Speakers 2023

Prof. Renato Ambrósio Jr

Prof. Renato Ambrósio Jr

Brazil

Renato Ambrósio Jr, MD, PhD is Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology at the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), also in private practice. He is also affiliated to the post-graduation program for the Federal University of São Paulo (stricto sensu) and (lato sensu) to the Pontifical Catholic University in Rio de Janeiro and Brazilian Society of Ophthalmology. Prof. Ambrósio founded the Rio de Janeiro Corneal Tomography and Biomechanics Study Group in 2008 and co-founded the BrAIn (Brazilian Study Group of Artificial Intelligence and Corneal Analysis) in 2010. Major interests are customized laser vision correction, imaging for early detection of corneal ectasia using artificial intelligence, and alternative treatments for ectatic corneal diseases prior to keratoplasty.

Professor Ambrósio is the current president of the ISRS (International Society of Refractive Surgery – 2020-22).

Prof. Shady Awwad

Prof. Shady Awwad

Lebanon

Shady Awwad obtained his medical degree with the Alpha Omega Alpha award, completed an internship in general surgery, and a residency in ophthalmology (1999-2002) all at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC). He then pursued a double fellowship in corneal diseases and surgery and refractive surgery (LASIK, PRK, Corrective lens implantation) (2002-2006) and a fellowship in ophthalmic pathology (2005-2006), all at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. He is currently an associate professor, director of the laser refractive surgery center, and the head of the cornea and refractive surgery division at AUBMC. He is recipient of the American Academy of Ophthalmology achievement award.

Prof. Michael Belin

Prof. Michael Belin

USA

Dr. Belin attended Northwestern University (Evanston, Il) where he majored in Bio-Medical Engineering and received his medical degree from Rutgers Medical School.  He completed his internship and residency at the Albany Medical College and fellowship in Cornea and External Diseases at the University of Iowa.  He subsequently completed (by invitation) a traveling fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeon of England Foundation.  Dr. Belin is Professor of Ophthalmology & Vision Science at the University of Arizona Department of Ophthalmology and Southern Arizona Veterans Administration Health Care System (Tucson, Arizona).  He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Albany Medical College (Albany, New York) and the University of Ottawa (Ottawa, Canada).  Dr. Belin holds an honorary Professorship at the Military Hospital #1, Shenyang, China.

 

Dr. Belin is a Past-President of the Cornea Society (2006-8) and Vice-President for International Development (2008-15).  He is a Fellow of the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Ophthalmology.  He served on the Board of Directors, the Medical Advisory Board and the Executive Committee of the Eye Bank Association of America.  Michael is Chair of the American University Professors of Ophthalmology’s Fellowship Compliance Committee (AUPO-FCC).  Dr. Belin is a past recipient of the AAO Honor Award, Senior Honor Award, Academy Service Award, the Achievement Award (x2) and the AAO Life Time Achievement Award.  He has published over 160 peer-reviewed articles and has presented over 300 papers at major national or international meetings.

Dr. Efekan Coskunseven

Dr. Efekan Coskunseven

Turkey

Dr Efekan Coskunseven was born in 1968 in Nazilli, Turkey. He graduated from Medical School of Ege University and specialized in Ophthalmology in the Medical School of Dicle University. Dr Coskunseven is the Director of Refractive Surgery Department in Dunya Eye Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey since 2003.

Prof. Farhad Hafezi

Prof. Farhad Hafezi

Switzerland

Farhad Hafezi, MD PhD FARVO, is a professor of ophthalmology, anterior segment surgeon, and ocular cell biologist.

Farhad completed his medical studies at the University of Bern 1992 and then in 1993 transitioned to the University of Zurich. In 2011, Farhad conducted a fellowship in oculplastics and lids at the Rotterdam Eye Hospital and then co-founded the famous IROC AG (Zurich, Switzerland) in 2002.

From 2005-2008, Farhad completed his PhD at Erasmus University Rotterdam on the management of complications of refractive surgery while maintaining his clinical position at IROC. In 2010, Farhad became chairman of ophthalmology at the University of Geneva and director of the Geneva University Hospital Eye Clinic. In 2014, Farhad founded the ELZA Institute AG (Zurich, Switzerland), where now works clinically.

Academically, Farhad remains a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Geneva, University of Southern California and Wenzhou Medical University in China. Farhad is the group leader of the Ocular Cell Biology Laboratory at the University of Zurich.

In 2014, 2016 and 2018, he has been voted by his peers onto the biennial PowerList100, a list of the 100 most influential people in ophthalmology.

Combing patient care, research & development, and teaching, Hafezi is a pioneer and key opinion leader of corneal cross-linking (CXL).

Farhad is dedicated to humanitarian work dedicated to helping children with keratoconus by serving as an active board member of the Light for Sight Foundation. Farhad also serves on a number of industrial advisory boards, including EMAGine AG (Zug, Switzerland) that is dedicated to bringing access to CXL technology to all.

Country:Switzerland

Dr. Robert Herber

Dr. Robert Herber

Germany
Dr. Pooja Khamar

Dr. Pooja Khamar

India
Dr. Sabine Kling

Dr. Sabine Kling

Switzerland
Prof. Boris Knyazer

Prof. Boris Knyazer

Israel

Knyazer Boris was born in Russia in 1972 and emigrated to Israel in 1990. He received his B.Sc. and MD degrees in 2005 at Irwin Goldman Medical School, Beer-Sheva, Israel. After graduation he finished his residency in ophthalmology at Ophthalmology Department, Soroka University Medical Center. In 2013-14 Dr. Knyazer completed his cornea, cataract and refractive fellowship at Apollo hospital, Hyderabad, India under mentorship of Dr. Rajesh Fogla. Today Dr. Knyazer works as senior ophthalmologist and cornea and cataract surgeon at Soroka University Medical Center and as refractive surgeon at ophthalmology center Sheva Einaim in Beer-Sheva. Dr.
Knyazer’s research interest include: Keratoconus, CXL, PACK-CXL and infectious keratitis, hormonal changes and cornea biomechanics. He is former lecturer at Ben-Gurion University in the Negev, Israel.

Prof. John Marshall

Prof. John Marshall

UK
Prof. Cosimo Mazzotta

Prof. Cosimo Mazzotta

Italy
Graduated from Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at University of Siena, Italy, Medical School in 1997.  He had a Specialist diploma in Ophthalmology in 2001 at University of Siena, Italy. In 2006, he received his PhD in Ocular Pathology and Oncology at University of Siena. Assistant Professor of Corneal Pathology and Surgery at Post-Graduate Ophthalmology School, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Siena, Italy and gained the Italian National University Professional Qualification as Associate Professor of Ophthalmology. He is Chief of the cataract surgery service at the Ophthalmology Departmental Unit of Alta Val d’ Elsa Hospital, Siena and Casentino Hospital, Arezzo, Italy.
Head and Founder of the “ Siena International Crosslinking Centre”, Italy.
In 2004 he introduced the corneal Crosslinking therapy in Italy and invented the VEGA CBM UV-A X-linker for the cross-linking procedure being Awarded from the Italian Society of Ophthalmology (S.O.I.) for the “ Best Italian Research Project” in the field of Keratoconus conservative therapy: the “ Siena Eye Cross Project 2004”.  He published a lot of “ milestones” Peer Reviewed Papers performing the first World confocal microscopy studies in vivo in humans after CXL and a lot of basic and advanced clinical researches and surgical techniques in the field of Keratoconus pathophysiology, pulsed light and accelerated cross-linking. International opinion leader of CXL in the Crosslinking Therapy, he was awarded at the last ESCRS 2019 in Paris with the Joseph Colin Prize for Keratoconus and standardized CXL ” M nomogram“.
Prof. J. Bradley Randleman

Prof. J. Bradley Randleman

USA

J. Bradley Randleman, MD received his BA degree from Columbia University in New York City, his M.D. degree from Texas Tech University School of Medicine in Lubbock, Texas, where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society in his junior year, followed by his Ophthalmology residency and Cornea and Refractive Surgery Fellowship at Emory University. Dr. Randleman is joining the USC Roski Eye Institute from the Emory Eye Center in Atlanta Georgia, where he was the John H. and Helen S. Hughes Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of the Cornea, External Disease, & Refractive Surgery Section.

A widely respected cornea specialist, his areas of expertise include: corneal and intraocular refractive surgical procedures including LASIK and premium laser-assisted cataract and IOL surgery, complicated cataract surgery, and the management of keratoconus and other corneal ectatic disorders. His primary research focuses on identification and management of corneal ectatic diseases including keratoconus and postoperative ectasia after LASIK, and the avoidance, diagnosis, and management of refractive surgical complications.

 

Dr. Miguel Rechichi

Dr. Miguel Rechichi

Italy

Founder and CEO, Studio oculistico Dr Miguel Rechichi

Prof. Walter Sekundo

Prof. Walter Sekundo

Prof. Rohit Shetty

Prof. Rohit Shetty

India
Dr. Rohit Shetty is the Vice Chairman of Narayana Nethralaya Eye Institute. He is a Professor at Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, India and an Adjunct Associate Professor at MS Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore. Dr. Rohit is an Affiliate Associate Professor and PhD guide at the Maastricht University in The Netherlands.Dr. Shetty has over 150 publications in peer reviewed indexed journals. He is a corneal and refractive surgeon at Narayana Nethralaya Eye Institute, Bangalore, India. His other areas of work include neuro-ophthalmology and electrophysiology. Dr. Rohit defended his PhD from Maastricht University, Netherlands on Understanding the Clinical, Immunological and Genetic Molecular Mechanism of Keratoconus. He has a special interest in the management of keratoconus, tear film abnormalities and biomarkers. He has introduced cutting edge technology at Narayana Nethralaya and spearheads treatment for challenging eye disorders.

In the 2015 annual conference of the All India Ophthalmological Society, Dr. Rohit won the prestigious Col. Rangachari award for the overall best paper of the conference for his work on “Is Inflammation Driving Keratoconus? – A Holistic Study Of Molecular Pathways”. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recently conferred an achievement award to Dr. Rohit Shetty for the distinguished services he has rendered over the years to the programs of the society.

Dr. Emilio Torres-Netto

Dr. Emilio Torres-Netto

Switzerland

Emilio A. Torres-Netto MD PhD is a cornea, cataract and refractive surgeon trained in Brazil, USA, France and Switzerland, who is engaged in the development of innovative approaches for keratoconus, cross-linking and refractive surgeries at the ELZA Institute and University of Zurich. His training has taken place at the following organisations: Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA; Federal University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; Medical Faculty Santa Casa Sao Paulo, Brazil; Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild, Paris, France; University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland; University of Zurich, Switzerland; University of Geneva, Switzerland; and ELZA Institute, Switzerland.

He has received 16 national and international Awards from the largest societies in ophthalmology and was named among the 50 global key opinion leaders in ophthalmology by Media Mice in 2021.

After an unanimous decision, in 2018, he was chosen as the inaugural World Winner of the International Council of Ophthalmology Award for his work in corneal biomechanics, keratoconus and cross-linking. In 2022 he had the honour of being awarded with the José Ignácio Barraquer Medal by BRASCRS, for his work and contribution to the cornea and refractive surgery field.

Dr. Torres-Netto is the author of around 40 articles in peer-review journals, 30 publications/interviews in trade-journals and 10 book chapters. He is reviewer of multiple international peer-reviewed journals in the area of cornea, cataract and refractive surgery, and serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Refractive Surgery Case Reports and the Oftalmologia em Focus Magazine. Additionally, has been appointed as an International Member and Ambassador of the International Society of Refractive Surgery, affiliated to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

He has participated in more than 200 national and international congresses and has delivered over 200 presentations worldwide.  

Prof. Paolo Vinciguerra

Prof. Paolo Vinciguerra

Italy

Appointed by the Italian Consiglio Superiore di Sanità ( Board of the Ministry of Health) as an expert(2003). Paolo Vinciguerra is the coordinator of “Cornea and Refractive Surgery” Master of Italian Swiss University- Lugano (since 2012).

As a member of numerous Italian and international scientific societies, throughout his professional career Paolo Vinciguerra has been a member of many boards of directors of ophthalmologic societies .

Committee and member of Award SOI committee for the Italian Ophthalmology Society. He has been an Honorary Member of the Italian Ophthalmology Society (since 1995) and an Honorary Member of the Italian Society for Corneal Transplants (SITRAC) since 2004.

He has been a member of the International Council of the International Society of Refractive Surgery-American Academy (ISRS-AAO) since 2004.

Winner of many Italian and international awards (5 Italian Awards and 7 International awards), He received Special Recognition for his outstanding scientific contribution to Refractive Surgery from the International Society of Refractive Surgery-USA in 1988 and the Achievement Award Certificate in 2003 from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. In 2005, he received the “Lans Lecture” award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology -ISRS for his scientific contribution to ophthalmology since the beginning of his career and Waring Medal from Slack Incorporated (2011).

As a pioneer of refractive surgery working with scientific institutes and ophthalmology companies engaged in development and research into technological innovations (as Nidek International Co,LTD since 2002,Oculus since 2010, Schwind Germany since 2010), he has filed numerous patents in both Europe and the rest of the world .  In particular, his research and publications have led to the development of the cross cylinder procedure for correcting astigmatism, study of the ablative profile in the transitional zone for excimer laser photoablation, a new system for correcting systemic photoablation errors by topographic and aberrometer measurement of an artificial test eye, development and computerised analysis system for corneal stroma in confocal microscopy using fractal calculation (5 International Patents).  Other patent applications are currently pending.

Dr. Riccardo Vinciguerra

Dr. Riccardo Vinciguerra

Italy

Dr Riccardo Vinciguerra is currently working as an ophthalmologist and Scientific responsible at the Humanitas San Pio X Hospital, Milan, as well as a research collaborator at Biomechanical Engineering Group, University of Liverpool, UK. Despite his young age, he is a very well-known international researcher with various peer-reviewed publications mainly in the field of corneal biomechanics, refractive surgery, corneal collagen cross-linking and corneal transplants.

He has completed his medical school in the Università degli Studi di Milano in 2011. He then graduated from the Brescia-Insubria University as a Specialist in Ophthalmology and completed a Glaucoma Clinical fellowship and a Cornea Clinical Fellowship at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom. He worked then as a Cornea Consultant at the Birmingham and Midland Eye Center, Birmingham, UK. The article “Detection of Keratoconus With a New Biomechanical index” published in the Journal of Refractive Surgery earned him the prestigious Troutman Prize in 2017.

Dr. Vinciguerra is the author of 70 original scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and received 5 prizes and awards. His work has been cited more than 1100 times with an h-index of 16.