Innovation and Excellence in Strabismus Highlighted in the Session

Porto, February 26, 2024 – Dr Paulo Freitas da Costa, a specialist in strabismus and pediatric ophthalmology, achieved a significant milestone in his academic career by successfully defending his doctoral thesis, titled “The Modification of the Contact Arc in Strabismus Surgery,” at the Aula Magna of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP).

The public defence gathered prominent medical figures, including ophthalmologists, professors, and researchers. Prof. Amândio António Rocha Dias de Sousa (Director of the Ophthalmology Department at the São João University Hospital Center and Full Professor at FMUP) presided over the jury, which included examiners Prof. Eduardo José Gil Duarte Silva (Dona Estefânia Hospital — University Hospital Center of Central Lisbon), Prof. Nuno Jorge Carvalho Sousa (Full Professor at the School of Medicine of the University of Minho), and Prof. Carlos Alberto Matinho Marques Neves (Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon). The jury also included Prof. José Paulo Alves Vieira de Andrade, Full Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, and Prof. Susana Costa Nunes Penas, Invited Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto. The defence was supervised by Prof. Fernando Manuel Mendes Falcão Reis and co-supervised by Prof. Maria Dulce Cordeiro Madeira, both Full Professors at FMUP.

“This occasion marks not only the culmination of a long academic and research journey, characterised by learning and discoveries, but also the pursuit of contributing to advancing patient care and well-being, which motivates us to keep moving forward,” emphasised Prof. Paulo Freitas da Costa. His thesis, focused on strabismus treatment, discusses and describes technical details to improve surgical interventions’ effectiveness. This work reflects Prof. Paulo Freitas da Costa’s dedication and commitment to clinical excellence and also highlights FMUP as a hub of innovative research and high-quality medical education. The session was well received by the academic and medical community present, fostering productive discussions about the future impacts of the research on clinical ophthalmology practice.

The Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto is a highly prestigious institution of higher education recognised for its exceptional teaching quality, scientific leadership, and close relationship with healthcare institutions. In this context, the strategic collaboration with the São João University Hospital Center is of utmost importance, creating a collaborative and multidisciplinary environment. Within this symbiotic relationship, Prof. Paulo Freitas da Costa has grown and developed his research, teaching, and clinical activities in neurosciences, from the fundamental pillar of all knowledge, such as Anatomy, to its applicability in the everyday excellence of healthcare.