BioTuesdays

Remembering Elias Vamvakas, a friend and mentor

For the first time since we began publishing in 2009, the BioTuesdays family is lost for words, almost.

With devastating sadness, we learned today of Elias Vamvakas’ passing.

A pioneering entrepreneur in the Canadian healthcare space, among his many accomplishments, Elias co-founded and led TLC Vision, the first company to commercialize the LASIK vision correction procedure in North America. It was under Elias’ leadership at TLCV that our President, Stephen Kilmer, started his career leading in-house IR and PR departments. The two then went on to work together at other medtech companies before Stephen launched (with Elias’ help) Kilmer Lucas IR and its sister, BioTuesdays Publishing.

“Elias was not always right (at least in the moment), but he was always sure. And, in my experience, he ultimately ended up being right more often than not,” said Stephen. “Our deepest thanks to his family for sharing his life with us.”

Elias will be missed.