Australian optometrists Dr Kate Gifford and Dr Philip Cheng are among a selection of global industry leaders presenting at an upcoming World Council of Optometry (WCO) virtual event to discuss a global standard of care for myopia management.
Gifford – a Queensland-based clinician-scientist, peer educator and a co-founder of the Myopia Profile platform – and Cheng – clinical director of Eyecare Concepts, The Myopia Clinic Melbourne – will feature alongside four other industry leaders to share their perspectives on myopia management.
The WCO is partnering with CooperVision to host a virtual event on February 12, 2022.
The speaker line-up includes:
– Dr Carmen Abesamis-Dichoso (Philippines), optometrist and recipient of the IACLE Educator Fellowship Program, University of Waterloo (Canada), School of Optometry. In addition to her private practice, she has lectured extensively both locally and internationally on myopia management.
– Dr Thomas Aller (US), optometrist, visiting scholar and practice owner of Dr Thomas Aller Optometrist, Inc. Aller is an expert in myopia control and orthokeratology, and a regular contributor to the field of vision science and the development of innovative treatments.
– Ms Nicola Logan, BSc Hons Optometry, MEd, PhD (UK), optometrist and professor, Aston University College of Health and Life Sciences. She researches the development, progression and management of myopia in children and runs a clinical service in myopia management.
– Ms Sara McCullough, BSc Hons Optometry, PhD, (UK), optometrist and research associate in optometry and vision science at Ulster University (Northern Ireland). She is currently working on the Northern Ireland Childhood Errors of Refraction (NICER) study investigating the progression of refractive error in children and young adults.
– Dr Philip Cheng, B Optom FIAOMC (Australia), optometrist and clinical director of Eyecare Concepts, The Myopia Clinic Melbourne. His specialties include orthokeratology, myopia control, children’s optometry, specialty contact lenses and dry eye management.
– Dr Kate Gifford, BAS Hons Optometry, PhD (Australia) earned her graduate degree in contact lens optics in myopia from Queensland University of Technology. A clinician-scientist and peer educator and a co-founder of Myopiaprofile.com, she holds a visiting research fellow position at QUT and is the committee chair and lead author on the International Myopia Institute’s Clinical Management Guidelines.
“We are delighted to bring together this dynamic group of industry leaders to discuss the importance of myopia management as a global standard of care,” WCO president Mr Paul Folkesson said.
“Their keen insight will bring clarity and perspective to this multifaceted issue facing millions of adults and children around the world.”
Earlier this year, WCO and CooperVision announced their global partnership to raise awareness of myopia progression and encourage optometrists to embrace a standard of care to manage the condition.
The WCO board of directors then unanimously approved a resolution advising optometrists to incorporate a standard of care for myopia management within their practices. The launch of the myopia management online resource is the next step to provide eyecare practitioners with the information, knowledge and guidance needed to establish a standard of care in their practice.
WCO and CooperVision launched an online resource in September that provides multilingual assets and approaches that will enable busy eye care professionals – regardless of geographic location – to apply a standard of care to manage the condition.
For more information or to register for the virtual event, click here.
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