Dr. John Hovanesian is an internationally recognized leader and innovator in cataract, corneal, and laser eye surgery. Newsweek has recognized him among the top 35 eye surgeons in the US–out of 17,000 eligible colleagues–based on a poll of his peers. The Ophthalmologist, a UK publication, has named him among the world’s 100 most influential people in eye care. A board-certified ophthalmologist and faculty member at the UCLA Stein Eye Institute, he has published two widely used eye surgery textbooks — one on the subject of refractive cataract surgery and one on pterygium surgery.
He has been invited to lecture to surgeons on six continents, authored dozens of peer-reviewed articles, and produced many frequently referenced surgical teaching videos. He is an associate editor for the world’s most widely read eye care trade journal and serves on several other editorial boards.
Dr. Hovanesian is a member of the prestigious International Intraocular Implant Club that includes the world’s 300 most respected cataract surgeons. He is a recipient of the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Senior Achievement Award and has been named a Distinguished Eagle Scout by the Boy Scouts of America for internationally recognized contributions to his professional field.
Dr. Hovanesian received his medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School and completed his residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, where he was selected to serve as chief resident. He also completed a two-year fellowship in refractive and corneal surgery at the Stein Eye Institute at UCLA. He joined Harvard Eye Associates in 1999.
Dr. Hovanesian has made dozens of volunteer surgical trips to third world countries, including Armenia, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Fiji and is a founding board member of the Armenian Eye Care Project. He has also spent over 25 years volunteering as a board member, board chairman, and as an adult leader for the Boy Scouts of America, which has presented him with numerous service awards.
Dr. Hovanesian lives in Laguna Beach with his wife and their three children. He enjoys spending the weekends with his family, teaching Sunday school at their church in Costa Mesa, and flying a Piper Archer as a licensed private pilot.
