Image: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

Claes Duhlmann is called the “father of all modern corneal science” and was one of the world's most prominent ophthalmologists.

He was born in Uppsala in 1922, but came to Lund at primary school age. After graduating from Katedralskolan in 1942, he trained as a doctor in Lund. He chose to apply to the Lund Eye Clinic, where he learned corneal transplantation. In the clinic's laboratories, Claes carried out simple experiments to understand the biology of the cornea. In order to delve deeper into this subject, he applied in 1953 to the Retina Foundation in Boston, where he did some important work on corneal collagen.

In 1954, Claes returned to Sweden and conducted research in Stockholm and Lund on corneal polysaccharides. In 1957, he received his doctorate at the Lund Eye Clinic with a thesis on this topic. In 1958, Claes returned to Boston and worked at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI), affiliated with Harvard University. There, Claes became a mentor to more than 200 physicians training to become corneal specialists.

Claes also cared about his students on a personal level. He became a role model for us and we remember with joy and gratitude his warm commitment to research and his generosity in providing relaxing time with family.

In 1974, Claes became the head of the entire MEEI. It was and remains a very difficult service. But he had the ability to bring out the best in his employees and was able to use it to resolve conflicts that arose.

Over the years he and his colleagues have published nearly 400 scientific works of the highest quality. The last of these came after his 100th birthday. It bears witness to a remarkable general outlook, diligence and capacity for collaboration.

After his retirement, Harvard University established a special professorship in his name, the Claes H. Dohlman Professorship in Ophthalmology. Among Claes’s many other awards, it is worth noting that in 2022 he was awarded the Grand Prix de Champalimaud in Lisbon. At Katedralskolan in Lund, Claes established the Claes Henrik Dohlman Prize Fund in 2021 by donating SEK 2 million to the school in recognition of his time studying there in his youth. The proceeds from the fund are awarded as prizes in scientific subjects.