{{Short description|British ophthalmologist}} {{Other people|Peter Watson}} {{Infobox scientist |name = Peter Gordon Watson |image = |image_size = |caption = |birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1930|4|30}} |birth_place = Newport, Wales, United Kingdom |death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2017|1|31|1930|4|30}} |death_place = |residence = |citizenship = British |alma_mater = |doctoral_advisor = |doctoral_students = |known_for = trabeculectomy |author_abbrev_bot = |author_abbrev_zoo = |influences = |influenced = |signature = |footnotes = |ethnicity = |field = ophthalmology |work_institutions = Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge and Moorfields Eye Hospital, London |prizes = APAO Jose Rizal International Medal<br />International Duke Elder Medal<br />Jules François Golden Medal<br />Jules Francois International Research Gold Medal |religion = }} '''Peter Gordon Watson''' (30 April 1930 – 31 January 2017) was a British ophthalmologist, professor and researcher better known as the inventor of surgical procedure trabeculectomy. With John Cairns, in the 1970s, Watson developed trabeculectomy, the most common form of surgery for glaucoma today. His 1977 textbook, ''The Sclera and Systemic Disorders'' (third edition published in 2012) is still considered the only comprehensive textbook on disease of the sclera.

==Biography== Peter Gordon Watson was born on April 30, 1930, in Newport, Wales, United Kingdom, the son of Ralph and Renée née Smith.<ref name="livesonline">{{cite web |title=Watson, Peter Gordon (1930–2017) |url=https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/lives/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fSD_ASSET$002f0$002fSD_ASSET:381528/one |website=livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk}}</ref> He studied and trained in ophthalmology at University College Hospital, London, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London and the Institute of Ophthalmology.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Watson |first1=Andrew |title=Peter Gordon Watson |journal=BMJ |date=4 April 2017 |volume=357 |article-number=j1603 |doi=10.1136/bmj.j1603 |pmid=28377386 |s2cid=7998202 |url=https://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1603.full |language=en |issn=0959-8138|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Watson held several positions including president of the Academia Ophthalmology Internationalis, member of the International Council of Ophthalmology, Editor of ''Eye'' magazine, Founder and Chair of the Cambridge Eye Trust, and Deputy Hospitaller for the Order of St John of Jerusalem.<ref name="ebo"/><ref name="apa"/><ref name="eye"/>

===Personal life and death=== Watson and his wife Ann have five children.<ref name="livesonline"/> He died on January 31, 2017, at the age of 86, due to prostate cancer.<ref name="livesonline"/>

==Contributions== With John Cairns, in the 1970s, Watson developed trabeculectomy, the most common form of surgery for glaucoma today.<ref name="apa">{{cite web |title=Peter Watson, FRCOphth |url=https://apaophth.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Obituary_Prof-Peter-Watson.pdf}}</ref> Watson's other contributions include research into the mechanisms of diseases affecting sclera and mechanisms for corneal graft rejection.<ref name="ebo">{{cite web |last1=Martin |first1=Keith |title=A Short Tribute to Peter Watson, 5 Feb 2017 |url=https://www.ebo-online.org/wp-content/uploads/Peter-Watson-Tribute.pdf}}</ref> He has authored or co-authored seven books, 18 chapters and 168 scientific papers.<ref name="livesonline"/> His 1977 textbook, ''The Sclera and Systemic Disorders'' (third edition published in 2012) is still considered the only comprehensive textbook on disease of the sclera.<ref name="apa"/>

Peter Watson ran the scleritis clinic at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge and Moorfields Eye Hospital in London.<ref name="ebo"/>

==Awards and honors== * APAO Jose Rizal International Medal 2012<ref name="apa"/> * International Council of Ophthalmology's International Duke Elder Medal 2002<ref name="apa"/> * International Council of Ophthalmology's Jules François Golden Medal 2014<ref name="apa"/> * International Council of Ophthalmology's Jules Francois International Research Gold Medal<ref name="ebo"/> * Moorfields Association lifetime achievement award<ref name="livesonline"/> * In his honor, International Council of Ophthalmology initiated the Peter Watson Award in 2010<ref name="apa"/> * Peter Watson International Scholarship is named after him<ref>{{cite web |title=About Peter Watson |url=https://www.pwis.org.uk/about-peter-watson |website=pwis |language=en}}</ref> * Peter Watson Memorial Lecture was started in honor of him<ref name="eye">{{cite journal |last1=Taylor |first1=Hugh R. |title=The Peter Watson Memorial Lecture "Vision for the World" |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41433-022-02045-y |journal=Eye |pages=17–20 |language=en |doi=10.1038/s41433-022-02045-y |date=8 April 2022|volume=37 |pmid=35396573 |s2cid=248005050 |pmc=8990490 }}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Peter Gordon}} Category:British ophthalmologists Category:1930 births Category:2017 deaths