The UMH professor has received the SAoO Innovation Award for his pioneering contributions to minimally invasive cataract surgery.
The award highlights the development of bimanual microincision cataract surgery (MICS), the design of dedicated surgical instruments and his research on intraocular lenses.
Prof. Dr. Jorge Alió has been awarded the Swiss Academy of Ophthalmology Innovation Award 2027, granted by the Swiss Academy of Ophthalmology in recognition of his innovative career and his contributions to the development of minimally invasive cataract surgery. The Professor of Ophthalmology and Honorary Researcher at Miguel Hernández University (UMH) of Elche will thus become the third professional to receive this international award, which recognises his career and his scientific and technological contributions to ophthalmology.
‘The award recognises his pioneering vision and outstanding contributions to minimally invasive cataract surgery (MICS technique), the development of specialised surgical instruments and his clinical research to advance microincision intraocular lens implantation and new accommodative intraocular lenses’, reads the letter from Dr. Dietmar Thumm, President of the Swiss Academy of Ophthalmology (SAoO), its Vice-President and Chair of the Innovation Award Committee, Prof. Daniel Mojon, and committee member Dr. Ulrich Lachmund.
He will deliver a keynote lecture on his contributions to innovation in ophthalmology
The award will be presented during the Annual Congress of the Swiss Academy of Ophthalmology, to be held in the Swiss city of Lucerne from 17 to 19 February 2027. In addition, Jorge Alió has been invited to collect the award in person and deliver a keynote lecture on his contributions to innovation in ophthalmology.
‘It is an honour to receive this distinction, which endorses my contributions to better ophthalmology, a field that is evolving towards increasingly personalised procedures and new technologies that not only correct refractive error but also seek to improve visual quality and expand the therapeutic options available for complex ocular pathologies’, explains Dr. Alió, current President of the European Academy of Ophthalmology (EAO).
The Swiss Academy of Ophthalmology has particularly highlighted Prof. Alió’s role in the development of bimanual microincision cataract surgery (MICS), a technique that has contributed to the evolution of surgical procedures towards ever less invasive interventions. This surgical approach allows certain phases of the operation to be performed through small incisions, using dedicated instruments and separating the irrigation and aspiration functions during the procedure.
Recognition of advances in modern cataract surgery
The award also recognises his work on the design and development of surgical instruments adapted to these techniques, as well as his clinical research aimed at improving intraocular lens implantation through microincisions and new accommodative lenses. These contributions have helped drive the refinement of modern cataract surgery, fostering the development of procedures aimed at reducing surgical trauma, optimising the precision of interventions and improving patients’ visual recovery.
The SAoO Innovation Award 2027 adds to the numerous international accolades Alió has received throughout his scientific and professional career. He was ranked by The Ophthalmologist Power List 2025 as the 7th Most Influential and Inspiring Ophthalmologist in the World in Cataract and Refractive Surgery and is the only Spanish physician among the top 50.
The international reach of Spanish ophthalmological research
A specialist in refractive surgery, cataract, cornea and intraocular lenses, the UMH professor has carried out extensive research and teaching work linked to technological innovation and to the refinement of surgical techniques for the anterior segment of the eye. His scientific activity has contributed to driving new solutions for the treatment of ocular diseases and to consolidating his presence at the leading international forums in the field.
This new distinction recognises Prof. Jorge Alió’s contribution to the evolution of cataract surgery, while strengthening the international profile of ophthalmological research carried out in Alicante. The award ceremony in Lucerne will also provide a new opportunity to share with the international scientific community the advances that have shaped the transformation of cataract surgery towards less invasive and more precise techniques.
