A team of researchers and educators from the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) will present multiple insights this coming week at the 2023 BCLA Clinical Conference. Spanning 11 lectures, paper presentations, and scientific posters, their findings and guidance will include topics such as myopia, dry eye, and contact lens comfort.

The 2023 BCLA Clinical Conference and Exhibition takes place from June 9-11. Nearly 1,000 attendees from around the world are expected to attend.

“CORE’s participation in the BCLA this year exemplifies how we collaborate with sponsors and peers to advance biosciences, clinical research and education—work that is not only intriguing, but has real application with practices and patients,” said Lyndon Jones, FBLCA, CORE’s director.

Myopia management has dominated conference proceedings of late, and it’s the same at this year’s BCLA. CORE Lead Clinical Scientist Debbie Jones, FBCLA, will moderate a panel discussion on managing a myopic patient’s contact lens journey, then present a paper on young adult acceptance of a dual focus soft contact lens.

CORE Head of Clinical Research Jill Woods, FBCLA, joins her to offer a hands-on, 90-minute workshop that will review multifunction instruments for myopia management. Posters on new software for ortho-k fitting success and visual performance of myopia control soft lenses will be presented by CORE Senior Clinical Scientist Doerte Luensmann and CORE Data, Statistics & Website Manager Sarah Guthrie, respectively.

Lyndon Jones is delivering six lectures across all three days, co-presenting with industry sponsors and academic peers on comfort opportunities, clinical myths, presbyopia, and lifestyle impact on the ocular surface. Alongside Professors Jennifer Craig and James Wolffsohn, he will demonstrate the new Dry Eye Wheel, developed in conjunction with the World Council of Optometry.

Dr. Jones will close out BCLA with a discussion of CORE’s fabrication of a microfluidic chip for drug delivery and ocular cytotoxicity evaluation—a breakthrough that attracted substantial attention at the recent ARVO meeting in New Orleans.

Source: Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE)

On Saturday, June 24^th, Fighting Blindness Canada’s Cycle for Sight event comes to Calgary for the city’s first-ever Walk for Sight edition in Alberta. This fundraising event supports vision research, bringing hope to 1.2 million Canadians living with vision loss. This year, the nationally hosted event is expected to raise over $500,000.

Walk for Sight Alberta kicks off from Confluence Park on St Patrick’s Island, where participants can enjoy a scenic, fully-supported 5km route around the island, returning to a finish line celebration with a delicious lunch and games for participants, their family, and their friends.

“To date, Cycle for Sight has raised $6.2 million, contributing directly to research that is transforming lives,” said Mirja Raita, Manager, Cycle for Sight and Walk for Sight. “Participants are not just helping their friends and family members impacted by vision loss, they’re helping as many as 8 million Canadians living with an eye condition that puts them at risk of blindness.”

Walk for Sight’s Alberta event is 1 of 5 Cycle for Sight events taking place across Canada. A virtual participation opportunity is also available for individuals to enjoy with an activity of their choice: walking, running, dancing, or simply moving in support of sight-saving research.

Register or sign-up to volunteer: cycleforsight.ca

Date: Saturday, June 24, 2023

Time:  8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (registration begins at 8 a.m., participants depart at 9 a.m.)

Route Details: 5km walk along the Bow River from Confluence Plaza just past Centre Street and back (2.5km each way).

Click HERE for the full press release.

Specsavers announces that it has become a Participating Gold Sponsor of the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB), whose mission is to improve the quality of life of people who are blind, deaf-blind or living with low vision through efforts that support individuals and communities.

“We at Specsavers are delighted to partner with the Canadian Council of the Blind, an organization that shares our values, to support their important work, and encourage Canadians to take care of their eye health,” said Bill Moir, Managing Director of Specsavers Canada.

CCB’s objectives include promoting measures for the conservation of sight and the prevention of blindness for all. Specsavers shares this objective, as demonstrated by its standard of care for patients and the use of advanced technology.

“We are thrilled to announce support from Specsavers as we advocate for better quality of life for those with vision loss,” said Jim Tokos, National President of the Canadian Council of the Blind. “Over 1.2 million Canadians are blind, deaf-blind or partially sighted, and the number of Canadians living with vision loss is growing every day. It is necessary that our community has the support of organizations with shared values, who are at the forefront of eye care and share our commitment to conserve sight for all.”

Source: Specsavers

EssilorLuxottica and Harvard Business Publishing, a subsidiary of Harvard University, are partnering to allow EssilorLuxottica’s employees, and tens of thousands of eye care professionals around the world to access curated business and leadership content developed by experts.

With a shared vision of elevating an industry through talent development and mastering emerging skills in a changing world, Leonardo is offering curated access to Harvard Business Publishing courses that will enhance both personal and professional skills.

The new selection, complementing the existing content on the Leonardo platform, will be available in a dedicated area divided into two main sections: Harvard ManageMentor and Harvard ManageMentor Spark.

Leonardo users will find in-depth skill building on three learning tracks from HarvardManageMentor:

• “Leading Yourself”: pave the way for personal and professional growth through a set of content that will help enhance the way we work.
• “Leading Others”: discover how effective leaders inspire trust and motivation in teammates, define and communicate a clear vision, and lead inclusively and without authority.
• “Leading the Business”: build a unique set of professional skills to drive the change and growth throughout the entire company.

Each course offers certificates and badges upon completion that learners can share on their social channels.

With Harvard ManageMentor Spark, Leonardo will provide a customizable experience for learning in the flow of work:

• +22,000 articles from the Harvard Business Review
• +1,500 videos
• +1,600 podcasts
• +700 case studies

and more.

“Since its launch, Leonardo has delivered almost four million hours of education earning the reputation as a leading destination for learning across our industry. (…) Our partnership with Harvard Business Publishing is a natural step, bringing content from one of the most trusted sources in the business world into our fold,” said Alessandra Senici, Head of Leonardo at EssilorLuxottica.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with EssilorLuxottica, for this significant learning endeavor and in-support to lead the industry into a bright and prosperous future. Our partnership aims to equip leaders at all levels within EssilorLuxottica with the essential skills required to navigate the challenges of today and tomorrow. Harvard Business Publishing will provide fresh perspectives, knowledge and best-in-class learning opportunities to Leonardo’s users, empowering, inspiring, and preparing them for success in an increasingly complex future,” said Ian Fanton, Executive Vice President, Corporate Learning, Harvard Business Publishing.

Leonardo is EssilorLuxottica’s digital learning platform that provides a variety of educational content to its community and the eyewear industry.

The Harvard curated section of Leonardo can be accessed by eye are professionals by clicking here.

Click HERE for the full press release.