WATERLOO, ONTARIO, May 8, 2019—The British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) 2019 Clinical Conference & Exhibition opens later this month in Manchester, England, expected to attract more than 1,000 eye care professionals from around the world. Registrants will benefit from new research, clinical insights and even a bit of trivia thanks to the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE), which is playing a significant role in the biennial event.
BCLA 2019 Medal Recipient Dr. Lyndon Jones
A conference highlight will be the Saturday, June 1, keynote address by BCLA 2019 Medal recipient Lyndon Jones, PhD, DSc, FCOptom, FAAO, FBCLA, director of CORE. In his address, Soft Lenses: Just Another Plastic or More than Meets the Eye?, he will reflect on his research experiences over the past three decades, and discuss how contact lens materials, the tear film and components within solutions interact in an ever-changing and complex manner.
Dr. Jones is also delivering two talks in collaboration with CORE sponsors on Thursday, May 30. Along with CORE Clinical Scientist Karen Walsh, he will examine the importance of modality in contact lens wear at 10:20 a.m. GMT in a CooperVision-sponsored session. At 2:10 p.m. GMT in a Johnson & Johnson Vision-sponsored program, he will address how the tear film interacts with contact lenses.
In advance of the conference, on Wednesday, May 29, Dr. Jones will speak on how to review the scientific literature at the International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE) / British and Irish University and College Contact Lens Educators (BUCCLE) Education Day for contact lens educators and postgraduate students.
Advancing the Industry’s Body of Knowledge
Known as one of the ophthalmic community’s most prolific publishers of high-value research, CORE will present five scientific posters in Manchester. All posters will be available to view from Thursday, May 30, with meet the author sessions that afternoon from 1:10 – 2:10 p.m. and Friday, May 31, from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
- Visual performance with a daily disposable silicone hydrogel center-near progressive design multifocal contact lens with two independent intermediate zones. Jill Woods, Board 56, Optics & Design Section.
- A bilateral dispensing evaluation of two different toric lens geometries. Sarah Guthrie, Board 53, Optics & Design Section.
- Validation of a multifocal contact lens online fitting app. Jill Woods, Board 73, Presbyopia Section.
- Validation of an online lens fitting app for two daily disposable toric lenses. Doerte Luensmann, Board 3, General Section.
- Subjective assessment of contact lens handling: what can we learn from the past? Lyndon Jones, Board 6, General Section.
Fun and Friends at An Eye for Knowledge Pub Quiz
On BCLA’s opening evening, attendees can put their ocular knowledge to the test in the first ever BCLA pub quiz! An Eye for Knowledge was designed by CORE, based on its popular CORE Knowledge ultimate eye science game (COREknowledgegame.org). Joining Dr. Jones in hosting the quiz is optometrist and Vision Sciences fellow at the University of Manchester, Sarah Morgan.
Four rounds of questions will test on-the-spot-created teams about all things contact lenses and anterior eye research, with some more lighthearted rounds and facts (and even singing) along the way. Prizes, giveaways, drinks and snacks will make for two hours of fun and networking to kick off the conference.
The quiz is free for attendees and will begin at 5:45 pm GMT on Thursday, May 30.
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Editor’s Note: Members of the CORE team are available for interviews prior to and during BCLA 2019, previewing their participation and offering independent, objective opinions surrounding industry trends, issues and opportunities. Please contact mike@mcdougallpr.com to schedule.
About the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE)
The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) was established in 1988 at the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science. Over the next three decades, the organization evolved from a three-person operation into a thriving hub of basic and applied research, collaborating with sponsors, agencies and academia on advanced biosciences, clinical research and education. Its uncompromising independence and results of the highest quality have been at the heart of many of the most prominent advances in eye health. Today, its approximately 50-person team serves a range of ophthalmic sectors, including medical devices, ocular pharmaceuticals, digital technology and others, with a focus on the anterior segment. For more information, please visit core.uwaterloo.ca.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Aimee J. Lewis or Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA, McDougall Communications for CORE
aimee@mcdougallpr.com +1.585.414.9838 | mike@mcdougallpr.com +1.585.545.1815