Senior ophthalmologist in the Department of Ophthalmology at Hadassah Ein Kerem and Hadassah Beit Shemesh Medical Centers, specializing in cataract surgery and laser vision correction (LASIK, PRK), with personal, precise care for every patient.
Winner of the ISRS RefracTech Innovator Award 2026
Dr. Benjamin Stern is a senior ophthalmologist and cataract and refractive surgeon in the Department of Ophthalmology at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center, and a lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He earned his medical degree at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and completed his ophthalmology residency at Hadassah Ein Kerem, followed by a fellowship in cataract and refractive surgery at Fondation Rothschild in Paris under the mentorship of Prof. Damien Gatinel, alongside advanced studies in optical design at Paris-Saclay University.
In 2025 he founded and now directs the Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory at Hadassah, which focuses on the optical characterization and computational modeling of intraocular lenses. That same year, he was named one of six global "Rising Stars" in cataract surgery by The Ophthalmologist's Power List 2025, and in 2026 he received the RefracTech Innovator Award from the International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS) for his work on AIOLsci.
Care is provided in Hebrew, French and English.
The award was presented in Taiwan, at the TSCRS-ISRS Congress. The joint project with Prof. Damien Gatinel was recognized by the International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS) for its contribution to developing objective tools for intraocular lens selection.
Together with Prof. Damien Gatinel and Amy Entin, we performed the first independent optical characterization of the RayOne Galaxy — an innovative spiral intraocular lens — using high-resolution Mach–Zehnder interferometry. The study, published in Biomedical Optics Express, reveals how the lens's unique design mechanism produces its extended range of vision, providing a stronger scientific basis for understanding the next generation of intraocular lenses.
A range of surgical procedures and laser treatments for cataract surgery in Jerusalem, anterior segment conditions, and vision correction surgery (LASIK, PRK, ICL).
Cataract is a clouding of the eye's natural (crystalline) lens, causing blurred vision and glare. Surgery removes the clouded lens and replaces it with a clear intraocular lens (IOL).
Dr. Stern, cataract surgeon in Jerusalem – all the details →
Cataract removal assisted by Femtosecond laser, for high precision at key stages of the procedure.
For patients who wish to reduce their dependence on glasses after cataract surgery, personalized selection of multifocal, EDOF and toric intraocular lenses can provide a wider range of vision. This is among Dr. Stern's core areas of expertise.
Read about multifocal, EDOF and toric lenses ←
Still dependent on glasses after cataract surgery? Solutions exist — implanting a supplementary (add-on) intraocular lens, exchanging the lens, or laser surgery on the cornea.
Surgical removal of pterygium (a growth on the eye's surface).
Pterygium surgery in Jerusalem with Dr. Stern – all the details →
YAG laser capsulotomy to restore vision after cataract surgery.
Laser surgery to correct myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism.
Dr. Stern, laser eye surgeon in Jerusalem – all the details →
Surface laser surgery for vision correction, also suitable for thinner corneas.
Dr. Stern, laser eye surgeon in Jerusalem – all the details →
Implantation of an intraocular lens for vision correction, without removing corneal tissue. Mainly intended for patients who are not suitable candidates for laser surgery (for example, due to an overly thin cornea) or who were found unsuitable for laser vision correction elsewhere. The procedure is performed at Hadassah Ein Kerem.
ICL lenses in Jerusalem with Dr. Stern – all the details →
Surgical precision, personalized for every patient.
Short videos and guidance that answer most questions — and for those who want to go deeper, comprehensive guides as well.
Our comprehensive guides are available for patients who would like to explore these topics in greater depth; reading them is not required before surgery.
A comprehensive guide: eye anatomy, symptoms, the surgical procedure, types of intraocular lenses, secondary cataract and YAG laser, and frequently asked questions.
Read the full guide ←A comprehensive guide: eye optics, refractive errors, laser technologies, comparing LASIK and PRK, risks and frequently asked questions — from a laser surgeon in Jerusalem.
Read the full guide ←A comprehensive guide: anatomy, risk factors, symptoms, conservative treatment, surgical indications, modern surgical techniques and recovery.
Read the full guide ←A comprehensive guide: how the lens works, who it's suitable for, the surgical procedure, comparison with LASIK and PRK, risks and frequently asked questions.
Read the full guide ←Appointments for new patients or follow-up visits are scheduled through the Sharap (private) Clinic at Hadassah Medical Center — Ein Kerem or Beit Shemesh — by phone at +972 2-677-8899. Patients who have already had surgery can contact Dr. Stern directly by phone or email.
Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center, Jerusalem · Hadassah Beit Shemesh Medical Center
AIOLsci is a startup company that Dr. Stern co-founded and where he serves as CEO.
Ahead of cataract surgery, selecting the power of the intraocular lens (IOL) today relies on precise, advanced biometric formulas. However, the choice of which lens model and type to implant — monofocal, EDOF, multifocal or another premium lens — still relies largely on the surgeon's experience and judgment, rather than on an objective, personalized optical assessment of how the lens will actually perform in the patient's eye.
AIOLsci was created to bridge this gap — a software platform designed to integrate with biometry and corneal tomography/topography devices, helping the surgeon choose the most suitable lens for each patient based on the lens's true optical characteristics and the patient's individual eye data, rather than relying on general model specifications or intuition alone.
The project is built on a partnership between Dr. Benjamin Stern and Prof. Damien Gatinel, among the world's leading figures in clinical optics and refractive surgery. Prof. Gatinel served as Dr. Stern's research mentor during his fellowship in Paris, and today the two are co-founders of AIOLsci.
As part of their work, the optical characteristics of a wide range of intraocular lenses have been objectively measured using a system based on Mach–Zehnder interferometry, building an optical database that captures the unique "optical fingerprint" of each lens.
AIOLsci combines these optical measurements with patient-specific data, including corneal structure, pupil size and ocular biometry, and runs advanced optical simulations based on ray tracing. This makes it possible to compare different lenses and predict, before surgery, the visual quality and optical performance expected from each lens in the individual patient's eye.
The goal is to turn intraocular lens selection from a process based largely on categories, experience and surgeon preference into a quantitative, objective and personalized process, grounded in the optical interaction between the lens and the eye in which it will be implanted.
The laboratory, led by Dr. Benjamin Stern, studies the complex optical interactions between the cornea, the natural or intraocular lens, the pupil and the eye's geometry — bridging fundamental optical science and clinical ophthalmology.
Visual quality results from a delicate interplay between the eye's components. Even small changes in anatomy, lens position or aberration structure can affect the quality of the image formed on the retina.
The laboratory combines high-performance computing, White Light Interferometry (WLI) profilometry and physiological ray-tracing simulations to build personalized models of a "virtual eye." These are used to study the effects of pupil size, corneal aberrations, intraocular lens tilt and decentration, and eye geometry on vision.
The research also includes simulating the optical changes following cataract surgery and multifocal/EDOF lens implantation, as well as after LASIK and PRK surgery.
A computational platform combining measured optical surfaces, corneal tomography and physiological ray tracing, to simulate retinal image formation in personalized anatomical models.
Studying the optics of eyes with irregular or previously operated-on corneas, including keratoconus and prior laser surgery, and their interaction with intraocular lenses.
Developing machine learning models to predict postoperative intraocular lens position, based on imaging and preoperative biometric data.
Analyzing large-scale topography and tomography databases to identify patterns and model optical and biomechanical properties in normal, diseased and post-surgical corneas.
Leads clinical measurements, visual performance assessment, and cross-referencing clinical findings with optical simulations.
Works on optical modeling, simulation analysis and theoretical aspects of physiological ray tracing.
Uses ray tracing to model the optical effect of the main corneal incision in cataract surgery.
Studies the relationship between surgeon experience and the magnitude and variability of surgically induced astigmatism (SIA).
