Preliminary Programme
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria
“HOW TO MAKE IT GR8”
The program features speakers (expert doctors and scientists) from three continents: Europe, North America, and Asia.
It will make this conference truly global in scope. It will be an international celebration of collaboration and hope.
Friday, 17 April 2026
10.00-12.30 Arrival and registration, industry opens (time for parallel meetings and networking)
12.30-13.30 Lunch break
13.30-14.00 Opening ceremony, welcome and introduction
14.00-14.30 Opening keynote lecture – Dr Yoshinori Oie
Title: Novel Therapeutic Approaches and Clinical Guidelines for Aniridia
14.30-16.00 Session 1: From bed to bench and back – stem cell research as a new hope for aniridia patients
Panelists: Prof. Neil Lagali, Dr Jo Zhou
14.30-14.50 Latest update on stem cells, PAX6 and aniridia – Meri Vattulainen, Dina Javidjam
14.50-15.10 Dissecting stem cell differentiation control in corneal development through multi-omics approaches – Dr Jo Zhou
15.10-15.30 Cornea organoids from aniridia-derived iPSC – Dulce Lima Cunha
15.30-16.00 Coffee break and Poster Session 1
16.00-17.30 Session 2: Young ophthalmologists, scientists and patients with a scientific background presented posters
Open for applications until 31/01/2026 at: arbilis@arbilis.com
Call for Poster Presentations
17.30-18.30 Session 3: Facilitating the Quality of Life – Multilevel Perspective
Panelists: Dr Sabrina Vaccaro, Prof. Huban Atila, Daniel Egido
17.30-17.50 Unmet needs of aniridia patients in the everyday clinical practice – Prof. Huban Atila
17.50-18.10 The patient perspective – Daniel Egido, James Buller, Katherine Atkinson
18.10-18.30 Panel discussion: How to improve?
Panelists: Dr Sabrina Vaccaro, Prof. Huban Atila, Daniel Egido, James Buller, Prof. Christina Grupcheva
18.30 Closure of DAY ONE
19.00 Networking – Earth and Man National Museum
Saturday, 18 April
08.00-18.00 Registration and welcome
08.30-10.00 Session 4: The new perspectives in treatment of Glaucoma
Panelists: Prof. Dominique Bremond-Gignac, Prof. Peter Netland, Prof. Alejandra Daruich
08.30-08.50 Medical treatments – Prof. Alejandra Daruich
08.50-09.10 The role of lasers – Prof. Christina Grupcheva
09.10-09.30 MIGS – Prof. Dominique Bremond-Gignac
09.30-09.50 When nothing helps… – Prof. Peter Netland
09.50-10.00 Discussion
10.00-10.30 Coffee break and Poster Session 2
10.30-12.00 Session 5: The new perspectives in treatment of Dry eye
Panelists: Prof. Nora Szentmary, Prof. Maria Del Carmen Acosta, Prof. Christina Grupcheva
10.30-10.50 Inflammation matters – Prof. Christina Grupcheva
10.50-11.10 Current Understanding of Corneal Sensory Nerve Functionality in Aniridia – Prof. Maria Del Carmen Acosta
11.10-11.30 All is a vicious circle – Prof. Nora Szentmary
11.30-12.00 The “best” artificial tears – patient’s perspective – discussion with patients’ involvement
12.00-12.30 Platinum sponsor symposium
12.30-13.00 Keynote lecture – Dr. Virender Sangwan
13.00-13.30 Packed lunch
13.30-14.00 Keynote lecture of the BSO “Inter-disciplinary collaboration in Aniridia”
14.00-15.30 Session 6: Facilitating the quality of life – the multilevel perspective
Panelists: Dr Sabrina Vaccaro, Prof. Peter Netland, Dr Virender Sangwan
14.00-14.20 How to assess quality of life – European perspective –Dr Sabrina Vaccaro
14.20-14.40 How to assess quality of life – US perspective – Prof. Peter Netland
14.40-15.00 How to assess quality of life – Asian perspective – Dr Virender Sangwan
15.00-15.30 How to achieve quality of life – Patient’s perspective – Daniel Egido, James Buller
15.30-16.00 Coffee break and Poster Session 3
16.00-17.30 Session 7: Do not forget the retina or WAGR …
Panelists: Prof. Dominique Bremond-Gignac, Prof. Alejandra Daruich
16.00-16.30 TBD
16.30-17.00 TBD
17.00-17.30 Beyond the Iris: Managing the Full Spectrum of WAGR Syndrome – Kelly Trout, International WAGR Syndrome Association (IWSA)
17.30-18.00 Interdisciplinary approach for better care – round table
Panelists: Prof. Nora Szentmary, Dr Yoshinori Oie, Prof. Huban Atila
17.30-18.30 Session 8: Free presentations
Open for applications until 31/12/2025 at: arbilis@arbilis.com
18.30 Closure of DAY TWO
19.00 Networking – Introduction of Bulgarian folk culture, traditional remedies, and herbs
Sunday, 19 April
08.00-13.00 Registration and welcome
08.30-10.00 Session 9: New diagnostic approaches
Panelists: Prof. Neil Lagali, Assoc. Prof. Jim Lauderdale, Dr Erlend Landsend, Prof. Mari Carmen Acosta, TBD
10.00-10.30 Coffee break and Networking
10.30-12.00 Session 9: Therapeutic innovations
Panelists: Dr Virender Sangwan, Prof Peter Netland, Assoc. Prof. Jim Lauderdale
10.30–11.00 Antisense oligonucleotide therapy in a mouse model of AAK – Ava Dashti
11.00-11.30 Antisense oligonucleotide therapy, from bench to clinic – Mert Mestanoglu
11.30-12.00 TBD
12.00-13.00 Closing remarks, networking and packed lunch
If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us: 8th@eac-2026.com