Program

The program for each International Orthoptic Congress is decided upon by the Congress Scientific Programme Committee (CSPC). The Committee for the Toronto congress will be elected later this year. They will decide on program content and present new innovative ideas and suggestions to insure that the congress maintains a high scientific standard.

Apart from plenary sessions, poster exhibitions and many other items of interest the program will include the Burian Lecture, International Orthoptic Association Research Award and the International Orthoptic Association Education Grant.

Burian Lecture

The Burian Lecture is the highlight of every International Orthoptic Congress! It was first held in 1975 to commemorate Professor Herman Burian for his contribution to strabismology and his never ending support of orthoptics. The honour of presenting the 2012 Burian Lecture is bestowed upon an orthoptist who is outstanding in his/her field and who is a member of the IOA.

Agneta Rydberg Orthoptist, PhD

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Agneta Rydberg will be delivering the Burian lecture at the XII International Orthoptic Congress in Toronto. Dr. Rydberg has had a career which has been marked by its passion and dedication to the profession of orthoptics. She has worked tirelessly to raise the standards of orthoptics in Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia. Dr. Rydberg received her baccalaureate degree at Franska Skolan, completed her orthoptic education at Moorfields Eye Hospital and finished her PhD dissertation at the Karolinska Institutet. She has shown a passion for writing and research which has resulted in numerous scientific publications and book chapters. A skilled teacher and presenter we look forward to her presentation in Toronto with great anticipation.

International Orthoptic Association Research Award

The objective of the Award is to promote the science of Orthoptics by furthering the study of Orthoptics and its associated disciplines. The Awardee is chosen from amongst those orthoptists who have submitted a full paper for presentation at the congress. The orthoptist chosen must present the paper and be the principal investigator of the research undertaken. The paper is judged not only on scientific content, quality and validity but also on the oral presentation.

Further details of the Award will be publicised in connection with the call for papers.

International Orthoptic Association Education Grant

The IOA Education Grant was first presented at the X International Congress in Melbourne, Australia (2004).

The aim of the grant is to give financial help to an orthoptist from a non IOA member country, so that he/she may attend the congress. The candidate must be sponsored by an IOA representative and have received some training from an IOA orthoptist. The candidate is required to present a plan of how he/she intends to share knowledge with other colleagues. If no suitable candidate is nominated, the grant will not be given.