ESO2025 Speakers

Adel Alsuhaibani

Professor and Consultant, Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine

King Saud University Riyadh
KSA

Professor and Consultant
Head of Oculoplastics and Orbital surgery Unit
Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, King Saud University Riyadh, KSA

Ahmed Elbably

Glaucoma Surgeon

Southampton University Hospital
UK

Dr. Ahmed Elbably is a highly accomplished Glaucoma Surgeon at the University Hospital of Southampton, UK. With extensive international experience across the UK, Saudi Arabia, and the USA, Dr. Elbably has pioneered innovative surgical techniques, including the GITS(Glaucoma Intrascleral Tube Surgery) and Preserflo DS approaches, which have significantly advanced glaucoma treatment. He is a recognized mentor and educator, guiding the next generation of ophthalmic surgeons while maintaining a strong commitment to research and innovation. Dr. Elbably’s contributions to ophthalmology reflect his dedication to improving patient outcomes and advancing surgical excellence.

Ahmed Habib

Associate Professor

Ain Shams University
Egypt

-Vitreoretinal surgery consultant
-Associate Professor of ophthalmology Ain Shams University
-Fellow of the Royal Colledge of Physicians and Surgeons (Glasgcow)
-Member of the American Society of retina specialists

Amr Samir

Ophthalmology Consultant

Magrabi Eye Hospitals, Cairo
Egypt

Dr Amr Samir is an Ophthalmology Consultant with many years of experience in the diagnosis and management of Glaucoma. He obtained both his medical bachelor and Masters Degree in ophthalmology at the Ain Shams University in Cairo. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. He trained in ophthalmology at the Magrabi Eye Hospitals in Cairo and completed a Glaucoma fellowship at the Montchoisi Glaucoma Research Centre in Lausanne.

He is a highly experienced cataract and glaucoma surgeon who has performed thousands of Incisional, minimally invasive, and laser glaucoma procedures on patients from Egypt and abroad.

He has a keen interest in advanced and most recent surgical techniques in Glaucoma surgery. He offers his patients a large spectrum of interventions, including MIGS, NPGS, angle surgeries, and Glaucoma Drainage Devices.

Arun Singh

Professor

Cole Eye Institute/ Cleveland Clinic
USA

Arun D. Singh, MD is the Director of the Department of Ophthalmic Oncology, Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic. He has published more than 500 scientific articles and has edited several textbooks (Clinical Ophthalmic Oncology, Ophthalmic Ultrasonography, Ophthalmic Radiation therapy and, FNA cytology of Ophthalmic Tumors). He is Editor of the Journal (Ocular Oncology and Pathology) and President of the International Society of Ocular Oncology (2015-2017).

Bassima Aldelaigan

Senior Optometrist

National Guard Hospital, Riyadh
KSA

Dr. Bassima Aldelaigan received her Doctorate of Optometry degree from The New England College of Optometry, in Boston. Dr. Aldelaigan then did a one-year of sub-specialty in cornea and contact lenses residency at the Michigan College of Optometry in Michigan, Dr. Aldelaigan has the American board certification, and licensed to work in the state of Michigan. Dr. Aldelaigan is a member of the board of directors in the Saudi society of Optometry.

She is currently working at the National guard hospital in Riyadh, practicing general optometry with emphasis on Contact lens fitting, Low vision, and pediatric optometry.

Christina Grupcheva

Professor of Ophthalmology

INTO-Varna
Bulgaria

Prof. Dr. CN Grupcheva graduated as a medical doctor at Medical University of Varna, and following specialized training became a specialist in ophthalmology in 1996. She continued her studies with short fellowships at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London and Dundee University, UK. In 2000 she relocated to New Zealand as a Senior Research Fellow at Auckland University and Corneal Fellow at Auckland State Hospital for three years. During that period she completed a PhD with high commendations and Best Doctorial Thesis Prize of Auckland University for 2002. On return to Varna she was appointed as Director of Specialized Eye Hospital Varna and shortly after as Professor at Medical University of Varna. Currently, she is a National Professor in ophthalmology and Clinical Director of Specialized Eye Hospital.

Prof Grupcheva’s clinical and research interests and expertise are related to cataract and refractive surgery, cornea, anterior segment, tear film, in vivo confocal microscopy and complex anterior segment surgery. She has published more than 250 scientific papers and 21 ophthalmology books. She has Hi index of 30 and more than 3100 citations over the last 15 years. She actively participates as editor in American Academy of Ophthalmology textbooks revision and is reviewer for several prestigious journals.. Professor Grupcheva teaches at all graduate and postgraduate levels and currently supervises 8 PhD students and 12 residents in ophthalmology. She has many high commendations graduates at different levels. She regularly presents at national and international meetings on subjects of her expertise, mainly as an invited lecturer. She is a member of number of Bulgarian, European and International learned societies and is a board member for International Council of Ophthalmology and European Cataract and Refractive Surgery Society board co-opted member. Prof Grupcheva serves as the President of Bulgarian Society of Ophthalmology.

Doha Hamidallah

Ophtalmologist, President of ABAD foundation for women and child empowrment in morocco

Morocco

HAMIDALLAH DOHA a moroccan ophtalmologist currently in france ,president of ABAD foundation for women and child empowrment in morocco , former board member of young ophtalmology association of morocco AMJO , activist for more than 10 years in health and social developments ,

Content creator on social media for the last 4 years with over 140000 followers on both instagram and tiktok my platform is dedicated to these subjects:

1 Medical awareness in ophtalmology field correcting stereotypes and false infos

2 organ donation and its importance especially in the arab world

3 the importance of social work in the life of young people.

4 the path , difficulties and challenges of medical studies

Filomena Ribeiro

Head of Ophthalmology Department

Hospital da Luz, Lisbon
Portugal

ESCRS President, Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Lisbon, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of LisbonJCRO Editor

Hamzah Almajedi

Consultant Ophthalmologist, President of Iraqi Ophthalmological Society

Ibn Alhaitham Eye Teaching Hospital
Baghdad, Iraq

‏- MBChB , MD ,DO(RCS -RCP ) U.K.
‏- Consultant Ophthalmologist .
‏- President of Iraqi Ophthalmological Society.
‏- Board Member of Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO).
‏- International Member of American Academy of Ophthalmology.
‏- Consultant Ophthalmologist at IBN ALHAITHAM EYE TEACHING HOSPITAL, Baghdad (1996-2011).
⁃ Consultant Ophthalmologist ALYARMOUK TEACHING HOSPITAL, Head of Ophthalmology department,
‏Lecturer of Ophthalmology at college of medicine , ALMUSTANSIRIYAH UNIVERSITY, Baghdad ,Iraq .(1991-1996)
‏⁃ Head of Prevention of Blindness & primary Eye Care program at Iraqi Ministry of Health (1988-1991

Helen Davis

Professor of Orthoptics

University of Sheffield,
UK

Helen graduated as an Orthoptist from the Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital. Following graduation, she worked as a clinical Orthoptist at the ManchesterRoyal Eye Hospital and supervised students clinical practice. Helen took her Teaching certificate in 1982 and became an orthoptic teacher and then senior teacher in 1984. Helen set up one of the first Botulinum Toxin clinics with an Ophthalmologist. She also commenced research with the Optometry department at the University of Manchester investigating visual development in infants. In 1991 Helen moved to the University of Sheffield to set up one of only two graduate programmes in the UK for pre-registration Orthoptists. She also met Professor John Frisby who designed the Frisby Near Stereotest and they collaborated to design the Frisby Davis Distance Stereotest (FD2). Helen also collaborated with Ophthalmologist Alec Ansons to edit the third and fourth editions of the textbook Diagnosis and Management of Ocular Motility Disorders. Helen has had roles in both the regulatory body the HealthCare Professions Council (HCPC) and the professional body the British and IrishOrthoptic Society. Latterly she was the chair of the Education and ProfessionalDevelopment Committee. Helen has also received several awards during her career including, a BIOS fellowship 2010; Nominated for Portrait of a Woman, University of Sheffield 2015; an OBE for services to Orthoptics 2022 and a BIOS lifetime award 2024.

Hesham Elsheikh

Professor of Ophthalmology

Kasr El-Aini Medical School, Cairo University
Egypt

I graduated in 1986 and started my residency iat 1988.

Since then, I have progressed through the academic ranks to my current position as a full professor at Cairo University.

I am also the co-founder and vice president of Rowad Correction Eye Center. I have published extensively in both international and national journals, with a specialized focus on cornea and refractive surgery.

Hessah Alrabiah

Cornea specialist

Al-Bahar Eye Center
Kuwait

The Clinical Examination in Ophthalmology Advanced International Council Of Ophthalmology, 2016
FICO Fellow of International Council Of Ophthalmology, 2016
Kuwait Board of Ophthalmology 2016,
The Royal College of Surgeons Of Edinburgh, 2019
Clinical fellowship in Cornea, Cataract and Refractive Surgery, 2020, in VISSUM, Spain.
Under the supervision of Prof.Dr.Jorge L.Alio
Completed the course – Keratopigmentations.
‘Clinical Methodology in Refractive, Cataract & Corneal Surgery ‘ Miguel Hernandez
University Medical school, division of ophthalmology Alicante, Spain

Ithar Beshtawi

Head of Optometry Department

Najah National University
Palestine

Najah National University in Palestine. In addition to publishing numerous research articles in high-impact scientific journals, Dr. Beshtawi has authored a book and received invitations to present research papers at numerous national and international conferences.

Jignasa Mehta

Professional Lead of Orthoptics

University of Liverpool
UK

professional lead for Orthoptics at the University of Liverpool delivering the BSc(Hons) and MSc pre-registration Orthoptic programmes. She has been an orthoptist for 29 years and her main areas of research is vision in older adults with a particular focus on falls, ocular accommodation in relation to digital device use.

Karl Golnik

Professor and Neuro-ophthalmologist

Barrow Neuroscience Institute,
USA

Dr. Karl Golnik is Professor at the Barrow Neuroscience Institute, Creighton University and the University of Arizona. He has received the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Lifetime Achievement award and the North American Neuro-ophthalmology Society’s Merit Award. He has given more than 1000 invited neuro-ophthalmology and medical education lectures in more than 75 countries and has over 150 publications in these fields.

Lars Holm

Consultant, Head of Cataract & Refractive Surgery

University Hospital of Copenhagen
Denmark

Since 2014: Senior consultant, Head of Cataract surgery, Refractive Surgery, and head of the surgical facilities at University Hospital of Copenhagen, Denmark2006: PhD-defence: Ammonia transport in aquaporins, University of Copenhagen Since 2014: Associate Professor, University of Copenhagen, Clinical Ophthalmology Author of 26 PubMed indexed and peer reviewed publications 2009: passed “European Board of Ophthalmology Diploma Examination”Supervisor for 4 PhD-studentsPerformed > 4500 corneal refractive laser proceduresPerformed > 7000 phaco operations

Manish Nagpal

Director, Retina Foundation

Retina Foundation, Ahmedabad
India

Dr Manish Nagpal is practicing as a Vitreo Retinal Consultant at Retina Foundation, Ahmedabad, since 1999. After completing his Ophthalmology training at M & J institute of Ophthalmology, Ahmedabad in 1996 and further went on to accomplish the FRCS (Ed) at UK in 1997. He is a recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Service Award of APAO in 2007, Achievement award of APAO in 2012 , American Academy’s Achievement award 2009 as well as AAO ‘s International Ophthalmologist Education Award in 2011 and the AAO Senior Achievement Award in 2018 He has a keen interest in making surgical videos and has received the prestigious Rhett Buckler award for best video at the annual meeting of ASRS (6 times) 2009 New York , 2010 Vancouver ,2011 Boston followed by Las Vegas, 2012 , Toronto , 2013 and Seattle, 2020. He received the Best video award at the film festival held at the 25th APAO meet held at Beijing, China , Sept 2010 and the Best of Show at the annual AAO meeting held at New Orleans in Oct 2013 . At the annual All India congress ( AIOS) he has won the best paper in Retina four times including the S Natarajan award in 2008 and the C S Reshmi award for the best video presentation in 2012 . He is also the recipient of the IIRSI special Gold medal for 2012 as well as the Young achievers award from BOA in 2012. He is also the recipient of the Honor award @ 2013 and the Senior Honor award @ 2014 for outstanding contribution to the American society of Retinal Surgeons (ASRS) . He has been conferred the Fellow of ASRS (FASRS) on its inception in June 2021. He is also the receipient of the (Indian journal of Ophthalmology) IJO Gold award for 2014. He has numerous peer reviewed articles to his credit along with numerous chapters in various international books. He is a regular reviewer with ophthalmology journals such as RETINA, American Journal of Opthalmology (AJO), EYE , European journal of Ophthalmology and IJO. He is a member of the Program Committee for The Prestigious Vail Vitrectomy meeting held in 2016 and 2019. He has been part of the Floretina program committee in 2015 and was invited to perform live surgery from Athens to be transmitted to Florence for the Floretina, 2019. He is on the international editorial board of RETINA TODAY and Ocular surgery news (OSN) . He has been invited by ORBIS for a Voluntary surgical program on the Flying Eye Hospital (FEH) at Chittagong, Bangladesh in 2017 and works closely with ORBIS for their online forum Cybersight for surgical videos and web based presentations. He has conducted various Vitreo retinal surgical workshops doing live surgery and laser procedures at various meetings in India and abroad. He has been a Principle investigator for many global multicentric trials including (Macugen 1013, VIEW 2, DEGAS and MONET).

May Bakkar

Professor of Optometry

Jordan University of Science and Technology
Jordan

Professor May Bakkar is a professor of optometry at Jordan University of Science and Technology. She is responsible of undergraduate teaching in the area of contact lenses, ocular pathology and clinical optometry. Alongside her teaching responsibilities, Professor Bakkar undergoes her research in contact lenses, dry eye disease and community eye care. She is a fellow of the International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE) and she is the ambassador of IACLE for the Middle East region.

Professor Bakkar is a holder of 2023 IACLE Contact Lens Educator of the Year award for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

Professor Bakkar has published over 30 refereed journal articles, and granted fund for several research projects.

Mohamed Tawfik

Vitreoretinal Consultant

Memorial institute of ophthalmic research
Egypt

Vitreoretinal consultant at memorial institute of ophthalmic research , egypt

Mohammad Javed Ali

MD, PhD, FRCS.Head, Govindram Seksaria Institute of Dacryology

L.V. Prasad Eye Institute,
India

MD, PhD, FRCS.Head, Govindram Seksaria Institute of Dacryology, LVPEI, India.Editor in Chief, Seminars in OphthalmologyDistinguished Alumni Chair of Ophthalmology, LVPEI, India.Hong-Leong Professor, University of Singapore, Singapore.Former DAAD Professor, Friedrich Alexander University, Nuremberg, GermanyHonorary Professor, Krasnov Research Institute of Eye Diseases, Moscow, RussiaVisiting Professor, Wojskowy Instytut Medyczny, Warsaw, Poland.Honorary Professor, Fatima University Medical Center, Manilla, PhilippinesFormer Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Rochester, New YorkSenior Von Humboldt Scientist, FAU, Nurnberg, GermanyShanti Swarup Bhatnagar LaureateJC BOSE National Fellow, Govt. of IndiaMohammad Javed Ali is an internationally recognized Clinician-Scientist and the current Editor-in-Chief of the journal ‘Seminars in Ophthalmology’. He heads the Govindram Seksaria Institute of Dacryology at the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, India. Javed is also the Distinguished Alumni chair of Ophthalmology at the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute. He holds seven International Professorships and is currently the Hong-Leong Professor at NUHS, Singapore, and DAAD Professor of Ophthalmology and Anatomy at the Friedrich-Alexander University, Nuremberg, Germany. He is also the visiting professor at the Wojskowy Instytut Medyczny, Warsaw, Poland; Krasnov Research Institute, Moscow; Fatima University Medical Center, Philippines. Javed is among the recipients of the Senior Alexander Von Humboldt Award by the AvH Foundation, Germany, and the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, and the JC Bose National Fellow, the highest multi-disciplinary scientific awards by the Government of India. He described three new diseases of the lacrimal system along with their classifications and clinicopathologic profiles. He was honored by the 2015 AAO-ASOPRS ‘Merill Reeh’ Award for his work on the understanding of etiopathogenesis of punctal stenosis. He is on the editorial board of 23 mainstream journals, associate editor for ‘Survey of Ophthalmology’, ‘The Ocular Surface’, ‘European Journal of Ophthalmology’, and ‘Ophthalmic Research’, and has to his credit 660 publications at the time of this writing, and has delivered 381 conference lectures, including 21 keynote addresses. He holds memberships of 28 societies and has conducted 26 instruction courses and 34 live surgical workshops and has been honored by 41 national and international awards including the 2020 American Academy – ASOPRS ‘Lester T Jones’ award for outstanding scientific contributions to the science of Ophthalmic Plastics Surgery. He has also been honored with honorary life membership of national societies from Poland, Israel, and Philippines for his contributions to science.Research Stats: Publications – 660, h-index – 44, i-10 index – 208, Citations – 7338

Nancy Al Raqqad

Consultant cornea cataract and refractive surgeon

Royal medical services
Jordan

Head of cornea specialty at Royal medical services
Consultant cornea cataract and refractive surgeon
Fellow of the Royal college of physicians and surgeons of Glasgow
Founder and lead of women in ophthalmology Arabia

Neda Qurashi

Advanced Specialist Orthoptist

South Tees NHS Trust, James Cook University Hospital
UK

Miss Qurashi gained her degree in Orthoptics from the prestigious University of Sheffield. She has been working as an Advanced Specialist Orthoptist at James Cook University Hospital in the North East of England for more than a decade.She has experience of working in complex paediatric joint clinics, neuro-ophthalmology ocular motility clinics, cataract clinics and glaucoma clinics. She has a keen interest in teaching and is the lead for Orthoptic teaching for the FRCOphth exam revision course in the North of England. Miss Qurashi is currently in her final year of studying for a Masters in Advanced Clinical Ophthalmology at University College London. In the last year she has presented her work at various conferences including the highly esteemed Royal College of Ophthalmologists Congress, UKISCRS and at the British and Irish Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Association.Miss Qurashi is keen to showcase the valuable role qualified ophthalmic healthcare professionals play in delivering high quality ophthalmic care whilst simultaneously addressing current workforce challenges and capacity and demand issues that most health care providers face.

Nishani Amerasinghe

Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon

University Hospitals Southampton NHS Trust
UK

Ms Nishani Amerasinghe is a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon based at the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, specialising in Glaucoma and Cataract Surgery. She is regarded as a leading expert in the UK, employing the latest medical and surgical techniques including lasers (e.g. Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty), conventional glaucoma surgery (aqueous shunt and trabeculectomy) and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS). Additionally, Ms Amerasinghe has expertise in complex cataract surgery using the latest innovative techniques.
The role of President of the UK & Eire Glaucoma Society, is a testament of the respect Ms Amerasinghe within the Glaucoma Speciality.
Ms Amerasinghe is an invited speaker for many national and international meetings with particular focus on Angle Closure Disease and Surgical treatment of Glaucoma. She has won academic scholarships and prizes throughout her career as well as publishing many papers and reviewing for the major Ophthalmology journals.
After graduating from Imperial College School of Medicine at St Mary’s, London, Ms Amerasinghe went on to train on the Wessex Ophthalmology Rotation where she also completed an Advanced Speciality Training Opportunity (ASTO) between Southampton and Portsmouth Hospitals. Subsequently, she undertook a further 2 years advanced training as a Clinical Research Fellow at the world-renowned Singapore National Eye Centre, and a Clinical Glaucoma fellowship at the internationally acclaimed Moorfields Eye Hospital, London.
Ms Amerasinghe’s research projects include a large study looking into the Heritability of Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma which was a joint project with Singapore National Eye Centre and the Institute of Ophthalmology, University College of London.
Recently she authored the British Medical Journal Best Practice of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma 2024. Ms Amerasinghe is currently the principal investigator of a large multi-centre research project looking at Real-World data into Open Angle Glaucoma Management.

Priya Morjaria

Assistant Professor

Peek / London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
UK

Dr Priya Morjaria has over 15 years of experience in the field of public health. She is a trained optometrist now at the forefront of public health optometry. She practiced both hospital and community optometry before joining the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) to pursue her interest in public health full time. She completed the MSc in Public Health for Eye Care at LSHTM and has a PhD with a focus on school eye health services on the effectiveness and efficiency of them. She is an Assistant Professor at LSHTM and has worked on eye health research and programmes in over 22 countries. Her work has been recognised by the World Council of Optometry with the 2017 Paul Berman Young Leader Award. She is also a Fellow of the College of Optometrist and European Academy of Optometry and Optics. She is also the Head of Global Programmes at Peek Vision. She currently serves as the Chair of the Public Health Committee at the World Council of Optometry.

Rajeev Prasad

Senior Clinical Optometrist Based

Delhi NCR
India

Dr. Rajeev Prasad is a senior clinical optometrist based in the Delhi NCR region, with having additional specialty practices in Bihar and Jharkhand. He is recognized as a leading figure in the field of optometry, holding multiple leadership roles, including President of the Asia Pacific Council of Optometry, Secretary of the Indian Optometric Association and chairman of International Academy of Orthokeratology & Myopia Control – India. Dr. Prasad is also the founder of Eye Gurukul, a dynamic online learning platform for eye and vision care professionals.

Academic and Professional Background:

Dr. Prasad began his optometry journey at Gandhi Eye Hospital, Aligarh, where he completed his foundational optometry training. He later pursued both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Optometry and became the second batch of Low Vision Fellows at the prestigious LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, in 2002. He was awarded a scholarship by Tata Group for his studies. In addition to his optometry qualifications, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Homeopathy (BHMS). He has also been awarded MCOptom by College of Optometrists, UK and Honorary Membership by American Optometry Association (USA). He is also Clinical Associate of Optometric Vision Development & Rehabilitation Association (USA).

Dr. Prasad further expanded his expertise through training in Japan and the US, where he focused on eye screening for special populations. He also served for five years as the Asia Pacific Director for Health at Special Olympics International, USA, working with athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Key Roles and Contributions:

• Leadership: Dr. Prasad is a prominent figure in global optometry leadership, serving on the board of directors of the World Council of Optometry and participating in the Public Health Committee. He is a part of the College of Syntonics, USA, as one of only two members from India. He is only Indian to represent at International Sports Vision Association (USA).

• Awards and Recognition: Dr. Prasad is the recipient of the highly prestigious “Optometrist of the Year” award in both 2018 and 2020, an honour that underscores his outstanding contributions to the field.

• Academic Contributions: Dr. Prasad is passionate about teaching and has held faculty positions, including being a Visiting Faculty at Chandigarh University, where he teaches Master’s students in Optometry. He has also conducted numerous workshops and presented at both national and international forums. He has conducted numerous workshops and was invited as speaker at All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS) and Delhi Ophthalmological Society (DOS) and Women in Ophthalmology (WOS) and very prestigious World Congress of Paediatric Ophthalmology (WCSPOS V) at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Specialization:

Dr. Prasad is particularly known for his expertise in Low Vision Rehabilitation and has worked extensively in areas such as: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and stroke rehabilitation, adult amblyopia (lazy eye), Diabetic retinopathy and hypertensive maculopathy, Retinitis Pigmentosa & Macular Degeneration. He is also involved in Binocular Vision Therapy, Myopia Management, Orthokeratology, and Custom-Made Ocular Prosthesis.

Clinical Impact:

Dr. Prasad has made a significant impact in establishing Low Vision rehabilitation departments in multiple institutions, including at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh, Dr. Hedgewar Rugnalaya in Aurangabad, and the Vivekananda Medical Foundation & Research Centre in Latur, Maharashtra. These efforts have helped provide specialized care for patients with severe vision impairment and conditions that affect functional vision.

Conferences and Workshops:

As the organizing chairman of the first Asia Pacific Optometric Congress in 2023, held in Gurugram, India and APOC 2024 at Kathmandu, Nepal. Dr. Prasad has been instrumental in fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among optometrists across Asia Pacific. He has led several workshops focused on Low Vision, Neuro Optometric Rehabilitation, Myopia Management, Speciality Contact Lens and specialty optometric practices and is a sought-after speaker at global conferences.

Personal Passion:

A major driving force behind Dr. Prasad’s career is his passion for improving vision care for underserved populations, particularly those with low vision due to conditions like stroke, diabetic retinopathy, and other serious eye disorders. His dedication to advancing the field of optometry and vision rehabilitation has made him a respected leader both in India and internationally.

Rami Shasha

Cataract, refractive, and complex anterior segment surgeon

Owen Sound, Ontario
Canada

Dr. Rami Shasha is a cataract, refractive, and complex anterior segment surgeon at Brightshores Health System in Owen Sound, Ontario. Dr. Shasha completed his medical school training at the University of Ottawa in 2014 and his ophthalmology training at the Ivey Eye Institute in 2019.
Dr. Shasha has been invited to speak on secondary IOL fixation at the local, national, and international stage.
Dr. Shasha has a passion and interest in the development of new surgical instruments and techniques. Dr. Shasha developed the Centralize, Tilt, and Chop technique (CTC) for the management of rotating and non-rotating hemi-nuclei, which, as of November 2023, is officially a part of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
In November of 2023, he was also selected at the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) meeting as one of three global winners for their international surgical competition for the most complex surgical case.
In April of 2024, he was selected as the winner of the High Impact Surgical Pearls session at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting (ASCRS), for the development of the Shasha capsular shield, a surgical instrument that is intended to protect the anterior capsule protection in complex cases.
Dr. Shasha is also very passionate about medical and surgical education and has created over 2,000 surgical videos and illustrations to date

Ramy Riad

Consultant, Assistant professor of ophthalmology, Cataract and refractive surgeon

Watany eye hospital
Egypt

“Cataract and refractive surgeon based in cairo egypt
Intested in complicated cases and anterior segment reconstruction”

Rana M. Diab

Clinical Optometrist – General Secretary

Vision Care Association – VOSH
Lebanon

Rana M. Diab is a Clinical Optometrist with over 10 years of experience. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Optometry at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in South Africa. She holds a Master of Science in Clinical Optometry and a Bachelor of Science in Optics & Optometry from the American University of Science & Technology (AUST) in Beirut, Lebanon. Her research has been showcased at major national and international conferences.As a co-founder of Vision Care Association (VCA) – VOSH Lebanon, she served as General Secretary, Optometrist, and Trainer since 2017. She has been instrumental in leading the association’s initiatives in eye care, advocacy, education, and awareness. Her contributions include organizing free eye examination campaigns, training optometrists and students, and delivering eye health lectures across Lebanon.Her clinical experience includes her tenure as a Clinical Optometrist at Clemenceau Medical Center, affiliated with Johns Hopkins International in Beirut, Lebanon. She has also advanced her skills by completing the Optometry Program in Advocacy & Leadership (OPAL), a joint initiative of the World Council of Optometry (WCO) and Indiana University. Currently, she balances her roles at VCA while remaining actively involved in global eye health efforts as a mentor in the OPAL program and as a Workforce Workstream Administrator at the Global SPECS Network of the WHO 2030 Initiative.

Sandra S. Block

President WCO/Professor Emeritus

Illinois College of Optometry (ICO)
USA

Dr. Sandra S. Block is a Professor Emeritus at Illinois College of Optometry (ICO). She received her O.D. degree (1981) and followed by a Pediatric Residency (1982) at the ICO where she was a faculty member until her retirement in 2020. She completed her Master of Education at National Louis University and her Master of Public Health from the University of Illinois, School of Public Health. She was presented with an honorary Doctor of Ocular Sciences degree from ICO (2024). She is a Diplomate in Public Health and Environmental Vision at the American Academy of Optometry, a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academy of Practice, a Silver Fellow of ARVO, and a Fellow of the European Academy of Optometry and Optics. She previously sat on the Prevent Blindness Board of Trustees and was recently appointed as an Emeritus Board member. She was co-chair of the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health and currently is the treasurer of VISION 2020 USA Board of Directors.

She served as a consultant to the Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes program from 1995-2022 and was instrumental in developing the vision program used globally. Her interests lie in primary care for children and persons with disabilities, as well as diagnosis and treatment of visually related learning problems as well as public health issues facing the equity and quality of eye care delivery.

Dr. Block has authored numerous publications and conducted presentations worldwide. In November 2021, she was elected as the WCO President-Elect and she has been involved with WCO’s work with the World Health Organization and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. Prior to November of 2021, Dr. Block served on WCO’s Board of Directors as the Public Health Committee Chair. She is currently serving as President of WCO.

Sawsan Al Balushi

Therapuetic Optomerist

Medical City of Military and Security Services
Oman

Sawsan Al Balushi earned her Bachelor of Optometry degree with honors and Therapeutic Prescriber Agent qualification from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. With approximately four years of experience, she presently serves as a Clinical Optometrist at the Medical City of military and security services hospital. Sawsan has been a featured speaker at various conferences, including the Saudi Optometry Conferences, Muscat International Ophthalmology Conferences, and the Ministry of Health Workshops. She has also contributed to the field through a published paper titled “The Importance of the Optometrist’s Role as a Primary Eye Care Provider in the Sultanate of Oman.” Known for her ability to manage multiple tasks and thrive under pressure with solid initiative and relationship-building skills.

Sawsan R. Nowilaty

Senior Academic Consultant Ophthalmologist

King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital
KSA

Dr. Sawsan Rashad NOWILATY is a Senior Academic Consultant Ophthalmologist at the Vitreoretinal Division and the Past Director of Medical Education at King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital (KKESH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Nowilaty is a full-time teacher to Ophthalmology Residents and Fellows, a regular Saudi Ophthalmology Board examiner and serves on the Editorial Board of the Saudi Journal of Ophthalmology. Her major research interests include diabetic retinopathy, macular telangiectasis, posterior microphthalmos and hereditary retinal degenerations. She is a regularly Invited Lecturer and has delivered over 260 scientific presentations and 32 courses in both local and major international ophthalmology meetings in the USA and Europe, and published two thesis and 58 peer reviewed scientific publications.

Dr. Nowilaty is a member of the Saudi Ophthalmologic Society (SOS), the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) and a Fellow of the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS).

She’s a recipient of the AAO Achievement Award (2014), the Saudi Ophthalmology Society Best Research Award (2014 and 2017) and Teacher of the Year Award- 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Scott Lambert

Professor of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics

Stanford University, USA

Dr. Scott Lambert is a Professor of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics and Chief of Ophthalmology at Stanford Children’s Health. He has published over 230 peer-reviewed publications. He was a co-editor for the 5th and 6th editions of Taylor and Hoyt’s Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. He has trained 30 clinical fellows in pediatric ophthalmology and mentored 6 visiting scholars from South Korea and many medical students and residents. He has served as the chair of the Pediatric Ophthalmic Technology Assessment Committee for the AAO and has received the AAO and AAPOS Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Swati Singh

Consultant, Ocular Surface-Adnexa Clinic, and Consultant – Center for Ocular Regeneration

L.V. Prased Eye Institute
India

Dr. Swati Singh is a clinician-scientist at L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad. She is also an Alexander Von Humboldt fellow at the Institute for Anatomy at Friedrich Alexander University, Erlangen, Germany. Dr Singh’s research interests include the lacrimal gland, dry eye disease, and ocular surface-adnexa. She was the first to demonstrate the tear secretion from transplanted minor salivary glands and innovative clinical techniques for evaluating the lacrimal gland and salivary secretion in patients with dry eyes and in-vivo transcanalicular view of the valve of Rosenmüller. She has to her credit 172 publications, has delivered 70 conference lectures, and has been honored as a young talent among All India ophthalmologists. She is also an Indian alliance welcome trust-DBT early career fellow.

Tarek Shaarawy

Professor Of Ophthalmology

University of Geneva
Switzerland

“Tarek M. Shaarawy is the Head of the Glaucoma unit, and the Glaucoma surgery research group at the University of Geneva Hospitals. He is currently the President of the International Society of Glaucoma surgery.
He is the author and editor of five text books on Glaucoma, and more than 100 book chapters and publications in peer reviewed journals.”

Tina Wong

Professor, Senior Consultant

Singapore National Eye Centre
Singapore

and past Head of the Glaucoma Service at the Singapore National Eye Centre. She is also a Director and co-Head of the Ocular Therapeutics and Drug Delivery Research Group at the Singapore Eye Research Institute. Professor Wong has a specialist interest in ocular scarring and post glaucoma surgery management. She leads an inter-disciplinary translational and clinical research programme on developing new therapeutics as well as drug repurposing and sustained drug delivery systems aimed at improving patient adherence and surgical outcomes.

Waleed Alghamdi

Associate professor

Qassim University
KSA

Dr. Waleed Alghamdi is an Associate Professor of Optometry at Qassim University, and the current president of the Saudi Society of Optometry. He is also the co-founder of the Sight for All Foundation in Saudi Arabia, and serves as a visiting academic at the University of New South Wales, AustraliaDr. Alghamdi’s academic journey started at King Saud University with a BSc in Optometry, followed by a Masters and PhD from the University of New South Wales, Australia. His research focuses on contact lenses, dry eye disease, and community eye health.

Yazan Gammoh

Dr./Associate Professor

World Council of Optometry
Jordan

Dr. Yazan Gammoh, a Jordanian optometrist holds a PhD in Optometry & Vision Science and an MSc in Optometry from the University of Bradford, UK. Yazan is an Associate Professor of Optometry and the chairman of optometry department at Ahliyya Amman University, Amman, Jordan and a senior optometrist at Arab East Medical Supply. In addition, he acts as a consultant for Lions Clubs Jordan for eye health care school eye health programs. Dr. Gammoh also serves as the chair of continuing education committee for optometry and optical professions at the Higher Medical Council, Ministry of Health, Jordan.

Dr. Gammoh is a Fellow of IACLE and IACLE Educator of the Year 2017 for Europe, Africa and Middle East. Yazan is also a Peter Ackland award winner of the year 2020 and Dubai Conferences Ambassador of the year 2020.

Dr. Gammoh currently serves on the WCO Board of Directors as the WCO Education Committee Chair.

Zoelfiqar Mohamed

Assistant Professor

University of Buraimi
Oman

Dr. Zoelfigar Mohamed, Assistant Professor at the University of Buraimi Sultanate of Oman, Senior Consultant Optometry at Sudanese Medical Board. I have a long experience in clinical optometry in different countries, and I obtained my PhD from Al-Neelain University, Sudan. I have several published articles on optometry and eye diseases, and I am active in community awareness. My areas of interest are the contact lens and pediatric optometry.

Ghada Hamad

Optometist

SEHA -Ambulatory Healthcare Service
Abu Dhabi, UAE

Ghada Hamad is an optometrist with SEHA – Ambulatory Healthcare Services in the UAE. She holds a BSc in Optometry from Al Buraimi University in Oman, an MSc from Manipal University in India, and has completed residencies in contact lenses and binocular vision therapy.

Irene Sophia Joseph

Specialist Optometrist

Genesis Healthcare Centre
Dubai, UAE

Irene Sophia Joseph is a passionate optometrist with over 20 years of clinical experience. She obtained her degree from the Elite School of Optometry in India and is currently the Clinical Optometrist at Genesis HealthCare Center in Dubai.

She has a fellowship from the prestigious International Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control, and specializes in Orthokeratology and the field of myopia control for 15 years. She is also a Fellow of the British Contact Lens Association.

Irene specializes in managing irregular corneas and ocular surface disorders using scleral and hybrid lenses. She provides vision therapy for binocular vision disorders and CVI. She also has expertise in electro diagnostics and ocular imaging. Over the years, she has actively contributed at national and international conferences.

Jameel Rizwana Hussaindeen

Program Director & Associate Professor of Optometry

Gulf Medical University
Dubai, UAE

Dr. Rizwana Hussaindeen is greatly involved with the optometry community around the world and is passionate about exploring optometry in its diversity. She has been awarded multiple times as the best faculty, and best Optometrist during her 2 decades of professional tenure.

Dr. Rizwana has been recently conferred with the 2023’s emerging outstanding leader award by the AAO Foundation (AAOF) and has been enlisted among the top 50 global key opinion influencer leaders in vision care with a strong social media presence. She has published close to 100 scientific papers in peer reviewed journals and has authored multiple book chapters in the field of Optometry and Ophthalmology. She has also authored a book titled “Binocular Vision testing made easy – Keep it Single and Simple” along with her mentor Prof. Mitchell Scheiman. Dr. Rizwana has delivered over 200 invited talks across national and international vision science conferences and meetings. Dr. Rizwana Hussaindeen works with numerous organizations including the World Council of Optometry (WCO), International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and Vision Care Association (VCA). She is the current co-chair for the WCO’s Optometry Program in Advocacy and Leadership (OPAL). Dr. Rizwana is also a certified life/Emotional Intelligence (EI) coach that mentors professionals from across the globe on leadership and life management skills.

Nicole Day

Fitness Instructor/Life Coach

Storm Cycling/ Gigi
Dubai, UAE

Nisreen Alwan

Advisory Board Chair of Vision Care Association

Abu Dhabi University
Abu Dhabi,UAE

Associate Professor of Environmental Health and Safety, Dr.Alwan received her BSc (2003) and MSc (2005) Degrees in Biology from the American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon. In 2011, she obtained her PhD Degree in Natural Sciences from Goethe University, Germany. After returning to Lebanon, she was appointed as a Lecturer in the Biology Department at the American University of Beirut. Since 2014, she joined the Modern University for Business and Science (MUBS), Lebanon. She served as the Dean of the School of Health Sciences at MUBS from 2014 till 2019. In 2019, Dr. Alwan was appointed as the Acting Vice Provost at MUBS. From August 2020 till October 2021, she has filled

the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Chair of Environmental and Public Health positions at the College of Health Sciences at Abu Dhabi University (ADU), UAE. From October 2021 till March 2022, she was appointed as the Acting Dean at the College of Health Sciences at ADU. She is currently the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in the College and an Associate Professor of Environmental Health and Safety. As of 2023, she was appointed as the Chair of Advisory Board in Vision Care Association.

Her research interests include environmental and food microbiology; antimicrobial resistance; public health; and systematics, taxonomy, molecular phylogeny, and zoogeography of Cyprinidae in the Middle East. She is currently leading with some colleagues at Beirut Arab University, American University of Beirut, Lebanese American University, Canadian University of Dubai, United Arab Emirates University, Qatar University, and Cardiff Metropolitan University several research projects. She is the author of more than 40 internationally published articles and a topic editor and a reviewer in many scientific peer-reviewed journals.

Servane Collette

Healthcare marketing specialist

Invicta Academy
Dubai, UAE

Healthcare marketing specialist with a 15 year experience in upskilling practitioners’ careers. Her Dubai based academy has become highly reputed in helping clinics upscale the talent of their teams inside the clinic, as well as upskilling their business and marketing knowledge in order to keep up with the rising healthcare competition in the UAE. As a marketing and medical education specialist, we bring our expertise to the use of doctors and their teams in the fields: marketing knowledge, soft skills, business dexterity to ultimately help them reach their full potential.

Yasmin El-Rouby

Doctor of Optometry

Cleveland Clinic AD
Dubai, UAE

Dr.Yasmin El-Rouby is an American and Canadian board-certified Optometrist with over 23 years of experience in many different health care settings.

She has been working at CCAD for the last 5 years in primary eye-care with a special focus on comprehensive and refractive examinations.

She has also played a pivotal role in setting up the myopia clinic at CCAD and is now also working on expanding the neuro-opthalmology department.

She is also a children’s book author of the Misty Mole book series – books that promote the early detection and prevention of common vision disorders.

Zachary Cairns

Specialist Optometrist

Cairns and Co. Optometry Centre
Dubai, UAE

Zach Cairns, is a specialist optometrist who primarily works with specialist contact lenses, anterior eye conditions and myopia management.

He has recently established Cairns and Co which is an optometry centre in Dubai dedicated to high quality vision solutions.

Kanika Aggarwal

Specialist Opthlmology

Retina Reviewer
Burjeel day surgery centre, Reem island
Abu Dhabi, UAE

Dr.Kanika is a vitreo-retina surgeon and uveitis specialist currently working at Ahalia eye Care, Abu Dhabi. She completed her residency and fellowship training at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. She has more than 65 publications in various international journals and 10 book chapters. Her special areas of interest are multimodal imaging in diseases of the retina and choroid.

Navas Kalappattil

Optometrist

(Allied/Optometry Reviewer)
Yas Clinic
Abu Dhabi, UAE

Navas Kalappattil, a highly accomplished optometrist holding a master’s degree, currently excelling in the dynamic setting of Yas Clinic Hospital, Abu Dhabi. With a career spanning over a decade, his extensive experience in clinical optometry, both in India and the United Arab Emirates, positions Navas as a distinguished professional at the forefront of advanced eye care.

Wael Elmenawy

Consultant Ophthalmologist

(Glaucoma Reviewer)
Magrabi eye center
Abu Dhabi, UAE

PhD,FRCS
Lecturer of ophthalmology,Alex university
Head of glaucoma&cataract unit,Magrabi,Abu Dhabi.

Aaesha Alnuaimi

Fakhera Al Neyadi

Latifa Alalawi

Maitha Al Fazari

Meerah Al Meraikhi

Noora Abdullatif

Omaima Alshkeili

Dr / Second year resident

Seha
Abu Dhabi, UAE

Sara Aldhaheri