David J. Apple

David J Apple, MD pioneer in the fields of ophthalmological research and ophthalmic pathology; medical historian and biographer.

Background

David Joseph Apple was born in Alton, Illinois on September 14, 1941 to Joseph and Margaret Bearden Apple. He had one brother, Robert, who predeceased him.

"My parents were very capable and honest individuals who had a marked influence on my life. My father had a feed store, where I worked as a child; my mother was a schoolteacher. Unfortunately, my brother died relatively young at age 57 from cardiomyopathy. He was a social worker having worked in the field of working with prisoners. My mother was clearly the major influence in my going into medicine and with her family came an intense love of music, which has continued on throughout my life, even until now."

Education

David Apple was a graduate of Northwestern University, University of Illinois College of Medicine and served his internship and residency in Pathology at Louisiana State University. In 1980 he completed his residency in ophthalmology at the University of Iowa. He was Assistant and subsequently Associate Professor of Ophthalmology under Morton F. Goldberg, MD at the University of Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary and Abraham Lincoln School of Medicine in Chicago from 1971 to 1975. He then completed his residency in Clinical Ophthalmology under Frederick C. Blodi, MD at the University of Iowa in 1979.

Career

David J. Apple, MD was a pioneer in the fields of ophthalmological research and ophthalmic pathology. He was a world renowned Ophthalmologist and Pathologist. He was Professor of Ophthalmology and Pathology and Director of the David J. Apple, MD Laboratory for Ophthalmic Devices Research. He was a world-renowned expert in the field of ocular pathology, cataract surgery/intraocular lens (IOL) implantation and refractive surgery. Dr. Apple formed the Center for Developing World Ophthalmology at the Storm Eye Institute, Charleston SC. His laboratory is an official Collaborating Center of the Prevention of Blindness Programme of the World Health Organization (WHO).

In 1980, Dr Apple and Randall Olson, MD founded the Center for Intraocular Lens Research in Salt Lake City.

Dr. Apple moved to South Carolina in 1988. He was Professor of Ophthalmology and Pathology, Professor and Chairman Emeritus at the Storm Eye Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston. He held the Pawek-Vallotton Chair of Biomedical Engineering and was Director of the Center or Research on Ocular Therapeutics and Biodevices until 2002. During his Chairmanship of the Department of Ophthalmology in Charleston from 1988 to 1996 he successfully led the effort to raise $8.8 million to complete a three-floor expansion and general renovation of the Eye Institute. When he returned, he resigned from the Chair and became Director of Research for the Department.

He returned to Utah in 2002.when he transferred his Center back to Salt Lake City, Utah: the city where he began his career in the field of ocular bioengineering.

His career was distinguished by one fact, that he was the only ophthalmologist to have received the four most respected honours in his field:

1) The Life Achievement Honor Award by the American Academy of Ophthalmology

2) The Ophthamology Hall of Fame award

3) The Innovator's (Kelman) award

4) The Binkhorst Lecture and medal.

He received the Senior Honor Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) in San Diego, CA.

He was selected as one of the Best Ophthalmologist in America.

Proud of his German heritage, among his most favoured and highest academic honors was his election to the German Academy of Research in the Natural Sciences.

The Apple Korps

During his lifetime Dr Apple trained over 200 students and doctors, calling this group his "Apple Korps". His lab was international with staff and doctors from all over the world.

Sir Harold Ridley

In Salt Lake City during the 1980s, Apple started to study intraocular lenses (IOLs), including those explanted lenses which had been removed (explanted) from the eye, following complications. His scientific papers, Apple DJ, Mamalis N, Loftfield K, et al: Complications of intraocular lenses: A historical and histopathological review. Surv Ophthalmol 29:1-54, 1984 and Apple DJ, Solomon KD, Tetz MR, et al: Posterior capsule opacification. Surv Opthalmol 37:73-116., 1992) His publications on the subject attracted the interest of Harold Ridley, the British inventor of the intraocular lens. Through mutual contacts Ridley asked David Apple to visit him at his home near Salisbury in England.

Writing

His publications concerning the IOL studies and his review of the history of IOLs led to the publication of two major textbooks: Evolution of Intraocular Lenses in 1985 and Intraocular Lenses. Evolution, Designs, Complications, and Pathology in 1989

Dr. Apple's landmark 2006 biography, Sir Harold Ridley and his Fight for Sight: He changed the world so that we may better see it came about when Harold Ridley, the British inventor of the intraocular lens, asked David Apple to be his official biographer.

Dr. Apple presented more than 1,400 scientific lectures, 168 scientific posters, and more than 60 exhibits and videos. He has authored 566 scientific publications, including 23 textbooks, 71 chapters in textbooks.

Personal Life

Dr. Apple was married to Ann Addlestone Apple and was stepfather to Scott E. Kabat and Jacqueline B. Kabat. Through his brother's family he had one nephew: Lee Apple and two nieces: Raina Apple and Dione Apple.

In the late 1990s he developed a serious illness (sel-diagnosed - correctly - as a metastatic cancer at the base of the tongue.) Between 1999 and 2011 he had numerous bouts of pneumonia and was frequently hospitalised - most seriously with a cerebral vascular stroke two years after his move to Salt Lake City.

Besides ophthalmology, Dr. Apple was passionate about classical music - he served on the Board of the Charleston Symphony, the Board of the Charleston Ballet Theatre and was active in Chamber Music Charleston. He was an amateur military historian, specialising in World War II and the US Civil War.

David Apple died on the afternoon of August 18, 2011 in Charleston SC, The funeral services was on Sunday, August 21, 2011 at the Beth Elohim Temple with interment at Beth Elohim Cemetery, Huguenin Avenue. Charleston SC.

His legacy

It was announced in 2012 that work was recently completed on the initial phase of establishing the David Apple Laboratory at the University of Heidelberg, Germany where the University Eye Department is celebrating its 150th anniversary. Professor Gerd U. Auffarth, Eye Department Chairman and a former student and research fellow in the Apple Korps: outlined plans to create an international laboratory for research on intraocular ophthalmic devices, thus extending the research work initiated by David Apple. The move of the laboratory was undertaken with the approval of Ann Apple.

At the time of his death in August 2011, Apple's laboratory was in Sullivan's Island near Charleston, South Carolina. That address will remain open for the receipt of device samples from US surgeons. However, the international side of the laboratory is now in Heidelberg where all of Professor Apple’s archives, historical laboratory samples and correspondence are housed.

Incomplete List of Presentations and Publications

1984

Apple DJ, Craythorn JM, Olson RJ. et al. Anterior segment complications and neovascular glaucoma following implantation of a posterior chamber intraocular lens. Ophthalmology. 1984;91403- 419

Apple DJ, Mamalis N, Loftfield K, Googe JM, Novak LC, Kavka-Van Norman D, et al. Complications of intraocular lenses: A historical and histopathological review. Surv Ophthalmol 1984;29:1-54.

1988

Apple DJ. Ridley Lecture. In: Presented at the Sixth European Intraocular Implant Lens Council. Copenhagen, Denmark. August 14–18, 1988

1989

Apple DJ, Kincaid MC, Mamalis N. et al. Intraocular Lenses: Evolution, Designs, Complications, and Pathology. Baltimore, Md Williams & Wilkins 1989;

1991

Apple D, Rabb M. In: ed 4. Ocular Pathology, Clinical Applications and Self-Assessment. St. Louis: CV Mosby; 1991;p. 112–181

Apple DJ. What Cataract Surgery Technique and IOL would I want in My Mother's Eye?. In: Presented at the Annual Meeting of the New England Ophthalmology Society. Boston. December 13, 1991

Apple DJ, Assia EI, Blumenthal M, Legler UFC. Verformbare Linsen. Das Konzept der ausdehnbaren Hydogellinse und die Wiederherstellung der naturlichen Kapelsackanatomie. In: Wenzel HVM, Reim M, Freyler H, Hartmann C editor. Transactions of the German Ophthalmol Soc, March 8 and 9, 1991, in Aachen, German: 5. Kongress der Deutschsprachigen Gelellschaft fur Intraokularlinsen Implantation. Berlin: Springer-Verlag; 1991;p. 744–753

Apple D, Assia E, Wasserman D, et al. Evidence in support of the continuous tear anterior capsulectomy (capsulorhexis technique). In: Cangelosi GC editors. Advances in Cataract Surgery. Thorofare: Slack Inc; 1991;p. 21–47

1992

Apple DJ, Solomon KD, Tetz MR. et al. Posterior capsule opacification. Surv Ophthalmol. 1992;3773- 116

Apple DJ. Intraocular lens biocompatibility (Guest Editorial). J Cataract Refract Surg. 1992;18(5):217–218

1996

Apple DJ, Sims J. Harold Ridley and the invention of the intraocular lens. Surv Ophthalmol. 1996; 40279- 292

1999

Apple DJ. Harold Ridley, MA, MD, FRCS: a golden anniversary celebration and a golden age [editorial]. Arch Ophthalmol. 1999;117827- 828

Apple DJ, Peng Q, Ram J. The 50th anniversary of the intraocular lens and a quiet revolution[editorial]. Ophthalmology. 1999;1061861- 1862

2000

Apple DJ. Sir Harold Ridley receives England's highest honor. Surv Ophthalmol. 2000; 44542

Apple DJ, Ram J, Foster A, Peng Q. Elimination of cataract blindness: A global perspective entering the new millennium. Surv Ophthalmol 2000;45(Suppl):S1-S196.

Apple DJ, Auffarth GU, Peng Q, Visessook N. Foldable Intraocular Lenses: Evolution, Clinicopathologic Correlations, Complications. Thorofare, NJ Slack Incorporated 2000;

Apple DJ, Peng Q. Harold Ridley knighted. Ophthalmology. 2000;107412- 413

2002

Apple DJ. Sir Nicholas Harold Ridley: all's well that ends well [obituary]. Am J Ophthalmol. 2002;133131- 133

2003

Trivedi RH, Apple DJ, Pandey SK, Werner L, Izak AM, Vasavada AR, Ram J. Sir Nicholas Harold Ridley.He Changed the World, So that We Might Better See It. Indian J Ophthalmol 2003;51:211-6

2006

Apple, David J (2006). Sir Harold Ridley and his fight for sight. Thorofare, NJ. SLACK incorporated. ISBN 1-55642-786-7