Silmo Academy returns for 11th edition

The 11th Silmo Academy scientific symposium returns this month after a two-year hiatus. Taking place on Sunday 25 September during Silmo Paris, the event will focus on two of the major challenges of the day: namely myopia and the ageing eye. 

Running from 10am to 5pm, the symposium will offer sessions in both English and French, welcoming expert speakers in the field including Dr Alicia Thompson, director of education, research and professional development at ABDO. Dr Thompson will discuss ‘Facial anthropometry, children’s eyewear and lens positioning’.

The morning myopia session will also see optometrist Professor Mark Bullimore sharing the latest updates on myopia management, and Professor Arnaud Sauer, presenting case studies from the ophthalmologist’s point of view. Optometrist Dr Neema Ghorbani Mojarrad, laureate of the 2021 Silmo Academy Grant, will present ‘Refractive error and visual development in the born in Bradford children cohort’, while ‘Evaluating risk factors in myopia progression’ is the title of a presentation by Olga Prenat, director of medical marketing and professional relations at EssilorLuxottica.

The afternoon will be dedicated to the importance of good vision in an ageing population, and will include a presentation on ‘Person centred dementia care in ophthalmic practice’ by Elaine Grisdale, director of development for the International Opticians Association and head of international development at ABDO.

Neuro-ophthalmic disease specialist, Professor Kelly Malloy, will speak on ‘Visual and ocular manifestations of neurodegenerative dementias’, while Professor Bill Harvey will present ‘The changing world of low vision’. Dr Angelo Arleo, director of the Chaire SilverSight and of the Visual Aging and Action Laboratory, Institut de la Vision Paris, and research director at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, will discuss ‘Visual aging, spatial cognition and autonomy’.

Closing the day’s presentations will be Pierre-Olivier Morin, posturologist, specialist in visuo-plantar rehabilitation, also from the Visual Aging and Action Laboratory and laureate of the 2020 Silmo Academy Grant. He will speak on ‘The role of visuo-podal integration in spatial orientation and mobility in ageing’. The day will end with a Q&A session.

Find all the latest updates on Silmo Paris 2022, being held from 23-26 September, and register for the free symposium here.