The 55th RANZCO Congress is heading to Adelaide in 2024 with a tantalising speaker line-up and some tweaks to the conference format to improve the attendee experience.
Is a whole eye transplant really possible in ophthalmology? What lessons were learned from retracing a Shackleton trip thought by some as the greatest survival journey of all time? And what insights on uveitis can be gained from an Adelaide professor considered one of the industry’s most engaging speakers?
These questions – to be answered by keynote speakers – indicate the 2024 RANZCO Congress in Adelaide taking place 1-4 November may one of the liveliest yet. And the numbers support this, with organisers “blown away” by the response to early bird registrations, at the time of print.
“Delegate numbers are soaring, already up 10% from last year and an impressive 25% from 2022,” says Think Business Events, the outfit tasked with delivering another congress.
“With this kind of momentum, Adelaide is shaping up to host one of our biggest and most vibrant Congresses yet.”
A breakdown of the key presentations can be found on the following pages, but Professor Adrian Fung and Dr Clare Fraser, the new Scientific Program Committee co-chairs, are particularly excited about a few.
“Professor Justine Smith (Flinders University) is one of the world’s most engaging speakers and will update us on the ‘Wide World of Uveitis’ when she delivers the Council Lecture. Professor Robyn Jamieson (Children’s Medical Research Institute) has the honour of delivering the Dame Ida Mann Lecture and will outline cutting edge advances in precision medicine and genetics,” they say.
“We also have six international speakers giving update lectures. Professor Vas Sadda from UCLA Los Angeles will discuss metabolic imaging of the retina, whilst Professor Rosa Braga-Mele from Toronto will present the latest on phacoemsulfication surgery technology. But an especially thought-provoking lecture will be given by Professor Jeffrey Goldberg when he discusses whether whole eye transplantation is possible within the Clinical Controversies session.
“We’re also pleased to host Dr Reeta Gurung from Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, Nepal, who will show us how her country has been able to achieve world class ophthalmic care with limited resources.”
Each year, RANZCO explores ways to improve the congress experience. In 2023, the traditional fourth day (Tuesday) was cut from the program. The new three-day congress (which officially starts on Saturday 2 November) has been well-received and will remain.
The college is also continuing to offer an online experience, a fixture since COVID.
“While this provides flexibility, we know there’s nothing quite like the energy of being there in person. Our experience has shown that delegates are eager to return to face-to-face events, craving the spontaneous, organic interactions and vibrant atmosphere that simply can’t be replicated online,” says RANZCO’s head of member support Ms Alex Aranciaba.
In other changes, the Graduation and Awards Ceremony is being flipped for 2024. The graduation will run first, and awards second, to cater for new fellows who have families and young children waiting in the audience.
As one of the medical colleges leading the charge on sustainability, RANZCO has again made this a congress priority.
The Adelaide Convention Centre boasts impressive sustainability credentials, including an emphasis on local produce and the latest EarthCheck audit recognising the centre as a leader in reducing waste, water, energy, and greenhouse gas emissions in the Australian business events industry.
“RANZCO is fully on board, and we’re thrilled to have Tim Jarvis as our Congress Opening Speaker, bringing his expertise in environmental leadership,” Aranciaba says, noting that he will also discuss leadership and problem-solving skills learned from retracing legendary polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1916 Antarctic journey using the same equipment, clothing and technology from the era.
“Together, we’re introducing a host of initiatives aimed at carbon offsetting – think tree purchasing, cycling to carbon offset, reusable cup wash stations, and more. It’s all part of our commitment to making a positive impact while delivering an unforgettable congress.”
For the 2024 event, RANZCO has also put plans in place for an “unforgettable Welcome Reception”. Falling within Diwali celebrations, organisers are transforming the evening into a dazzling ‘festival of light’ at Adelaide Oval.
“Expect a feast for the senses with stunning visuals, captivating performances, and flavours that will make this event an absolute must-attend,” local convenors Dr Jo Black and Dr Matt Little say.
Many of these opportunities wouldn’t be possible without the location of this year’s congress: Adelaide. Renowned for its easy access, exceptional food, wine, and coffee, all set against the backdrop of a stunning city with incredible surroundings, it represents the ideal circuit breaker for ophthalmologists, as well as practice managers and orthoptists holding their own programs alongside the main congress.
“For those planning to turn congress into a mini-break, you couldn’t ask for a better destination,” Dr Black and Dr Little say.
“Plus, the alignment with congress and RANZCO values around health, wellbeing, and sustainability is spot on. Daily morning activities will make the most of the convention centre’s scenic surrounds, offering fresh air and sunshine.”
Speakers
Congress Opening Lecture
Tim Jarvis
An environmental scientist, adventurer, author, public speaker and film-maker, Jarvis will discuss retracing Sir Ernest Shackleton’s famous 1916 Antarctic journey. In 2013, he led a team of six using the same equipment, clothing and technology as Shackleton, sailing a replica lifeboat 1,500 kilometres before traversing a mountainous area, recreating what many, including Sir Edmund Hillary, regard as the greatest survival journey of all time. Jarvis will share lessons in leadership, problem solving, resilience, teamwork, motivation and goal setting. He will also share the importance of the type of leadership Shackleton stood for to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss today.
The Council Lecture
Prof Justine Smith
Prof Smith is a Distinguished Professor at Flinders University and consultant ophthalmologist at SALHN-Flinders Medical Centre. She heads a translational research program focused on basic mechanisms and clinical outcomes of different types of uveitis, and will leverage this expertise in her lecture, ‘Wide world of uveitis’. She served as editor-in-chief of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology from 2020 to 2023, and is a past-president and executive vice-president of ARVO.
The Dame Ida Mann Memorial Lecture
Prof Robyn Jamieson
As a Professor of Genomic Medicine at the University of Sydney, and head of the Eye Genetics Research Unit at Children’s Medical Research Institute, Prof Jamieson is well placed to discuss ‘precision medicine’ in ophthalmology. With retinal organoids – used to test therapies on – gene transfer, CRISPR/Cas and other types of DNA and RNA editing and modulating tools offering hope for people with previously untreatable blinding conditions, she will argue that a comprehensive and integrated approach across various parties will be key to reaping the benefits of this technology in a sustainable way.
The Fred Hollows Lecture
Dr Reeta Gurung
Dr Gurung will detail the important work of the organisation she leads today as CEO, Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (TIO), which implements the Nepal Eye Programme. Initial support from The Fred Hollows Foundation funded two ophthalmologists and a few paramedics to perform outreach work in 1992. Today, TIO has a central hospital with 40 ophthalmologists and three other secondary hospitals. The organisation has also set up a factory producing low cost, high quality IOLs. It has significantly lifted cataract surgery rates, and contributed to Nepal’s declining prevalence of blindness from 0.81% in 1980/81 to 0.3% in 2010.
Cataract Update Lecture
Prof Rosa Braga-Mele
A Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Toronto, Canada, Prof Braga-Mele is a cataract subspecialist and educator. Her talk will include emerging technologies in cataract diagnostics, phacoemulsification surgery and IOL development. It will also touch on innovative techniques for nuclear removal, and anterior chamber stabilisation during and at the end of cataract surgery and showcase techniques for challenging cases.
Glaucoma Update Lecture
Prof Jeffrey Goldberg
Prof Goldberg, chair of ophthalmology and director of the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University, will delve into the science of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) neurodegeneration and how this now points to multiple targets for biomarkers. He will also discuss the implications for treatments and new ways to promote RGC survival (neuroprotection) and function (neuroenhancement). In recent years, him and other have been transitioning these findings out of the lab, which he will outline at the congress.
Paediatrics Update Lecture
Elise Héon
After gaining access to the voretigene neparvovec, known as Luxturna in Australia, in 2023 in Canada, Dr Héon will cover lessons learned from the new world of gene therapy for inherited retinal disorders (IRDs). She is a clinician scientist and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Toronto and a staff paediatric ophthalmologist at The Hospital for Sick Children since 1996. Early experience with the therapy has prompted modifications in medical and surgical approaches, she says, noting that conversations with patients and families must highlight the known potential risks and benefits, the unknowns and expectations. Importantly, she says even a small improvement in rod function and retinal sensitivity has been life changing for patients.
Retina Update Lecture
Dr SriniVas Sadda
Focusing on metabolic and functional imaging of the retina, Dr Sadda will discuss the shortcomings of current imaging techniques, but how there’s hope with emerging technologies such as hyperspectral imaging, flavoprotein fluorescence, fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscopy, and new photoreceptor imaging capabilities with OCT. Dr Sadda, director of AI and imaging research at the Doheny Eye Institute and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of California – Los Angeles, says with the dawn of targeted pharmacotherapeutics and gene therapies, these advances will be particularly useful.
Sir Norman Gregg Lecture
Prof Stuart Macgregor
Professor Stuart MacGregor, head of the QIMR Berghofer Statistical Genetics Group in Brisbane, has been influential in developing a new saliva-based test to predict both disease risk and progression. It’s already in clinical use in Australia using polygenic risk scores (PRS). He will explore enabling more widespread use of PRS in eye disease, including barriers such as performance variations by genetic ancestry and recent efforts to develop more robust tests. He will also say more evidence is required to show the practical utility of PRS in preventing morbidity, and cover recent work on developing and validating PRS for risk of developing age-related macular degeneration and keratoconus.
Oculoplastic Update Lecture
Dr Raymond Douglas
Dr Douglas is a renowned oculoplastic surgeon in the US who completed a subspecialised fellowship in Orbital Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute. In addition to a private practice in Beverly Hills, Dr Douglas is the director of the Orbital and Thyroid Eye Disease program at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. In 2021 he also founded Thrive Health IV infusion centers to treat thyroid eye disease (TED) as well as research and clinical trials for TED and other rare ophthalmic diseases.
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