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The 8th iteration of Ophthalmology Updates! continued the tradition of bringing the best international ophthalmology speakers to Sydney. Over 250 delegates gathered at the Fullerton Hotel, Sydney on 30-31 August 2025, and managed to navigate to the venue through the Sydney Marathon! Keynote speakers included Associate Professor Jay Sridhar from UCLA, who is famous for being the Podcast host of "Straight from the Cutter's Mouth". He discussed the controversial photobiomodulation for AMD and methotrexate for proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Professor Richard Allen from Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas is widely known for his online oculoplastic surgery video atlas "www.oculosurg.com". He shared some of his oculoplastic videos and the latest medical updates on treatments for thyroid eye disease. Dr Sui Wong from Moorfields Eye Hospital, London presented enlightening talks on ocular myasthenia graves and lifestyle interventions in Neuro-ophthalmology. Finally, Associate Professor Simon Fung from UCSF, California gave an excellent talk on paediatric corneal transplantation and cataract surgery in patients with corneal disease. The international speakers were ably supported by local experts, including Dr Ben LaHood (latest IOL designs), Dr Jennifer Fan Gaskin (MIBS), Dr Amy Cohn (Macular Telangiectasia Type II), Dr Parth Shah (Nasolacrimal duct obstruction) and Dr Jo Sims (Birdshot Chorioretinopathy). Finally, two of the more appreciated sessions were on pregnancy in opthhalmology, and bioethics, led by Professor Ian Kerridge. This year the conference banquet was held in the exclusive ClockTower Bar at Shell House Dining Room and Terrace, with beautiful food from Joel Bickford.
Retina | Jay Sridhar
Oculoplastics | Richard Allen
Cornea | Simon Fung
Neuro-ophthalmology | Sui Wong
Cataract | Ben LaHood
Glaucoma | Jennifer Fan Gaskin
Medical Retina | Amy Cohn
Uveitis | Jo Sims
Paediatrics | Parth Shah
Bioethics | Ian Kerridge
| Subspecialty | Time | Topic | Title |
| REGISTRATION & COFFEE | 8:00-8:25 |
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| Welcome | 8:25-8:30 |
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Oculoplastics Richard C. Allen Moderator: Krishna Tumuluri, Jessica Tong | 8:30-8:42 | Common condition | Oculoplastics Surgical Videos |
| 8:50-9:02 | Frontier | Medical Therapies for Thyroid Eye Disease | |
| 9:10-9:22 | Cases |
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| Cataract Ben LaHood Moderators: Tanya Trinh, Chameen Samarawickrama, Simon Fung | 9:30-9:42 | Common condition | Astigmatism Management |
| 9:50-10:02 | Frontier | Real world experience with the latest IOL designs | |
| 10:10-10:22 | Cases |
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| MORNING TEA | 10:30-10:55 |
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| Medical Retina 1 Jay Sridhar Moderators: Amy Cohn, Adrian Fung | 11:00-11:12 | Common condition | Diabetic Macular Oedema |
| 11:20-11:32 | Frontier | Photobiomodulation for AMD | |
| 11:40-11:52 | Cases |
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| Neuro-Ophthalmology Sui Wong Moderators: Clare Fraser, Jenny Hepschke | 12:00-12:12 | Common condition | Ocular Myasthenia Gravis |
| 12:20-12:32 | Frontier | Lifestyle Interventions in Neuro-ophthalmology | |
| 12:40-12:52 | Cases |
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| LUNCH | 1:00-1:55 |
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| Pregnancy and Ophthalmology Moderators: Adrian Fung, Krishna Tumuluri, Richard Symes, Emily Gregory-Roberts, Tanya Trinh, Clare Fraser | 2:00-3:05 | Panel Discussion (5min talks plus Q&A) | Pregnancy and:
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| Cornea Simon Fung Moderators: Tanya Trinh, Chameen Samarawickrama, Parth Shah, Ben LaHood | 3:10-3:22 | Common condition | Cataract surgery in corneal patients |
| 3:30-3:42 | Frontier | Paediatric corneal transplantation | |
| 3:50-4:02 | Cases |
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| AFTERNOON TEA | 4:10-4:35 |
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| Bioethics in Ophthalmology Ian Kerridge Panellists: Jay Sridhar, Adrian Fung, Ben LaHood, Chameen Samarawickrama, Amy Cohn, Tom Rock (Bayer), Matt Maunz (Alcon), Caroline Ryan (Roche) | 4:40-5:30 | 30 Lecture 20 Minute Panel Discussion |
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Conference Dinner: Shellhouse Dining room and Terrace Pre-Dinner Drinks and Snacks 6:00pm Sit-Down Dinner 6:45pm
37 Margaret Street Sydney, 2000 Entry to Levels 9 & 10 via Wynyard Lane Phone: (02) 9148 4000
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| Subspecialty | Time | Topic | Title |
| REGISTRATION & COFFEE | 8:00-8:25 |
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| Welcome | 8:25-8:30 |
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| Paediatrics Parth Shah Moderators: Michael Jones, Krishna Tumuluri, Ben LaHood, Simon Fung | 8:30-8:42 | Common condition | Nasolacrimal duct obstruction |
| 8:50-9:02 | Frontier | Paediatric cataract surgery and IOLs | |
| 9:10-9:22 | Cases |
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| Vitreoretinal Surgery Jay Sridhar Moderator: Rahul Dubey, Adrian Fung | 9:30-9:42 | Common condition | Ocular Trauma |
| 9:50-10:02 | Frontier | Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy | |
| 10:10-10:22 | Cases |
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| MORNING TEA | 10:30-10:55 |
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| Uveitis Jo Sims Moderator: Richard Symes, Sophia Zagora | 11:00-11:12 | Common condition | Differentiating Infectious from Immune Uveitis |
| 11:20-11:32 | Frontier | Birdshot Chorioretinopathy | |
| 11:40-11:52 | Cases |
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| Glaucoma Jennifer Fan Gaskin Moderators: Emily Gregory Roberts, Jason Cheng | 12:00-12:12 | Common condition | A Glaucomatologists Guide to NTG |
| 12:20-12:32 | Frontier | WTF is MIBS? | |
| 12:40-12:52 | Cases |
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| LUNCH | 1:00-1:55 |
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Medical Retina 2 Amy Cohn Moderators: Jay Sridhar, Adrian Fung | 2:00-2:12 | Common condition | PAMM! |
| 2:20-2:32 | Frontier | Macular Telangiectasia Type 2 and CNTF | |
| 2:40-2:52 | Cases | ||
| Is the Textbook Dead? New Avenues for Learning in 2025: Podcasts, Websites, Social Media and More | 3:00-4:00 |
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| CLOSE & FEEDBACK | 4:00 |
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Dr. Jayanth Sridhar is a native of Miami, Florida in the United States. A graduate of the University of Miami undergraduate and medical school as part of the Honors Program in Medicine, he completed his internship in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center, earning “Intern of the Year” Honors. He then completed ophthalmology residency training at the top-ranked Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, FL, followed by vitreoretinal surgical fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital, where he was named “Fellow of the Year”. Dr. Sridhar served as full-time faculty for 7 years at Bascom Palmer, where he was named "Professor of the Year" by the ophthalmology residents, prior to his move to fill the vacant chief position at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar, California. He is currently Chief of Ophthalmology at Olive View Medical Center and Associate Professor of Health Sciences at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). In his first year at UCLA Dr. Sridhar was named “Teacher of the Year” by the ophthalmology residents.
He has over 250 peer-reviewed publications and serves as co-editor of Current Opinion in Ophthalmology, in addition to his editorial board roles for both Retina Today and Retinal Physician. He has received the Senior Honor Award from the American Society of Retinal Specialists and the Secretariat Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He is an inductee into the Retina and Macula Societies, and he currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Vit-Buckle Society, where he is also the Vice-President of Education. Dr. Sridhar is also the creator and host of two leading podcasts in ophthalmology, the award-winning “Straight From the Cutter’s Mouth: A Retina Podcast”, and “Experts InSight”, the official podcast of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Dr. Simon Fung specializes in adult and pediatric cornea and anterior eye disorders. He is a well-traveled ophthalmologist: he attained his medical degree at Oxford, followed by residency and fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. His second fellowship took him to SickKids Hospital in Toronto, before his appointment as assistant professor at the UCLA Stein Eye Institute. He recently moved to the Bay Area after taking up his faculty position as Associate Professor at UCSF and the Francis I. Proctor Foundation.
Dr. Allen is a Professor with tenure in the Dept. of Ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine and Chief of Ophthalmology at Ben Taub Hospital in Houston, TX. Dr. Allen attended Duke University and graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a BS in chemistry where he received the Departmental Award in Chemistry. He was accepted into the Medical Scientist Training Program at Baylor College of Medicine where he received his MD and PhD Degrees. His dissertation “Molecular Genetics of X-linked Immunodeficiencies Affecting B Lymphocyte Function” was awarded the Sigma Xi Thesis Excellence Award.
Dr. Allen completed a residency in ophthalmology at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Under the mentorship of Edwin M. Stone, MD, PhD, and Thomas A. Oetting, MD, MS, he completed a fellowship in molecular ophthalmology and comprehensive ophthalmology at the University of Iowa. He then spent 4 years as a comprehensive ophthalmologist before returning to Iowa to complete fellowship training in oculoplastic surgery under the direction of Jeffrey A. Nerad MD and Keith D. Carter MD. Dr. Allen has practiced in a number of academic and private practice environments in New Mexico, Iowa, Stockholm (Sweden), and Texas.
Dr. Allen has been active in multiple ophthalmological organizations. For the AAO (American Academy of Ophthalmology), he was member (2010 to 2022) and Chair (2018-2022) of the Liaisons Committee, Councilor (2018 to present) for IJCAHPO (International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology), member of the oculoplastics subcommittee for the POCP (Practicing Ophthalmologists Curriculum Panel), chair of the oculoplastics subcommittee for the ONE (Ophthalmic News and Education) Network, and current Deputy Editor-in-Chief for the ONE Network. He edited the AAO publication Basic Principles of Ophthalmic Surgery (5th Edition), coedited the AAO publication Basic Ophthalmology (10thEdition), was an oculoplastics section editor for the AAO publication Basic Techniques in Ophthalmic Surgery, and authored the Focal Points Surgical Management of Ptosis and Brow Ptosis. He organized the Oculoplastics Subspecialty day for the 2019 meeting in San Francisco. He has received the Achievement Award, Senior Achievement Award, and Secretariat Award (twice) from the AAO.
For ASOPRS (American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery), he was the President (2023), was the Program Chair for the Spring meeting in 2017 and Fall meeting in 2018, member of the Executive Committee (2017-2018, 2021-2024) and Journal Committee (2011-2016), and member (2010-2013) and chair (2013) of the Thesis Committee. He is the previous Secretary for Public Affairs, current Secretary of Education, and President-elect for IJCAHPO, member of a number of IJCAHPO committees, and a frequent lecturer for the organization. For the International Council of Ophthalmology, he contributed to curriculum development for oculoplastic surgery. He is an examiner and question writer for the American Board of Ophthalmology (2008-present). He is a member of the Orbital Society, American College of Surgeons (ACS), and European Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ESOPRS).
Dr. Allen has authored over 135 peer-reviewed publications, is Editor-in-Chief for the journal Orbit, was section editor for Oculoplastics and Orbit for Current Opinion in Ophthalmology, and is a reviewer for over 30 journals. He is a current Doximity OpMed Fellow. He has been invited to lecture nationally and internationally. His on-line oculoplastic surgery video atlas (www.oculosurg.com) is recognized worldwide.
Dr Sui Hsien Wong is a Consultant Neurologist and Neuro-ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital and Guy's & St Thomas' Hospitals, London. She completed her neurology training in the United Kingdom, enriched by sabbaticals in Australia and the United States, followed by subspecialty fellowship training in Neuro-ophthalmology at Moorfields Eye Hospital. She leads one of the largest dedicated Ocular Myasthenia services internationally, as well as specialist services for Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH), pioneering innovative approaches to patient care including group consultations and lifestyle interventions. She has developed the first validated rating scale for Ocular Myasthenia Gravis, advancing the field's ability to assess treatment outcomes.
As the founding Vice-President of the UK Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (2019-2024) and patron of IIH UK patient charity, she has been instrumental in advancing patient care and professional collaboration in neuro-ophthalmology. A highly published researcher in the field, her current research includes leading a randomized controlled trial investigating mindfulness-based interventions for Visual Snow Syndrome, bridging the gap between conventional treatment and evidence-based lifestyle medicine.
Dr Wong is at the forefront of integrating lifestyle medicine into neuro-ophthalmology practice. Her innovative approach combines traditional clinical expertise with evidence-based lifestyle interventions, particularly in the management of IIH and other neuro-ophthalmic conditions. She manages a diverse range of cases from urgent to tertiary care referrals, bringing a comprehensive approach to patient care that spans both NHS and private practice.
Ophthalmologist, Cataract and Refractive Surgeon
Adelaide Eye and Laser Centre, Adelaide, Australia
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
Dr Ben LaHood is an ophthalmologist specialising in laser refractive, and cataract surgery. Ben is a globally recognised researcher, teacher and opinion leader on his key publication topics of astigmatism management, biometry and intraocular lens calculation. Dr LaHood is frequently invited to speak and present internationally. Ben is also a popular host on multiple ophthalmic podcasts and was recognised in The Ophthalmologist Power List of the top 100 most influential people in the eye world for 2023 and 2024.
Dr Jennifer Fan Gaskin (MBChB, MD, FRANZCO) is a Glaucoma Specialist at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, and Principal Investigator of the Ocular Fibrosis Research Unit at the Centre for Eye Research Australia (an institution ranked fourth globally in ophthalmology research).
After graduating medical school with Distinction at the University of Auckland, she pursued an anterior segment research fellowship and completed a Doctorate of Medicine (MD) thesis under the supervision of Professor Charles McGhee. Following her Ophthalmology training in New Zealand, she undertook two clinical glaucoma fellowships in Auckland and Melbourne, respectively. She was actively recruited to join the Glaucoma Unit at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital as a Consultant Ophthalmologist. She was also offered a sought-after position at the CERA as a clinical researcher.
Her research focuses on novel treatment strategies for fibrotic eye diseases including post-operative fibrosis in glaucoma filtration surgery, proliferative vitreoretinopathy, and macular fibrosis in age-related macular degeneration. Jennifer serves on many executive and scientific boards, including the Australian and New Zealand Glaucoma Society, Glaucoma Australia, the RANZCO Scientific Programme Executive Committee, and Australian Vision Research, for which she is the Secretarial Director. She is also a Glaucoma
Section Editor for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology (currently ranked 8th in Journal Impact Factor out of 95 Ophthalmology Journals). In 2021 she was named one of Science and Technology Australia’s Superstars of STEM.
Dr Cohn is a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists. She is the Head of the Medical Retina Unit at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre of Eye Research Australia/Cerulea. Her current areas of research include Age-related Macula Degeneration, retinal vascular disease, central serous retinopathy and inherited retinal diseases. She a member of the RANZCO executive scientific committee, is the ANZSRS’s treasurer and co-chair of RANZCO’s Vision 2030 diabetic retinopathy working group.
Dr Jo Sims is a Uveitis and Medical Retina specialist based in Auckland. Following her general ophthalmology training in New Zealand, she underwent two years of uveitis sub-specialty training in Singapore and Melbourne in 2006 and 2007.
Jo was the first ophthalmologist in New Zealand to have full sub-specialty training in uveitis and the management of ocular inflammatory disease. She set up the uveitis service for the Auckland region, which also provides tertiary care for complicated uveitis patients from other areas in New Zealand and now runs a fellowship programme. Jo is co-chair of the Uveitis Special Interest Group for Australia and New Zealand, the Australasian representative for the International Ocular Inflammation Society and is a Council Member of the Asia Pacific Society of Ocular Inflammation and Infection. She is actively involved in ophthalmology research and set up a uveitis database in 2008 which includes over 3000 patients and has provided the foundation for many academic projects and papers.
Jo holds consultant posts at Health New Zealand (Te Toka Tumai Auckland) and Eyes and Eyelids. She has provided a medical retina service to the Cook Islands on an annual basis since 2002.
Dr Parth Shah is a Canberra-based ophthalmologist with a passion for cataract surgery, strabismus surgery and paediatric ophthalmology.
Parth is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Canberra and Senior Clinical Lecturer at The University of Sydney. He is active in clinical research and teaching, and supervises registrars at several public hospitals including Canberra Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital & Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick.
Ian Kerridge is Professor of Bioethics and Medicine at the University of Sydney and Staff Haematologist/Bone Marrow Transplant physician at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney. He is Chair of the South East Sydney LHD Clinical Ethics Committee, Steering Committee member of the Australian Ethical Health Alliance (AEHA), and a Director of Praxis Australia – an Australian NFP devoted to education in research and research ethics. Ian trained in philosophy at the Universities of Sydney, Newcastle and Cambridge, medicine at the University of Newcastle and bone marrow transplantation (BMT) at the Royal Free Hospital in London and. He is the author of 6 textbooks of ethics and over 600 papers on ethics, philosophy, haematology and BMT.
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This year's conference banquet was held at the beautiful Shell House restaurant in the exclusive Clocktower bar. Housed within a 400-tonne iconic clock, The Clocktower Bar is an immersive space lined in timber joinery to capture the heritage and the grandeur of the 1930’s Art Deco period, and its Italianate architecture. The room is elevated and animated by the soaring void of the clocktower above, along with the fully restored and operating clock mechanisms.
The menu by Culinary Director Joel Bickford, focused on carefully sourced produce, presenting simple, refined dishes that were infused with Australian provenance yet beared the mark of the Mediterranean way of life. Shell House was awarded 2 hats in the 2025 Good Food Guide.
