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March 20, 2020May 19, 2026

Seneca College Hosts Annual Trade & Fashion Show

Seneca College, in Toronto, one of Canada’s largest Opticianry Colleges, was proud to host its annual Trade show. The Trade show was created to engage students to strengthen their connection with the profession, to introduce students to new products and technologies, as well as to network with the industry’s professionals.

The Optical trade show welcomed 49 vendors who showcased their products and services to 160 opticianry students. Seneca Alumni where also invited to connect with the students. The goal of the tradeshow was to strengthen the link between education and the field of practice.

A fashion show organized by eyewear stylist and optician, Wendy Buchanan with the support of high-end fashion retailer HOLT RENFREW, featured SENECA opticianry students showcasing curated frames and sunglasses complementing seasonal fashions.

Makeup and hair were designed by Seneca College’s makeup and beauty department.

Optik Magazine attended the show as an exhibitor and provided a digital gift certificate to four lucky winners. Congrats to:

Kayondra Fagan

Pavithra Nahenthiran

Anamaria Gaina

Kirn Rashid

March 20, 2020May 19, 2026

HOYA Vision Care Canada Launches Online Marketing Platform

HOYA Vision Care Canada announces the launch of their NEW online marketing portal HoyaPlus.ca, which will host the spring ‘Lenses for Life’ campaign with a manual participation option also available.

This celebrates the launch of Hoya’s newest anti-reflective coating Super HiVision EX3+ which is now even easier to clean than its predecessor EX3, and one of the industry’s most innovative optical advancements available on the market today; “Binocular Harmonization Technology – BHT.”

HOYA’s patented Binocular Harmonization Technology (BHT) considers the prescription for the right and left eyes as individual components to calculate the optimal binocular lens performance. BHT lenses are at the forefront of the “Lenses for Life” campaign combined with other premium lenses and treatments including EX3+. HoyaPlus.ca rewards participants for incremental growth on featured products and tracks all eligible purchases through the site. Reward points can be redeemed on demand through the portal for gift cards from over 50 different vendors!

“HOYA’s “Lenses for Life” campaign is yet another example of the revolutionary developments that we are introducing to give our partners the tools to be successful. As the Ally of the Independent, HOYA strives to give you competitive advantages in the marketplace for the lenses you choose to order,” said Ahmos Henry, President of HOYA Vision Care Canada.

“Lenses for Life” will run through August 31^st, 2020.

Click HERE for the full press release.

March 18, 2020March 18, 2020

COO Recommends Optometry Offices Suspend Non-Urgent Care

As of Monday, March 16^th, The College of Optometrists of Ontario, in consultation with the Ontario Ministry of Health, recommended that all optometry offices suspend all non-urgent care for the next two weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ocular emergencies include the following:

1. Sudden onset of flashes and floaters with veils or curtains in vision

2. Recent foreign body or trauma to the eye

3. Persisting pain or sudden onset painful red eye or red eye with severe discharge

4. Acute vision loss or decrease in vision

5. Sudden onset vision loss

6. Sudden onset diplopia (double vision)

For full details on the College’s recommendations, click HERE

Click HERE for the College’s COVID-19 FAQ for Optometrists

March 18, 2020March 16, 2020

CooperVision Seeks Proposals for Science and Technology Awards

CooperVision is now accepting submissions for its 2020 Science and Technology Awards program, with a focus on novel research concepts to address myopia and presbyopia. The program fosters partnerships between recipients and CooperVision scientists to explore new dimensions in vision care, with the goal of translating innovative ideas into practical solutions.

Over its history, the program has made 14 grants totaling $2 million to investigate matters such as ocular surface health, contact lens discomfort, contact lens functionality, and retinal response to optical defocus.

In 2020, submissions will be considered for the following subjects:

Strategies and interventions to slow myopia progression, with an emphasis on new technologies for treatment and management; effective solutions for fast progressors; understanding environmental factors that may initiate and prolong progression; and intelligent systems and data approaches for identifying at-risk eyes.

Technologies to enhance the optical functionality of contact lenses for the correction of presbyopia.

Proposals may span proof-of-concept through translational stages and are eligible for two types of awards. The CooperVision Seedling Award is intended for investigation of early stage concepts for a one-year period, with a maximum grant of $100,000. The CooperVision Translational Research Award is a two-year grant for substantive projects with funding up to $400,000. It is intended to incentivize collaboration with CooperVision in new research areas.

CooperVision Science and Technology Awards are open to any researcher with principal investigator (PI) status holding an OD, MD, PhD or equivalent degree. Applicants such as postdoctoral fellows with a waiver of PI status must submit appropriate documentation before funding can be disbursed.

Interested applicants must submit a letter of intent before May 31, 2020. If a letter is accepted, an applicant will be invited to submit a full proposal.

Additional information and the online application are available at https://coopervision.com/our-company/science-and-technology-awards.

Source: CooperVision

March 18, 2020February 28, 2020

Researchers at Yale Have Pinpointed Cells That Are Linked to Macular Degeneration

Researchers have found the cells linked to the leading cause of blindness in elderly.

In the Oct. 25 issue of the journal Nature Communications, Yale researchers reported that glial cells, also called support cells and vasculature cells, which supply blood to the retina as well as cone cells, contribute to macular degeneration.

Genome-wide studies have identified almost three dozen genes that play a role in the disease, but the exact location where they inflict damage had remained unknown until now.

The Yale/Harvard/MIT team used new single-cell sequencing to generate the first comprehensive human retinal atlas. They used data analysis technology to localize their effects to specific cell types associated with the disease.

This new information can help find treatments for macular degeneration in the future. “This study helps pinpoint cell types that can be investigated closely to develop new types of therapeutics,” said co-senior author Brian Hafler, assistant professor of ophthalmology and visual science and of pathology at Yale.

While age is the most significant risk factor for developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), other risk factors such as heredity, blue eyes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and smoking have also been identified. AMD accounts for 90% of new cases of legal blindness in Canada.

While current treatments of both the dry and wet form of macular degeneration of injections, photodynamic therapy and vitamin supplements can provide some benefits, there can be continued progressive vision loss even with treatment. There is still a gap for effective treatments for the largely affected population. The identification of these risk cells provides possible points of interest for new therapies to improve and restore vision in AMD patients.

References:

http://.news.yale.edu/2019/10/24/yale-researchers-find-cells-linked-leading-cause-blindness-elderly

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-12780-8

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

Seneca College Hosts Annual Trade & Fashion Show

HOYA Vision Care Canada Launches Online Marketing Platform

COO Recommends Optometry Offices Suspend Non-Urgent Care

CooperVision Seeks Proposals for Science and Technology Awards

Researchers at Yale Have Pinpointed Cells That Are Linked to Macular Degeneration

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