Dr. Nichols is also an internationally recognized clinician-scientist with long-standing track record of research development, oversight, and scientific discovery. He has over 180 publications and an h-index of 50.

He maintains an ocular surface research group with full scale capabilities for conducting clinical and basic research receiving funding from the National Eye Institute (NEI).

His research unit employs state-of-the art facilities and equipment for the study of dry eye, meibomian gland disease, and pharmaceutical and medical device development and testing.

He has served on numerous medical/advisory boards and boards of directors. His awards include three Ezell Fellowships, the Korb award, the Borish and Max Schapero Awards, the Fry Medal and Westheimer lecturer, and he is a Distinguished Scholar and Fellow of the National Academies of Practice. Lastly, he is editor-in-chief of Contact Lens Spectrum, the world's leading journal on contact lenses.

Professor, Chief Physician of Ophthalmology, Doctoral Supervisor and Director of Department of Refraction and Myopia Control, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center (ZOC)，Sun Yat-Sen University

Prof. Yang is currently the deputy leader of Optometry and Vision Science Group, Ophthalmology Branch, and Chinese Medical Society. Her research interests include orthokeratology, myopia control, and pediatrics ophthalmology. Yang has obtained more than 20 research funds on projects and has been published in professional journals in these fields. Prof. Yang is a fellow of the International Association of Contact lens educators (FIACLE), a fellow of the International Academic Orthokeratology and Myopia Control (FIAOMC ), and the Fellowship Chair, Asia Section of IAOMC.

Dr Thomas Lam completed his undergraduate training with first-class honours in Optometry from PolyU. He was awarded a PhD scholarship to pursue his study on proteomics and animal myopia. He is among the first to pursue global retinal protein profiling and novel protein regulations in the chick myopia model using a mass spectrometry approach. Dr Lam started his academic career in 2008 as a Lecturer in the School of Optometry in PolyU and obtained his first competitive research grant from the RGC in the following year. In 2010, he relocated to Singapore and helped establish the first BSc Optometry degree programme offered by the University of Manchester (UK). He returned to Hong Kong in 2012 and he is currently an Associate Professor of the School of Optometry and serves as Director of PolyU Shenzhen centralized animal facility and Associate Director of PolyU centralized animal facility.

Dr Lam has a good mix of academic and clinical experience. He obtained his fellowship of the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO) in 2009. He has more than 15 years experience in clinical supervision in various optometry clinics locally and overseas. He also actively serves in the profession as an editorial board member of international journals, an organizing committee member of international conferences, a councilor of The Hong Kong Society of Professional Optometrists (HKSPO), and a member of The Optometrists Board of Hong Kong, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. He is currently a PI of Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR), HK Science Park, Research Centre for SHARP Vision, PolyU, Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation (RCMI), PolyU and Shenzhen Research Institute, PolyU.

Lyndon Jones is a Professor at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, University Professor and Director of the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) at the University of Waterloo. His research interests primarily focus on the interaction of novel and existing contact lens materials with the ocular environment, dry eye and the development of novel materials for ocular drug delivery. He has authored over 500 refereed and professional papers, one text-book and given over 1200 invited lectures at conferences worldwide, in over 40 countries.

Dr Alex Ng is a specialist in Ophthalmology at the Hong Kong Ophthalmic Associates (private practice). His research interests involved cataract surgery, refractive surgery, dry eye disease management and children myopia control. He has over 80 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has delivered over 70 invited talks and instruction courses in both local and international ophthalmology conferences.

He was awarded the Asia Cornea Society Santen Asia Educational Observership Grant Award in 2016, the Distinguished Young Fellow Award of the College of Ophthalmologists of Hong Kong in 2016, the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) & Singapore Society of Ophthalmology Young Ophthalmologist Award in 2017, the APAO Achievement Award in 2019, and the Japanese Ophthalmological Society (JOS) International Young Investigator Award in 2020. He is also an alumni of the APAO Leadership Development Program (class 2020-21).

Dr Ng currently serves as the honorary secretary at the Hong Kong Ophthalmological Society, editor of the Hong Kong Journal of Ophthalmology, visiting consultant of the Lifeline Express and Associate Ophthalmologist at Orbis.

Noel A. Brennan, MScOptom, PhD, FAAO, is an internationally recognized scientist, author, inventor, and educator. Currently, a research fellow at Johnson & Johnson, he formerly served on the academic staff at the University of Melbourne and was a visiting scholar at Stanford University's Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, courtesy of a Senior Fulbright scholarship, before directing an eponymous boutique research consulting firm for a number of years. A recognized expert in the field of contact lenses, he now devotes his time to unraveling the mysteries of myopia through optical design, experimentation, data collation, and modeling. He is the designer of the Abiliti 1-Day Soft Therapeutic Lenses for Myopia Management, a named inventor on over 25 US patents, and is coauthor of over 400 papers, including peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts, refereed conference abstracts, educational articles, and industry reports.

Ms Gigi Yee graduated from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Optometry in 2011. After completing a two- year residency program specialized in contact lens, anterior eye and refractive technology, she joined the School of Optometry in Hong Kong Polytechnic University as Clinical Optometrist. Later on she obtained the Master of Science in Optometry with distinction in 2015. She is a fellow of the British Contact Lens Association.

Ms Yee's clinical interests include anterior eye and specialty contact lens such as orthokeratology and scleral lens. She is experienced in local and international conference presentation related to specialty lens fitting, including workshops and invited sharing. She actively participates in clinical teaching for undergraduate and continuing education courses. She is one of the mentors in the Optometry residency program specialized in Anterior Eye and Specialty Contact Lenses, and Myopia management.

Mr. Jimmy Tse graduated from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) with a BSc (Hons) in Optometry. After completing a two-year residency programme specializing in contact lens and anterior segment disease, he obtained his fellowship from the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO) and the fellowship from the British Contact Lens Association (FBCLA). Also, he later completed his Master of Science in Optometry degree with distinction from PolyU and was included on the Dean’s Honours List. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor of Practice at the School of Optometry and the team leader of the Specialty Contact Lens and Dry Eye Management team at the Optometry Clinic.

Mr. Tse's clinical interests include ocular surface disease management and specialty contact lens fitting. He is actively involved in didactic and clinical teaching in both undergraduate and continuing education programs. Additionally, he serves as a mentor in the residency programme, specializing in anterior eye disease and specialty contact lenses.

Biography

Anna graduated as an optometrist from Aston University, UK and worked in practice for several years before moving to Visioncare Research Ltd. She joined Hydron R&D in 1997 as International Clinical Manager, and then Johnson and Johnson Vision Care in 2000 where she was UK Professional Affairs Manager until 2004. After a few years dividing her time between private practice, medical writing, research and consultancy to the contact lens industry, Anna worked at Johnson and Johnson Vision from 2009 until 2018 in Global Medical Affairs. Anna joined CooperVision in 2019 as Director of Global Medical Affairs. She is Past President and Fellow of the British Contact Lens Association, and Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. Anna has presented on contact lens and anterior eye related topics around the globe, and authored numerous publications, including being part of the teams that reviewed, synthesised and summarised evidence on contact lenses to develop the BCLA CLEAR™ (Continued Learning Evidence‐based Academic Report) global consensus publications, including the paper on presbyopia and multifocal contact lenses in 2024. She serves as a reviewer for several key vision science, anterior eye and contact lens peer-reviewed journals.

Abstract

It is estimated that around 2 billion people struggle with presbyopia globally, and while research shows that soft multifocal contact lenses (MFCLs) perform well, the number of presbyopes being prescribed them is relatively low. Concerns from eye care professionals include chair time and fit success rates, although it is known that in addition to improving patients’ vision and quality of life, MFCLs can also help to build a practice.

This presentation will demonstrate how CooperVision’s Binocular Progressive System™ found in MyDay® multifocal, and now clariti® 1 day multifocal, meets the needs commonly identified by eye care professionals and their presbyopic patients: excellent vision, comfort and health. Leveraging expertise in optical design and successful prescribing practices, the daily disposable, silicone hydrogel, MFCLs feature the innovative 3-add approach that caters to all levels of presbyopia with effective, simple fitting, optimal visual acuity at all distances, and comfortable wear.

Additionally, findings from recent publications will highlight that meeting presbyopes’ vision needs is strongly correlated with wanting to wear MFCLs and is more important than comfort needs, and that overall vision satisfaction on dispensing is a good indicator of vision satisfaction and intention to purchase after 1 week of wear to help indicate the likeliness of success.

Biography

Dr Thomas Lam completed his undergraduate training with first-class honours in Optometry from PolyU. He was awarded a PhD scholarship to pursue his study on proteomics and animal myopia. He is among the first to pursue global retinal protein profiling and novel protein regulations in the chick myopia model using a mass spectrometry approach. Dr Lam started his academic career in 2008 as a Lecturer in the School of Optometry in PolyU and obtained his first competitive research grant from the RGC in the following year. In 2010, he relocated to Singapore and helped establish the first BSc Optometry degree programme offered by the University of Manchester (UK). He returned to Hong Kong in 2012 and he is currently an Associate Professor of the School of Optometry and serves as Director of PolyU Shenzhen centralized animal facility and Associate Director of PolyU centralized animal facility.

Dr Lam has a good mix of academic and clinical experience. He obtained his fellowship of the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO) in 2009. He has more than 15 years experience in clinical supervision in various optometry clinics locally and overseas. He also actively serves in the profession as an editorial board member of international journals, an organizing committee member of international conferences, a councilor of The Hong Kong Society of Professional Optometrists (HKSPO), and a member of The Optometrists Board of Hong Kong, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. He is currently a PI of Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR), HK Science Park, Research Centre for SHARP Vision, PolyU, Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation (RCMI), PolyU and Shenzhen Research Institute, PolyU.

Abstract

Dry eye disease (DED) presents substantial challenges in clinical diagnosis and management, impacting individuals of all age groups, with a notable prevalence among Asian patients. This presentation will provide an overview of our recent clinical findings regarding the prevalence of DED in the local population, highlighting the urgent need for effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Additionally, we will elucidate our novel approach in developing a tear proteomics strategy utilizing label-free mass spectrometry to evaluate the human tear proteome. By employing tear samples from our DED clinical study, alongside corneal cell cultures, we were able to identify potential new biomarkers and gain new insights into the mechanism of DED. This non-invasive tear proteomics technique has proven instrumental in assessing treatment outcomes in DED eyedrop therapy, safety concerns associated with orthokeratology lens wear, and facilitating disease detection in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Our findings underscore the critical role of integrating advanced molecular techniques to tackle clinical challenges related to dry eye and other ocular conditions. In addition, challenges and future perspectives for translational research in developing molecular biomarkers for clinical application will be discussed.

Biography

Luke obtained his Bachelor of Optometry degree from the University of New South Wales, Australia and has over 35 years’ experience in the profession. Luke leads the Medical Affairs function for Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Asia Pacific, responsible for the scientific evidence strategy in the Asia Pacific region.

Luke is Vice President of Optometry Australia, New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory division and has held a range of senior optometric leadership and management positions throughout his career, including 4 years as President of Optometry Australia, New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory, 8 years as a member of the Optometry Registration Board of Western Australia and 13 years as National Chairman of Optometry Aid Overseas..

Luke is a passionate proponent of the use of evidence-based data in optometric practice and presents extensively on contact lenses and contact lens practice.

Abstract

Optometry is a collegial profession. Eye care professionals (ECPs) are influenced by the professional judgement of their peers in ensuring they deliver the most advanced standards of patient care. An independent research agency conducted a series of surveys that investigated accepted professional beliefs of eye care professionals (ECPs) from around the world, in relation to contact lens practice.

More than 1000 ECPs were surveyed across 6 markets (US, UK, Japan, China, South Korea, Brazil) to gain insights on key perceptions.

Although many ECPs beliefs align with expectations based on current evidence, there are misconceptions in a number of areas of optometric practice. We will present the accepted professional beliefs in relation to; the role of oxygen transmissibility related to contact lens comfort and multifocal contact lens fitting. We will also provide an analysis of the evidence to provide guidance for best practice on these aspects of contact lens practice.

Biography

Lyndon Jones is a Professor at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, University Professor and Director of the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) at the University of Waterloo. His research interests primarily focus on the interaction of novel and existing contact lens materials with the ocular environment, dry eye and the development of novel materials for ocular drug delivery. He has authored over 500 refereed and professional papers, one text-book and given over 1200 invited lectures at conferences worldwide, in over 40 countries.

Abstract

The recent TFOS Lifestyle reports provide a comprehensive review of how the health of the ocular surface may be impacted by how our lives are lived. The lifestyle choices made by patients can impact the health of the ocular surface and the challenges posed by a wide variety of factors such as cosmetics, nutrition, medications, digital devices and the wearing of contact lenses are all described in detail.

This evidence-based review will concentrate on how two of these factors (contact lens wear and the digital environment) can stress the ocular surface and result in patients seeking advice from their eyecare practitioner. It will review the impact of digital devices on the ocular surface and how these changes can impact the performance of contact lenses. Methods to optimise comfort and visual performance in soft lens wearers who use digital devices will be discussed, with an emphasis on the use of appropriate lens materials, frequency of replacement and optimal correction of astigmatism.

Biography

Noel A. Brennan, MScOptom, PhD, FAAO, is an internationally recognized scientist, author, inventor, and educator. Currently, a research fellow at Johnson & Johnson, he formerly served on the academic staff at the University of Melbourne and was a visiting scholar at Stanford University's Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, courtesy of a Senior Fulbright scholarship, before directing an eponymous boutique research consulting firm for a number of years. A recognized expert in the field of contact lenses, he now devotes his time to unraveling the mysteries of myopia through optical design, experimentation, data collation, and modeling. He is the designer of the Abiliti 1-Day Soft Therapeutic Lenses for Myopia Management, a named inventor on over 25 US patents, and is coauthor of over 400 papers, including peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts, refereed conference abstracts, educational articles, and industry reports.

Abstract

Myopia management can be confusing for clinicians. Which treatment is best? How does a practitioner compare the different treatments? Are quoted percentage values really meaningful? We have been on a quest for nearly decade to lay out an evidence-based approach to understanding these questions. The following elements have been built over this time to generate a comprehensive interpretation: axial length is the preferred metric for assessing progression; efficacy follows a pattern of absolute rather than percentage reduction in progression; there is an initial ‘boost’ of efficacy during the first year; 3-year efficacy is reliably double 1-year efficacy; there is a 15% reduction per annum in axial elongation in untreated myopes, and also in treated myopes after the first year of treatment. Combining these details leads us to predict that 6-year efficacy will be triple 1-year efficacy (expressed as mm reduction in axial elongation) and 12 years of a treatment would result in quadruple the 1-year efficacy. The maximum expected reduction in myopia progression over a decade would fall under 2D for the best treatments currently available. These predictions apply to group averages and individual variation is large. Better models are needed to predict progression during treatment of individual patients.

Biography

Prof. Yang is currently the deputy leader of Optometry and Vision Science Group, Ophthalmology Branch, and Chinese Medical Society. Her research interests include orthokeratology, myopia control, and pediatrics ophthalmology. Yang has obtained more than 20 research funds on projects and has been published in professional journals in these fields. Prof. Yang is a fellow of the International Association of Contact lens educators (FIACLE), a fellow of the International Academic Orthokeratology and Myopia Control (FIAOMC ), and the Fellowship Chair, Asia Section of IAOMC.

Abstract

Myopia management is a rapidly moving field, with ongoing research providing more and more evidential strategies for comprehensive intervention. Efforts have been made, attempting to improve efficacy of treatments. The task of this presentation is to (1) give an overview of recent advances in this landscape, including optical interventions such as orthokeratology, low-concentration atropine, and emerging therapies such as Low-Level Red-Light Therapy (RLRL), as a background and (2) our work relevant to myopia management, which will be clarified in four main subjects: first, impacts of optics-induced visual signals on myopia control efficacy, and development and validation of the index, Areal Summed Corneal Power Shift (ASCPS), for early prediction and optimization; second, our explorations in optimizing optical interventions based on ASCPS, including orthokeratology, multifocal soft lenses, and defocus RGP lenses; third, our explorations in improving myopia control efficacy by using combined treatment strategies, including combined orthokeratology with low-concentration atropine and combined RLRL with orthokeratology as a promising potential for children who respond poor to orthokeratology; and fourth, future directions and our ongoing researches.

Biography

Dr Alex Ng is a specialist in Ophthalmology at the Hong Kong Ophthalmic Associates (private practice). His research interests involved cataract surgery, refractive surgery, dry eye disease management and children myopia control. He has over 80 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has delivered over 70 invited talks and instruction courses in both local and international ophthalmology conferences.

He was awarded the Asia Cornea Society Santen Asia Educational Observership Grant Award in 2016, the Distinguished Young Fellow Award of the College of Ophthalmologists of Hong Kong in 2016, the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) & Singapore Society of Ophthalmology Young Ophthalmologist Award in 2017, the APAO Achievement Award in 2019, and the Japanese Ophthalmological Society (JOS) International Young Investigator Award in 2020. He is also an alumni of the APAO Leadership Development Program (class 2020-21).

Dr Ng currently serves as the honorary secretary at the Hong Kong Ophthalmological Society, editor of the Hong Kong Journal of Ophthalmology, visiting consultant of the Lifeline Express and Associate Ophthalmologist at Orbis.

Abstract

The landscape of refractive surgery in this part of the world has undergone dramatic changes in the past decade. The speaker, a cataract and refractive surgeon, will cover all the popular modern refractive surgery modalities including excimer lasers, lenticule extractions, cross linking, phakic lenses (Implantable Collamer Lens) and intraocular lenses (monofocal, extended depth of focus, multifocal lenses, and more!).

Biography

Prof. Nichols is also an internationally recognized clinician-scientist with long-standing track record of research development, oversight, and scientific discovery. He has over 180 publications and an h-index of 50. He maintains an ocular surface research group with full scale capabilities for conducting clinical and basic research receiving funding from the National Eye Institute (NEI). His research unit employs state-of-the art facilities and equipment for the study of dry eye, meibomian gland disease, and pharmaceutical and medical device development and testing. He has served on numerous medical/advisory boards and boards of directors. His awards include three Ezell Fellowships, the Korb award, the Borish and Max Schapero Awards, the Fry Medal and Westheimer lecturer, and he is a Distinguished Scholar and Fellow of the National Academies of Practice. Lastly, he is editor-in-chief of Contact Lens Spectrum, the world's leading journal on contact lenses.

Abstract

The contact lens industry continues to experience steady growth due to a variety of factors. This course will provide a comprehensive overview on the past and present of the contact lens industry and how we can use these evolving technologies to optimally improve patient care. The learning objectives are to understand the historical development and current state of the contact lens industry, including trends in fitting and usage patterns in various global markets. Current contact lens materials and design and attributes, including their impact on the patient and clinical practice will be discussed. This will include contact lens attributes impacting both ex-vivo and in-vivo performance which might be used to address clinically relevant issues such as contact lens discomfort, myopia, inflammation, infection, or distribution pattern with a nod toward futuristic approaches to solving these clinical problems.

Biography

Lyndon Jones is a Professor at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, University Professor and Director of the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) at the University of Waterloo. His research interests primarily focus on the interaction of novel and existing contact lens materials with the ocular environment, dry eye and the development of novel materials for ocular drug delivery. He has authored over 500 refereed and professional papers, one text-book and given over 1200 invited lectures at conferences worldwide, in over 40 countries.

Abstract

A major impediment to the growth of the contact lens market remains the fact that contact lenses induce end-of-day dryness symptoms in some 50% of wearers. This results in poor comfort for the last 2-3 hours of the day in a substantial number of people and is a major driving force behind contact lens dropout, which occurs in some 20-25% of all patients who commence lens wear. Over the last few years, contact lens manufacturers have developed a number of novel approaches to improve end-of-day comfort. In addition to these developments, the potential applications for contact lenses have attracted interest from companies considering their use for bio-sensing, drug delivery and even entertainment, achieve solutions to problems within their own areas.

This presentation will review the current knowledge of what drives the comfort of lens wear for an individual, review current and potential future methods to manage contact lens discomfort and review potential future uses of contact lenses aside from vision correction. The technologies covered will include such diverse areas as ocular drug delivery, disease diagnosis and management, and sophisticated imaging and augmented reality opportunities.