Invited speakers

Prof. Dr. Huban Atilla is Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, where she also directs the Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus and Neuro-ophthalmology divisions. She completed her medical education at Hacettepe University (English program) and residency at Ankara University. Following her academic appointments as Associate Professor in 2002 and Professor in 2008, she became Head of Department in 2021.

Her international training includes a fellowship in Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus at Washington University School of Medicine (St. Louis, USA). She currently serves as President of the Turkish Ophthalmological Society (2023–) and is an Executive Board Member of the European Board of Ophthalmology.

Prof. Atilla is actively involved in several international societies, including AAO, AAPOS, ESA, EUNOS, and EPOS. She is Section Editor for International Ophthalmology and on the editorial board of the Strabismus Journal. Her research focuses on strabismus, low vision, albinism, and ophthalmic imaging.

She has authored over 80 peer-reviewed articles and contributed to 10 book chapters. Her awards include the 2019 AAO Achievement Award and a Best Poster Award at the 2021 Turkish National Congress.

Prof. Lyndon da Cruz is a consultant vitreo-retinal surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, and Professor of Retinal Stem Cell and Transplantation Surgery at University College London (UCL). He began his medical studies in Perth, Australia, receiving the Inaugural Reynolds Scholarship and a public health research prize. He later studied Philosophy and Physiology at Oxford University and completed ophthalmology training at the Oxford Eye Hospital.

Returning to Australia on an MRC Scholarship, he earned a PhD from the University of Western Australia for his work on gene transfer to the retinal pigment epithelium. In 2000, he was awarded the prestigious Menzies Scholarship and Howard Florey Fellowship, bringing him to the UK for postdoctoral research in retinal gene therapy and surgical fellowships at Moorfields.

Appointed consultant at Moorfields in 2003, Prof. da Cruz now leads the department of vitreo-retinal surgery. He is Chief Investigator and implanting surgeon for the UK’s bionic eye project and clinical lead for The London Project, developing stem-cell-based treatments for macular degeneration. His work bridges pioneering research and advanced clinical practice in retinal disease and regenerative medicine.

Prof. Dr. Brigita Drnovšek-Olup is a leading Slovenian expert in oculoplastic, lacrimal, and orbital surgery. She graduated from the University of Ljubljana Medical School in 1979 and completed her ophthalmology residency in 1987. She earned her MSc in 1991 and PhD in 1995, focusing on ophthalmic plastic surgery.

Since 1993, she has led the Oculoplastic Department at University Eye Hospital Ljubljana, serving as hospital head (2002–2009) and medical director of University Medical Centre Ljubljana (2009–2013). Her research includes clinical and preclinical studies of Er:YAG and diode lasers, supported by national science programs. She has presented internationally and authored over 350 scientific publications and abstracts. She is also a co-author of the 2024 ESOPRS textbook.

A professor of ophthalmology since 2005, she has served as High Counsellor at the Slovenian Ministry of Health since 2008. She is a founding member of the International Dacryologic Society, a fellow of EBO, AAO, and ASLMS, and was President of ESOPRS (2011–2013). In 2017, she delivered the prestigious Mustardé Lecture and continues to contribute as a senior examiner for the European oculoplastic subspecialty exam.

Prof. Renata Iveković is a senior ophthalmologist at University Hospital “Sestre milosrdnice” in Zagreb, where she has worked since 1991. She has also served as Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology at the School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb. Her clinical and academic focus lies in oculoplastic surgery, with active involvement in both education and professional societies.

She currently serves as President of the Section for Plastic Surgery of the Orbit and Ocular Adnexa within the Croatian Ophthalmological Society. Internationally, she has represented Croatia in UEMS since 2001 and served as President of the European Board of Ophthalmology (EBO) from 2020 to 2021. During her tenure, she was instrumental in establishing the EBO online examination format in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2024, she has been a member of the EBO Advisory Committee.

Prof. Iveković is also a full member of the European Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ESOPRS), ESCRS, and the German Ophthalmological Society (DOG). She has authored over 60 scientific articles and is a peer reviewer for Graefe’s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology.

Dr. Frances Meier-Gibbons earned her medical degree from the University of Zürich in 1984 and completed her residency and chief residency in ophthalmology and ophthalmic surgery by 1992. Since 1995, she has been a leading ophthalmologist and founder of a private practice in Rapperswil, Switzerland, with a special focus on glaucoma. She is also a co-founder of the Swiss Glaucoma Group.

In recent years, Dr. Meier-Gibbons has developed a strong interest in the history of ophthalmology and has been active as a lecturer on the subject since 2016. She is a member of numerous professional societies, including the Swiss Ophthalmological Society (SOG), European Glaucoma Society (EGS), where she serves as co-chair of the communication committee, as well as AAO, AGS, ASCRS, EVER, and WIO. She is also a member—and incoming President (2024/2025)—of the Julius Hirschberg Society, and a member of the Cogan Society.

Dr. Meier-Gibbons is an author of multiple scientific publications and serves as a reviewer and section editor for several ophthalmology journals. She has delivered more than 60 invited lectures at major international meetings, particularly in the areas of glaucoma, ocular surface disease, and the history of ophthalmology.