Dr. David J. Apple, professor of ophthalmology and pathology and director of the David J. Apple Center for Ocular Biodevices at the John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, has been chosen by his peers from more than 30,000 ophthalmologists worldwide to be inducted into the prestigious Ophthalmology Hall of Fame.

Apple, 65, is the youngest inductee to be so honored. He is a world-renowned expert in the fields of clinical ophthalmology, ocular pathology, cataract surgery/intraocular lens (IOL) implantation and refractive surgery, including corneal and IOL types of refractive surgery, Excimer, PRK and LASIK research.

"Modern medical science largely represents the accretion of knowledge gained over the centuries," according to the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, which awards the honor. "Every so often, a truly gifted person comes along who, by genius, hard work and exceptional talent makes a seminal contribution that measures progress in a giant stride."

The society said it established the Hall of Fame "to recognize the contributions of those men and women whose life's work has been marked by such accomplishment."

Apple is now the only ophthalmologist to have received the Binkhorst Lecture and Medal in 1988 and the Innovator's (Kelman) Award in 2005 and to have been inducted into the hall. He is also the only American to have ever been selected to give the European guest lecture at the highly respected Oxford Ophthalmological Congress, in Oxford, England, in 1998. He was named one of the 50 most influential doctors in his field by a poll of his peers in the United States in 2005.