Influenced by his father, who was a plastic surgeon and an admirable role model, Bradley R. Straatsma, MD, JD, determined at an early age to study medicine. He completed undergraduate education at the University of Michigan, attended Yale University School of Medicine and received his MD, cum laude, in 1951. After an internship at Yale New Haven Hospital and active duty as a lieutenant in the United States Naval Reserve, he completed an ophthalmology residency at the Harkness Eye Institute of Columbia University and fellowships at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and the Wilmer Ophthalmology Institute at Johns Hopkins University.
In 1959, Dr. Straatsma commenced appointment as associate professor and chief of the Division of Ophthalmology in the Department of Surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He was appointed professor in 1962, the first director of the Jules Stein Eye Institute in 1964 and the first chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology in 1968. He held these positions until stepping down in 1994 and continuing as professor emeritus in the Department of Ophthalmology.
Leadership positions of Dr. Straatsma have included president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, president of the American Ophthalmological Society, president of the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology, chairman of the American Board of Ophthalmology, editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Ophthalmology, president of the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology, and president of Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis. Throughout his academic career, Dr. Straatsma presented more than 50 distinguished lectures and was the author of more than 580 scientific publications. Pursuing a long-term interest, Dr. Straatsma attended the University of West Los Angeles School of Law and received a JD, cum laude, in 2002. In the following year, he completed clerkship in the United States Federal District Court of Los Angeles.
Among current activities, as Trustee of the Africa Eye Foundation, Dr. Straatsma is actively engaged in establishing the Magrabi ICO Cameroon Eye Institute as the first ophthalmology subspecialty patient care and training center in Central Africa.
Personal interests focus on music with a range from jazz classics to performances of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.Contact Dr. Straatsma:
Contact Dr. Straatsma: