Stephen Christiansen, MD, Receives Outstanding Humanitarian Award
Stephen Christiansen, MDStephen P. Christiansen, MD, Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Sciences at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, will receive the 2026 Outstanding Humanitarian Service Award from the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS).
The award acknowledges those who have performed above and beyond the typical duties of an ophthalmologist including profound dedication and exceptional contributions to pediatric ophthalmology and children’s eye health on a global scale as well as participation in charitable activities, care of the indigent and community service. The award was recently presented at the AAPOS annual meeting in Boston.
Your ability to inspire positive change and your tireless efforts exemplify the true spirit of humanitarianism.
AAPOS award letter
According to the AAPOS award letter, the honor is a fitting acknowledgment of Christiansen’s decades of dedication to quality patient care, education and training around the world. “Your ability to inspire positive change and your tireless efforts exemplify the true spirit of humanitarianism. Through your efforts, you have not only touched the lives of so many individuals but have also played a pivotal role in fostering a sense of global community and unity for pediatric ophthalmology.”
Christiansen, is the Chief of ophthalmology at Boston Medical Center and an expert in pediatric ophthalmology, adult and childhood strabismus (misaligned eyes), pediatric cataracts, pediatric glaucoma, and tearing. He conducts extensive research in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus and has been awarded funding by the NIH for clinical studies of strabismus, infantile cataract and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). His primary research interests are in the management of childhood and adult strabismus, extraocular muscle regeneration, pediatric cataract, and ROP. Since 1993, Christiansen has launched three different global health initiatives in Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Gambia, establishing sustained capacity and training in areas with little to no access to eye care. In addition, he has engaged his faculty in academic and research exchanges with numerous international universities, principally in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau.
Christiansen has served in numerous local, national and international leadership roles and is an examiner for the American Board of Ophthalmology. He has served on the AAPOS Board of Directors and is the immediate past president of the American Orthoptic Journal. He has also chaired the Program Planning Committee of AAPOS, organizing numerous national meetings. During his tenure, the scope of the position was expanded to include international partnerships; Christiansen led the planning committees for successful meetings in Singapore, Kyoto, Jaipur and Barcelona.
His work has been recognized by ophthalmic organizations in the U.S. He previously received the Senior Honor Award for AAPOS, the Senior Achievement Award for the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), and, in 2008, the Secretariat Award for the AAO.
Christiansen has given 31 invited professor lectureships worldwide, seven of which were named lectures. In addition, he has published extensively with 165 papers in peer-reviewed journals, numerous book chapters, invited editorials and other work.
Christiansen received his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin and bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College. He completed his residency in ophthalmology at the University of Kentucky and a fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. He has served in numerous leadership roles for the American Board of Ophthalmology, the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, and the American Orthoptic Journal.
The goals of AAPOS are to advance the quality of children’s eye care, support the training of pediatric ophthalmologists, support research activities in pediatric ophthalmology, and advance the care of adults with strabismus.