“There's something powerful about the ability to use your hands to restore what was lost”

Over the course of almost 15 years, Habeeb Ahmad, M.D., Medical Director of Cataract Surgical Implants for Vision at Johnson & Johnson, has performed more than 12,000 surgeries and seen more than 75,000 patients. He was inspired from a young age to become an eye surgeon because of the immediate, tangible impact he could have on his patients’ lives.

“Surgery is a critical part of medicine,’’ he says. “It’s where humanity and science intersect.”

Though he loved operating on patients, he jumped at the opportunity to join Johnson & Johnson because it gave him a chance to scale that impact beyond the influence he could have as a surgeon. “Working in the medtech industry, I have the opportunity to impact hundreds of thousands of people and work across so many teams,” he says.

Here, Dr. Ahmad reflects on the power of research and innovation, his passion for democratizing healthcare and the best advice he’s ever received.

What do you love about being a surgeon?

Habeeb Ahmad, M.D.: That my work has an immediate impact. There is instant gratification, specifically with eye surgery, to be able to give vision back to somebody within hours, either through cataract surgery or through laser eye surgery. You don’t find that in many specialties. There's something really powerful about the ability to use your hands to heal and to restore what was lost.

Does that power also feel like a lot of responsibility?

HA: People undergoing surgery are vulnerable and are entrusting their care to you. I love the idea of being able to change somebody's life and I take that responsibility seriously. When I step into the operating room, it's like I'm stepping into game seven of the NBA finals, and the trophy is a successful outcome for the patient. That feeling never gets old.

How do you handle that “game seven” level of pressure?

HA: I attribute my positive mindset to my medical education, mentors and family. I was raised by amazing parents who told me to treat my patients like I would treat my own brother, sister, mother or father, and I think that has guided me really well. So, for me, it's less about nerves and it's more about the muscle memory kicking in.

What drew you to cataract and corneal surgery specifically?

HA: I did back-to-back residencies in both internal medicine and ophthalmology. Right before I matched for internal medicine, I had seen a video about laser eye surgery and I just fell in instant love. I was drawn to the opportunity to restore dignity, independence and quality of life. I had a patient during my training with really dense cataracts. After his surgery, he said to me, “You gave me back not only my life and my ability to run and drive, but the ability to see my beautiful wife again.” I will never forget that.

What drew you to working in the medtech industry?

HA: Medtech allows us to touch millions of lives because research translates into strategy, marketing and products. I'm very passionate about that.

Data drives decisions and innovation, and for me, the most fundamental aspect of how we get data is through research. Without research, we wouldn't have antibiotics; we wouldn't have medtech devices. We do an incredible amount of research within Johnson & Johnson. And I've had the fortune to publish my work in many impactful journals and to be part of a lot of groundbreaking research.

I am also a curious person. I think most people in medtech and medicine share a lot of curiosity and inquisitiveness.

We are at a pivotal moment where technology is revolutionizing how physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals contribute to a more equitable healthcare system, moving from reactive treatment to proactive, personalized care for all, regardless of socioeconomic or geographic barriers.

How do you think technology will continue to change healthcare in the future?

HA: As an extension of my passion for data, I also have a degree in artificial intelligence (AI) from Stanford. I think technology is the best democratizing tool in medicine. I think there is huge potential to leverage AI to bring the same type of VIP treatment we might give to, say, a CEO, to someone living in rural America or someone who doesn’t have family or connections who can advocate for their care.

I’m a big believer in this because I’m a minority. My parents are immigrants; I'm first-generation American. There are so many pockets of medical populations within the U.S. where we haven't even scraped the surface of reducing medical inequity. And that’s a passion of mine. I think the best way to reduce medical inequity or to democratize great healthcare is through technology.

One example that comes to mind is Johnson & Johnson's partnerships with AI-driven platforms for predictive analytics to help identify high-risk populations, enabling early intervention and preventive care. Clinical studies will be vastly improved by AI, so rather than waiting for patients to sign up, we can utilize AI to create enhanced recruitment and outreach on social media and other platforms.

Johnson & Johnson is also using digital surgery tools and smart medical devices to enhance surgical precision and outcomes, making advanced care more accessible and consistent across diverse healthcare settings. We are at a pivotal moment where technology is revolutionizing how physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals contribute to a more equitable healthcare system, moving from reactive treatment to proactive, personalized care for all, regardless of socioeconomic or geographic barriers.

What’s the best piece of advice you've ever received?

HA: I have two. First, let your actions speak louder than your words. Going the extra mile has taught me the value of humility, consistency and showing up.

Second, focus on one or two things, not everything you’re passionate about. You can’t do it all. Specialization or hyperfocus allows you to do amazing things, while sometimes being a jack-of-all-trades only moves the needle a little bit.

I also got great advice from my parents. After coming to this country, they raised three physicians. They would always instill the highest ethical standards and emphasize small gestures of compassion and empathy. They would always state, “Don’t forget the human component.” Things like offering a tissue, calling the day of cataract surgery to check in on your patient, and always maintaining good bedside manner are what create lasting impressions.

The TECNIS PureSee™ IOL* was recently awarded the 2025 MedTech Breakthrough Award. What was your involvement in its development?

HA: I was really proud to contribute on both the clinical side as a subject matter expert and also the strategy side. The TECNIS PureSee™ IOL really meets an unmet need in that it offers what we call an extended depth of focus that mitigates the risks of a multifocal lens.

I met someone on a flight once who was considering going to another country for treatment so he could get the TECNIS PureSee™ lens, which isn’t available in the U.S. yet. That really showed me the global impact of medtech and patient education.

I got the opportunity to work with a cross-functional team on this lens, including team members in R&D, regulatory and medical affairs. I was able to leverage the skills I've built as a surgeon with key opinion leaders to help drive innovation and steer our marketing toward where it counts. I'm grateful just to be on that team.

^* TECNIS PureSee IOL is available in EMEA, APAC, Canada, Latin America, and Japan. It has not received PMA approval in the U.S.