Vitreo retinal consultant at Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Hospital. • President of the Middle East Africa Council of Ophthalmalogy (MEACO). • Member of the National Eye Institute -Global Eye Genetic Consortium (GEGC). • Member of the Global Advisors committee of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. • Leader of the Academia Vitreoretinal School-Dubai. • Past president of the Syrian Ophthalmic Society.

• Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Ain-Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. • Senior Vitreoretinal Surgery Consultant. • Co-founder of Al Mashreq Eye Center Specialized in Vitreoretinal Surgeries. • Member of the Egyptian Vitreo-Retinal Society [EGVRS] since the year 2010 and is now a member of the EGVRS scientific committee. • Fellow of the Royal college of physicians and Surgeons (Glasgow), since the year 2011 • Member of The American society of retina specialists. • Head of the Trainee program for aspiring Vitreoretinal Surgeons at Al Mashreq Eye center. • Head of ROP Surgical retina and Screening team at Al Mashreq eye Center. • Performed more than 3000 anterior segment procedures, 6000 vitreoretinal surgeries and 200 Retinopathy of prematurity surgeries. • Co-authored several publications in vitreoretinal diseases and surgeries.

Ophthalmologist & Vitreoretinal Surgeon in Ain Shams University , Cairo , Egypt. Started my Ophthalmological training in 2014 , Finished my residency in Late 2017 , Started my Surgical retina & Retinopathy of prematurity fellowship in 2018 till 2020 then Had the 1st 3D Ngenuity Heads up basic & advanced Surgical retina fellowship in MENA region 2020-2021 with Special interest in Diabetic vitrectomy , Advanced Retinal Detachment , Trauma & Pediatric Retina. Since 2022 Started being the co-Head of training program in our Vitreoretinal training center &Atteding & trainer in Vitreoretinal unit in Ain Shams University and having more than 12 fellows from different countries My special interest Nowadays are the Development of IntraOperative Flourescein angiography technique , Small Gauge Vitrectomy , Ant Segment reconstruction. Have been Speaker , Moderator & course instructor in more than 40 National & international Conferences with 8 National &

Alaa Din Abdin, FEBO, FICO, MRCSEd(Ophth) is Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Managing Senior Consultant, Specialist in Medical and Surgical Vitreo-retinal Diseases and Head of the Center for Intravitreal Injections in the Department of Ophthalmology at Saarland University Medical Center (UKS) in Homburg, Germany. Dr. Abdin is an active member of the European and German Society for Retinal Diseases. His research focuses in particular on age-related macular degeneration and pachychoroid spectrum disease. He has organized and lectured at numerous national and international conferences and scientific meetings in this field.

Dr. Ali Erginay Hôpital Lariboisière, AP-HP, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France Dr. Ali Erginay, MD is a full time senior consultant ophthalmologist at Lariboisière Hospital. He graduated from the Paris 6 Medical Faculty and holds a degree in Computer-Science from the Bosphorous University in Istanbul. He is specialized in vitreo-retinal disorders (DR, retinal vasculopathies, age-related macular degeneration, inflammatory diseases of the retina…). His research focuses especially on retinal vasculopathies and he participates in different national and international clinical trials dealing with vascular diseases of the retina. He is also interested in computerized medical imaging technics, artificial intelligence and telemedicine.

Arshad M. Khanani MD, MA, FASRS Vitreo-Retinal Diseases and Surgery Managing Partner, Director of Clinical Research, Director of Fellowship - Sierra Eye Associates Clinical Professor - University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine

Dr. Bilal Haj Najeeb is a medical retina and neuro-ophthalmology consultant in the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Vienna, Austria. His current research interests are in multimodal imaging and artificial intelligence in retinal diseases at the Vienna Reading Center and the OPTIMA Laboratory. Dr. Haj Najeeb completed his undergraduate program and ophthalmology training at Damascus University, Syria. He finished his doctorate in Clinical Neurosciences at the Medical University of Vienna and received the Arabic Board of Ophthalmology and the European Board of Ophthalmology Certifications. Additionally, he serves as a medical expert in developing transformative artificial intelligence solutions for retinal diseases at RetInSight. Dr. Haj Najeeb has won several international awards, including the ARVO-Alcon Early Career Clinical Scientific Award and the Wilhelm-Auerswald Award.

I am currently the head of the Cornea and Uveitis clinic at Eye Surgical Hospital in Damascus, Syria. I have done my Uveitis and Ocular immunology fellowship with Dr Stephen Foster at MERSI (Massachusetts Eye Research and Surgery Institute) USA. Also I had CertLRS in Laser and Refractive Surgery from the Royal College, London. I am also an Arab Board Certified and have a Fellow from the International council of Opthalmology (FICO).

Dr. Tawfik is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Ain Shams University and Consultant of Ophthalmic Genetics and Medical Retina. She was awarded a fellowship by ICO in Ophthalmic Genetics in Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany. She has founded the first Ophthalmic Genetic Clinic dealing with Inherited Retinal Diseases, Hereditary Optic Neuropathies and other Genetic Eye Diseases in 2022 where she receives patients from all over Egypt and thrives to give them highest standards of care. She is a member of European Society of Retina Specialists (Euretina), International Society of Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (ISCEV) and International Society of Genetic Eye Diseases and Retinoblastoma (ISGEDR). Her expertise span areas of Medical Retina, Electrophysiology of vision, Inherited Retinal Diseases and Genetic Eye Diseases.

1. Efficacy of Corneal Cross-Linking (CXL) Protocols Meta · Objective: Compare the efficacy and safety of different corneal cross-linking protocols (e.g., accelerated vs. standard, epi-on vs. epi-off) in halting keratoconus progression. · Outcomes: Changes in keratometry (Kmax), uncorrected and corrected visual acuity, corneal thickness, and complications (e.g., corneal haze, infections). 2. Long-term Outcomes of Keratoconus Treatments Meta · Objective: Assess long-term outcomes (>5 years) of treatments like CXL, intracorneal ring segments (ICRS), or combined procedures (e.g., CXL + ICRS). · Outcomes: Stability of refraction, corneal shape, and progression rates. 3. Comparative Effectiveness of Intracorneal Ring Segments (ICRS) Designs Meta · Objective: Evaluate the outcomes of different ICRS designs (e.g., Ferrara vs. Intacs) in improving visual acuity and corneal curvature. · Outcomes: Visual acuity, keratometric flattening, and patient satisfaction. 4. Prevalence and Risk Factors for Keratoconus Progression Systematic Review · Objective: Identify demographic, genetic, and environmental factors associated with rapid keratoconus progression. · Outcomes: Correlation of progression rates with age, gender, ethnicity, eye-rubbing habits, and family history. 5. Role of Topographic and Tomographic Indices in Early Diagnosis Systematic Review · Objective: Assess the diagnostic accuracy of various topographic and tomographic indices (e.g., Belin/Ambrosio Enhanced Ectasia Display) for early keratoconus. · Outcomes: Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of indices in detecting subclinical keratoconus. 6. Effectiveness of Contact Lens Modalities Systematic Review · Objective: Compare visual outcomes, comfort, and complication rates between rigid gas-permeable (RGP), scleral, hybrid, and custom soft lenses in keratoconus patients. · Outcomes: Visual acuity, subjective comfort, and incidence of corneal complications. 7. Impact of Keratoconus on Quality of Life Systematic Review · Objective: Conduct a meta-analysis of studies evaluating the impact of keratoconus on vision-related quality of life and mental health. · Outcomes: Quality-of-life scores (e.g., NEI-VFQ-25), rates of anxiety or depression, and factors influencing patient satisfaction. 8. Gene Therapy and Keratoconus: Current Evidence · Objective: Analyze preclinical and clinical studies exploring the potential of gene therapy for keratoconus. · Outcomes: Therapeutic efficacy, safety, and challenges of current gene-editing strategies. 9. Biomechanical Properties of Corneas Post-CXL · Objective: Assess how corneal biomechanics change following CXL using devices like Corvis ST or Ocular Response Analyzer. · Outcomes: Metrics such as corneal hysteresis (CH), corneal resistance factor (CRF), and deformation amplitude. 10. Keratoconus in Special Populations · Objective: Investigate the prevalence, progression, and treatment outcomes of keratoconus in patients with conditions like Down syndrome, Marfan syndrome, or atopy. · Outcomes: Disease severity, progression rate, and treatment response compared to the general population.

Dina Baddar MD PhD FRCS(Glasgow) Dr Baddar is a Medical Retina and Uveitis Consultant in Cairo and Alexandria as well as a tenured faculty member at the Research Institute of Ophthalmology (RIO) in Giza. With over 10 years of experience, she is an appointed consultant of ocular inflammation at the Egyptian Health Insurance Organization (HIO) and an elected Board Member of the Egyptian Vitreoretinal Society (EGVRS). In 2024, together with a group of regional uveitis experts, Dr Baddar cofounded the Middle East and Africa Council of Ophthalmology Uveitis Society (MEACOUS). Dr Baddar’s areas of expertise extend from retinal imaging and diagnostics, retinal therapeutics, uveitis and scleritis to autoimmune ocular surface diseases and inherited retinal dystrophies.

Senior Vitreo-retinal consultant at the Jordanian Hospital in Amman. Fayyad graduated from Rome University (La Sapienza) in 1976, and completed his residency program in ophthalmology at the same university between 1977 and 1981 with honors. He then traveled to Canada and completed a two year fellowship program in clinical Retina, at the department of ophthalmology at Ottawa University. He served at the Jordanian ministry of health hospitals and the King Hussein Medical Center as well as at the Jordan University Hospital.An examiner at the Jordanian Board of Ophthalmology. Fayyad is involved in training ophthalmologists in Vitreo-retinal surgery.

Jay Chhablani is a Professor of Ophthalmology and a Vitreo-Retinal Surgeon at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA. He is the Director of Clinical Research at the UPMC Vision Institute. He established the “Choroid Analysis and Research (CAR) Lab” which focuses on computational as well as biological research in the field of choroid. He has published more than 650 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He is the editor of multiple books and a member of Macula Society and Gonin Club. He has delivered more than 200 invited lectures and been invited for visiting professorship by many universities around the world.

A/Prof Kelvin Teo is a Medical Retina specialist with a primary clinical and research focus on retinal angiogenic diseases, particularly age-related macular degeneration (AMD). His research explores novel therapeutic strategies for AMD, including pharmacologic and biologic interventions targeting disease pathophysiology. He is also actively engaged in retinal imaging innovations, developing advanced imaging modalities to enhance disease detection, progression monitoring, and treatment response evaluation. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications, contributing to the evolving understanding of retinal disease pathology and therapeutic advancements. His involvement in clinical trials, translational research, and professional education underscores his commitment to bridging laboratory discoveries with clinical applications. His work aims to refine precision medicine approaches in ophthalmology and advance patient-centered retinal disease management.

Mr Luke Nicholson is a consultant ophthalmologist and medical retina specialist at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, where he is currently director of the medical retina service. At Moorfields he has completed multiple research and clinical fellowships in medical retina and uveitis. He has published widely on retinal vascular diseases, co-authored the Royal College of Ophthalmologists' (UK) Retinal Vein Occlusion Guidelines and is the chief-investigator for national and international clinical studies.

Dr. Magdy Moussa is a Professor of Ophthalmology at the Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Egypt. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University. He presented widely in the field of diagnosis and management of retinal diseases, nationally (Egyptian Vitreoretinal Society EGVRS), Cairo Retina meeting (CRM), and internationally: World ophthalmology congress WOC, Royal College Of Ophthalmologists RCOP, the Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology MEACO, Jordanian Ophthalmological Society (JOS), Thessaloniki Vitreoretinal School TVRS (instructor), Afro Asian Council of Ophthalmology AACO and American Academy of Ophthalmology AAO as the course instructor.

Maria Vittoria Cicinelli, MD, FEBO, is an Assistant Professor at Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano (Italy), a position she has held since 2021. She completed her residency training in Ophthalmology at Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano (Italy). Her primary areas of expertise are Medical Retina and Uveitis. She is a member of the Vision Loss Expert Group, a global initiative providing comprehensive estimates for the prevalence of blindness and vision impairment while identifying associated risk factors. Additionally, she completed a fellowship in Medical Retina and Uveitis at Northwestern University (Chicago, Illinois). Dr. Cicinelli was the 2020 recipient of the ICO Allergan Fellowship, a prestigious research grant supporting international ophthalmologists. In 2023, she was awarded the Macula Society Research Grant and the American Academy of Ophthalmology Secretariat Award. With an h-index of 31 and over 8,000 citations, Dr. Cicinelli has contributed to more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. She is the editor of the book "Ultra Widefield Imaging of the Retina" (1st Edition, March 2025, ISBN: 9780443290855). Dr. Cicinelli earned the National Scientific Qualification for Associate Professor in July 2020. She currently serves as editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Ophthalmology International and as an associate editor for several indexed journals. She has also played an active role in mentoring and training residents and medical students at Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele.

Mohamed Tawfik MD,FRCSed. Vitreoretinal Consultant , MIOR , Egypt CEO of El Ferdaws Eye Center. Vitreoretinal Consultant at El Mashreq Eye Center.

Omar Mahroo is a consultant ophthalmologist and inherited retinal disease specialist at Moorfields Eye Hospital and St Thomas’ Hospital in London, and Professor of Retinal Neuroscience at University College London. His medical degree and PhD were at the University of Cambridge, with post-doctoral work at the Australian National University. He completed his ophthalmology specialist training in London, becoming Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in 2012. He has published >160 papers and several book chapters. He has received several grant awards (including a £1.1 million Wellcome Trust grant). He was named “Rising Star of the Year” by the Macular Society in 2019 and received awards for teaching excellence and for public engagement in 2020. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and Fellow of the Physiological Society (2023), and Director of Standards of the International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (2025).

Doctor Hamam is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the American University of Beirut. She is the director of the residency training program and the medical retina fellowship training program. She started the first uveitis specialty referral service in Lebanon in 2008. Doctor Hamam is an active member of the American Uveitis Society, an active member and an ambassador to the International Uveitis Study Group and a member of the MEACO Uveitis Society. She has organized and lectured on uveitis in many national and international conferences and scientific meetings. She is involved in multiple research projects on ocular inflammatory and infectious diseases and she published more than 40 scientific publications in the field on locally and internationally relevant topics.

Mr Sami Habal is a Consultant Ophthalmologist and Vitreoretinal Surgeon at Kings College Hospital London. He has over 20 years experience in Ophthalmology. He has a special interest in diabetic retinopathy and also he is a senior expert and advisor in managing cataract complications. He is a highly experienced eye surgeon with outstanding outcomes. Mr Habal has published in peer reviewed medical journals in Ophthalmology and a regular national and international speaker. He is dedicated to train ophthalmology trainees and vitreoretinal fellows in the UK to become the future independent ophthalmologists surgeons worldwide. He is a member of the British and Eire Association of Vitreoretinal Surgeons (BEAVRS) among many other affiliations and Ophthalmology organisations. He is also a clinical supervisor, appraiser and Ophthalmology trainees assessor at the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in London.

SriniVas R. Sadda, MD, is the Director of Artificial Intelligence & Imaging Research at the Doheny Eye Institute, and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) Geffen School of Medicine. He is the immediate past President of the Doheny Eye Institute. He received his MD from Johns Hopkins University, where he also completed ophthalmology residency and neuro-ophthalmology and medical retina fellowships (Wilmer Eye Institute). Dr. Sadda’s major research interests include retinal image analysis, advanced retinal imaging technologies, and clinical trial endpoint design. He has more than 725 peer- reviewed publications and 20 book chapters and has given over 500 presentations worldwide. Dr. Sadda is Editor-in-Chief of the 7th Edition of Ryan’s Retina. He also serves as an Editor-in-Chief of Graefe’s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology and is an editorial board member of Ophthalmic Surgery, Lasers & Imaging, Retina, Ophthalmology Retina, Ophthalmology Science and Ophthalmology. Among Dr. Sadda’s awards and honors are a Research to Prevent Blindness Physician- Scientist Award, a Senior Honor Award from the American Society of Retina Specialists, an Achievement Award and a Secretariat Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, John H. Zumberge Research and Innovation Award, the Macula Society’s Young Investigator Award, American Society of Retina Specialists Young Investigator Award, Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) Achievement Award, The Macula Society’s Paul Henkind Lecture and Award, the Euretina Lecture, The Retina Society’s Charles Schepens Lecture, and the Vitreoretinal Society of India Nataraja Pillai Oration. Dr. Sadda’s research has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for several years, including two current R01 grants from the National Eye Institute. He has been named to the Best Doctors of America list for several consecutive years and is also the editor in-chief of the 7th edition of the Ryan’s Retina textbook, and 2024-2025 President for the

Tamer Mahmoud, MD, PhD is a professor of Ophthalmology at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine and the director of the vitreoretinal fellowship at Associated Retinal Consultants. He was also the director of the VR fellowship at Duke University and the Kresge Eye Institute. He has developed many surgical techniques including the use of subretinal air to displace submacular hemorrhage in 2013 and developed and performed the first human autologous retinal transplantation in 2015. He also introduced chandelier buckles to the United States and in 2017, developed the ILM retracting door technique for macular holes. The nano subretinal gateway device was developed in 2019 to access the subretinal space without PPV to displace subretinal hemorrhage, but also for injection of gene therapy, drugs, removal of PFO and tumor biopsy. In 2022, the concept of using the epiretinal membrane to close large macular holes was introduced in cases of combined large holes with membranes. In 2023, he developed and performed the first combined amniotic and autologous retinal transplant for large refractory myopic macular holes with some atrophy. For the last few years, Dr. Mahmoud has focused on running global studies to treat macular holes by working with surgeons around the world to develop guidelines to treat challenging holes using many techniques that have been developed over the years. Dr. Mahmoud received the “Presidential Honor Award” from ASRS, the prestigious Robert A. Machemer research award from the Duke Eye Center, the "Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award" from the Kresge Eye Institute and the “Golden Globe Award” for residents’ education from the Duke Eye Center, among many other awards.

Yousef A. Fouad, MD, FRCS (Glasg.) is a retina specialist and a lecturer of ophthalmology, Ain Shams university hospitals. He is a former visiting fellow of the retinal disorders and ophthalmic genetics department at Stein Eye Institute, University of California Los Angeles. He specializes in retinal imaging and macular disorders. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and 3 book chapters and serves as an editor and reviewer for many reputable journals within the discipline.

Mr Elhousseini is a specialist in Surgical and Medical Retina. After completing his Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree in 2006, Master’s degree in ophthalmology, moved to the UK 2013. He became a fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. Currently, consultant Specialist working for the NHS, Lead of Retina clinical pathway group, and Clinical lead for north central London national Diabetic Eye screening programme. He has trained and supervised many trainees and fellows, also Deputy Academic Lead and an examiner for Medical students at University College London (UCL). Mr Elhousseini leads various research projects at Royal Free and has co-authored various publications on ophthalmology and vitreoretinal surgery, and has presented his work to both international and national audiences.