John S. Pollack, MD

Dr. Pollack is a retina specialist, researcher and educator with a background in biotech/medical device, healthcare data analytics, healthcare market research and nutraceutical startups. He is the immediate past president of the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) and a partner with Illinois Retina Associates, in Chicago. He serves as President of the Foundation of the ASRS and on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness. Dr. Pollack has delivered over 200 scientific presentations, served as director or invited faculty for over 100 scientific meetings, and authored more than 60 scientific papers and book chapters. In 1999, he co-founded the annual ASRS Preferences and Trends (PAT) Survey, the largest international survey of retinal trends, referenced widely in scientific presentations and publications across the globe. Dr. Pollack is co-founder of The Winning Pitch Challenge, an ophthalmology version of Shark Tank that assists ophthalmologists advance novel ideas through the early stages of the innovation process. Dr. Pollack is co-founder of three physician-focused companies, including Vestrum Health, Covalent Medical, and Clarus Acuity Group, serves as an advisor to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and serves on the Board of Directors of Notal Vision, Inc. Dr. Pollack has received many honors and awards including the ASRS Senior Honor Award and the AAO Achievement Award. He has been identified by Ocular Surgery News as one of the “OSN Retina 150 Innovators in Medical and Surgical Retina” and was a charter inductee into the Retina Hall of Fame in 2017.