ESASO RETINA ACADEMY

The 15th ESASO Retina Academy takes place in Barcelona, Spain, from 22-24 October 2015 at the prestigious Palau de Congressos de Catalunya, winner of the National Architecture Prize in 2001 and ideally suited for innovative presentation and discussion formats.

A world-class faculty will address hot topics and for the first time the ESASO Retina Academy will introduce a Live Surgery Session directly from the prestigious IMO (Instituto de Microcirugía Ocular) in Barcelona.

More than 35 retinal specialists will provide cutting-edge scientific information, the use of new techniques and equipment, and up-to-date clinical guidelines on the treatment of dry and wet AMD, macular oedema and retinal non-perfusion due to diabetic retinopathy or venous occlusion, macular pathology of vitreous adhesion and macular holes, and vitreoretinal surgery, among others.

The ESASO Retina Academy sessions include the Lectio Magistralis keynote lectures, plenary presentations and debates between experts. Over the years ESASO has developed and implemented some novel formats to optimise the learning experience. Among these are the ESASO MasterClasses, which are limited to small groups to allow direct exchange with global experts, as well as the “Retinamour” interactive clinical case study discussions.

Delegates may also submit case studies for inclusion in the interactive Retinamour sessions. The selected delegates will be invited to present their cases and discuss their clinical experiences with an international panel of renowned ophthalmologists. The Case Studies submission deadline is 22 August 2015. The presenters of the best abstracts will be invited to discuss their studies in a rapid-fire presentation. All accepted abstracts will be presented as posters and published in the Ophthalmic Research, a scientifically rated journal. The abstract submission deadline is 23 June 2015.

Young ophthalmologists from the host country will compete for the “Young Ophthalmologist Award”. The winners will be invited to attend the 16th ESASO Retina Academy in Estoril, Portugal, on 22-25 June 2016 as special guests of the scientific committee. Applicants for the Young Ophthalmologist Award must be resident in Spain and under 40 years of age on 1 December 2015.

The XOVA Excellence in Ophthalmology Awards programme is sponsored by Novartis Corporation and supports outstanding humanitarian initiatives in the field of eye care, for developing countries. The awards will be announced at the meeting, with the winners presenting their projects.

Another highlight is the graduation ceremony, honouring the students who successfully completed the ESASO fellowship programme and the ESASO graduation scheme.

The congress president Francesco Bandello notes: “Don’t miss this opportunity to advance your insights in evidence-based science and real-life case experience.”

* http://www.esaso.org/15th-esaso-retina-academy-2015

Francesco Bandello: bandello.francesco@hsr.it