The largest optometry conference and trade show in the Southern Hemisphere will take place in less than a year and eye health professionals around the world are invited to present.
The call for abstracts is now open for O=MEGA23 and the 4th World Congress of Optometry (WCO4), which will be held in Melbourne from 8-10 September 2023, as event organisers unveiled a new keynote speaker.
The joint global event themed Optometry Unites, Down Under is a partnership between the Optical Distribution & Manufacturers Association of Australia (ODMA), Optometry Victoria South Australia (OV/SA) and the World Council of Optometry (WCO).
More than 2,000 global professionals including optometrists, optical dispensers, ophthalmologists, orthoptists, ophthalmic nurses, practice staff, optical retailers and service providers, technicians, and students are expected to attend over three days.
Keynote speakers
The call for abstracts comes as organisers confirmed Dr Susan Cotter, a US-based optometrist in paediatric optometry, will be a keynote speaker. A Professor at the Southern California College of Optometry at Marshal B Ketchum University, her primary research interests include clinical management strategies for amblyopia, strabismus, convergence insufficiency, and childhood refractive error.
OV/SA CEO Ms Ilsa Hampton said securing Cotter was a major coup for O=MEGA23 and WCO4.
“Dr Cotter is globally respected as a paediatric optometrist and clinician-scientist, and we are thrilled to announce she will join O=MEGA23 and WCO4 as a keynote speaker,” Hampton said.
“As the new incoming president of the American Academy of Optometry, Dr Cotter is a true leader and educator in the field, having headed numerous clinical investigations and large-scale studies in paediatric eye health.”
WCO president Professor Peter Hendicott said with less than one year to go until the event, organisers were building an in-depth program covering all facets of optometry.
Cotter joins Dr James Wolffsohn, Professor of Optometry at Aston University, as part of the keynote speaker team. Formerly Deputy Executive Dean for Life Sciences and then associate Pro-Vice Chancellor, he is the Head of the School of Optometry and Head of the Department of Audiology.
“Delegates attending O=MEGA23 and WCO4 will benefit from an exciting education program presented by lecturers from around the world,” Hendicott said.
“Optometrists and other eyecare practitioners are encouraged to submit their abstracts for consideration as we continue to build a diverse and thought-provoking program.”
ODMA acting CEO Ms Amanda Trotman said the conference program will be complemented by an impressive trade show of the latest eyecare and eyewear products and technology.
“The countdown is on for this significant 2023 event which will mark the first major international gathering of eye health professionals in four years,” Trotman said.
Submissions for lecture/short paper presentations are open until 30 November 2022. Early registration discounts will be offered until 30 April 2023.
Learn more at www.omega-event.org.
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