Dr. Leonard Apt, a prominent professor at UCLA and Brentwood resident, is a 2010 lifetime achievement honoree at the National Physician of the Year Awards for his outstanding work in the field of ophthalmology.
The award is presented by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., which is a company that works to inform the general public on the best available healthcare. Castle Connolly has recognized Apt for his extraordinary contributions to medicine.
Apt is a Professor of Ophthalmology Emeritus at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, as well as one of the founders of the institute. He has been at UCLA for almost fifty years, but his dedication to pediatric ophthalmology is what makes him a well-respected name among medical students.
According to the Castle Connolly website, Apt was the first physician to be board-certified in pediatrics and ophthalmology. His work helped pediatric ophthalmology become a sub-specialty field and academic subject matter.
Apt is the founder of the Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, as well as Co-Director of UCLA’s Center for Child Blindness. It is through these organizations Apt has been able to combat pediatric blindness, especially in developing countries (see www.castlecaonnollyawards.com).
