eye clinic at the Vancouver Native Health Society (VNHS) to provide increased access to primary and secondary eye care services in the Downtown East Side. A UBC Strategic Teaching Initiative Grant led to studies on the prevalence of eye disease and barriers to eye care for the homeless and underhoused. As part of these endeavours, David has codeveloped the VNHS's curriculum to
educate residents and medical students about social and medical issues affecting inner-city individuals, and participated in the development of the VNHS "Inner City Health Care" web-based medical resource.
"Education in this setting has not only exposed students to a model of how physicians can learn to work respectfully with an underserved and marginalized population," says David, "but it's also brought to light issues such as the impact of socioeconomics on health, the politics of poverty, and the lack of 'universality' in our universal health care system. At the same time, students have been able to see the clinic grow to the point where many departmental members now attend the VNHS, providing ophthalmic services on a nonfunded, volunteer basis."
Inspired by his MSc research, David has worked with the James Bay Cree developing and validating telemedicine techniques for the remote screening of diabetic retinopathy. This experience led to the establishment of the BC First Nations On-reserve Mobile Teleophthalmology Project, which he presently directs. Since its initiation in 2001, the project has screened over 1200 individuals in Northern BC for diabetic retinopathy and has added a comprehensive diabetes management program to the initial project.
Mentoring is very much a part of David's clinical work and his initiatives in the community, and he regards education as "a social act and an act of interaction." Says David, "One of the most important components of my teaching experiences has been the learning and knowledge that I have personally gained from my students. Just as I have tried to mentor students, I have also been mentored by them on many an occasion - and continue to be."
Dr. Kevin Colleaux, Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Saskatchewan, is "proud to be one of the first vitreoretinal fellows [David] trained," and says that he "maintains a very relaxed and welcoming demeanor which, combined with a wealth of knowledge and a constantly inquiring
CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2007 September 7-8 Pediatric Ophthalmology & Adult Strabismus Conference Vancouver, British Columbia www.cpdkt.ubc.calEventsl CPD-KT _ Conferences.htm
2007 September 17-20 9th Congress of the International Ocular Inflammation Society (1015) Paris, France www.iois-paris-2007.com
2007 September 27-29 Sally Letson Symposia University of Ottawa Eye Institute www.eyeinstitute.net
2007 September 28-30 Ophthalmic Anesthesia Society (OAS) 21st Annual Meeting Chicago, Illinois www.eyeanesthesia.org
2007 October 13 International Ocular Blood Flow Symposium Toronto, Ontario www.cme.utoronto.ca
2007 October 13 CMA Leadership Workshop for Medical Women Ottawa, Ontario www.cma.ca
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mind, makes him an excellent mentor ... Canada is fortunate to have David Maberley in our ranks. To call him a rising star would be an understatement since he has already reached great heights." On the topic of heights, he adds, "he's also a leader on the ski slopes, where few can keep up with him!"
David is married to Anneke van Enk, who has a PhD in Education and works in the area of adult literacy. They spend a lot of time kayaking, canoe camping, and hiking, but, as David says, "we don't enjoy grizzly bears and, as a result, don't do as much hiking in the wilds."
Another thing David doesn't enjoy is broken limbs, so he's put away his mountain bike for a while. "I do ride my road bike about 200-300 km per week, though," he says, adding that he recently spent a 3-day weekend with Edmonton retina specialists Mark Greve and Matt Tennant, riding the "Golden Triangle" between Banff, Radium Hotsprings, and Golden.
David brings an exceptional level of commitment to his specialty, to
his students, and to his community. And he still gets to windsurf and ride his bike.
Meghan H. Nieman Halifax, Nova Scotia
2007 October 14-15 CMA Leader's Forum Ottawa, Ontario www.cma.ca
2007 October 19-21 CSCRS 14th Annual Scientific Meeting Ottawa, Ontario [email protected]
2007 November 10-13 American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting New Orleans, Louisiana www.aao.org