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About EuCornea

EuCornea > About EuCornea
History of EuCornea
Trustees
Executive
Board
Young Academic Committee
Past Presidents
Medal Lecture Recipients
EuCornea, officially known as the European Society of Cornea and Ocular Surface Disease Specialists, was founded in 2009 during the XXVII Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) in Barcelona.
 
EuCornea was established by a group of leading ophthalmologists including Professor Harminder Singh Dua, Dr. José Güell, Professor François Malecaze and Professor Vincenzo Sarnicola.  Their aim was to create a professional platform dedicated to advancing knowledge, research, and clinical practice in the field of corneal and ocular surface diseases.
 
EuCornea is a non-profit scientific society with the following key goals:
  1. To promote collaboration and the exchange of knowledge and skills among corneal specialists across Europe.
  2. To support and document scientific research related to the cornea and ocular surface.
  3. To encourage the spread of high-level expertise in ophthalmology, specifically corneal health, among professionals and the wider public.
  4. To work in close partnership with similar international organisations committed to advancing the field.
 
Since its founding, EuCornea has become one of Europe’s leading corneal societies. It holds an annual congress, which serves as a key event for professionals in the field, featuring educational sessions, case discussions, wetlabs and networking opportunities.

Trustees

Harminder Dua

UK

José Güell

Spain

Jesper Hjortdal

Denmark

Executive

Mario Nubile

Italy 

EuCornea President

Ingemar Gustafsson

Sweden

Treasurer

Beatrice Cochener

France 

Past President

Georgios Kymionis

Greece

Past President

Board

Nicolas Alejandre

Spain

Bruce Allan

UK

Myriam Barbany

Spain

Claus Cursiefen

Germany

Carina Koppen

Belgium

 Nuno Moura Coelho

Portugal

Sebastian Siebelmann

Germany

Vincenzo Sarnicola

Italy
(Non-voting Member)

Young Academic Committee

Clara Bonel

Spain

Nacim Bouheraoua

France

Heleen Delbeke

Belgium

Antonia Howaldt

Germany

Maria Phylactou

Cyprus

Anna Randag

The Netherlands

Vito Romano

Italy

Past Presidents

2023 - 2025

Beatrice Cochener-Lamard

France
2021 - 2022

Georgios Kyminios

Greece
2019 - 2020

Jesper Hjortdal

Denmark
2017 - 2018

Friedrich Kruse

Germany
2015 - 2016

Francois Malecaze

France
2013 - 2014

Jose Guell

Spain

2011 - 2012

Harminder Dua

UK

2009 - 2010

Vincenzo Sarnicola

 Italy

Medal Lecture Recipients

2025

Jod Mehta

Singapore
2024

Marc Muraine

France

2023

Georgios Kymionis

Greece
2022

Vincenzo Sarnicola

Italy
2021

Jesper Hjortdal

Denmark
2020

Donald Tan

Singapore
2019

Sadeer Hannush

USA
2018

Carlos Belmonte

 Spain
2017

Francois Malecaze

France
2016

Paolo Rama

Italy
2015

John Dart

UK

2014

Jose Guell

 Spain
2013

Gabriel van Rij

The Netherlands
2012

Harminder Dua

UK
2011

Peter Laibson

USA

Purpose

The Society is a non-profit, scientific organisation active in Europe and whose purpose is in particular:

  • To promote personal relationships and exchange of scientific knowledge and practical skills among corneal specialists in Europe
  • To encourage, support and register scientific research in the field of cornea and ocular surface disease in Europe
  • To promote the dissemination of the highest level of knowledge in the field of ophthalmology and specifically in cornea and ocular surface disease among ophthalmologists and the public
  • To promote an efficient collaboration with similar organisations worldwide which contribute to progress in the field of cornea and ocular surface disease

Aims of the Society

In order to attain the purpose as stated in article of these Bye Laws, the Society may in particular carry out the following activities:

  • The organisation of an open scientific congress every year
  • The organisation of an annual meeting of its members
  • The organisation and promotion of special and regional meetings
  • Keep its members informed about medical research in the field of cornea and ocular surface disease
  • The issuance of ethical standards and a code of ethics
  • The issuance of guidelines for subspecialty training in the fields of cornea and ocular surface disease
  • The support of scientific research and education in the field of cornea and ocular surface disease

Clara Bonel

Spain

My name is Clara Bonel Pla, and I am a 29-year-old ophthalmologist from Barcelona. From a young age, I was an inquisitive and curious child, traits that eventually led me to pursue a career in medicine. I completed my medical studies at the University of Barcelona and later specialized in ophthalmology at the prestigious Barraquer Clinic in my hometown.

Early in my career, I discovered a deep passion for cornea-related work. This passion has driven me to focus my efforts in this field, and I am currently undertaking a fellowship in Cornea and Refractive Surgery at Clínica Oftalmosalud in Lima.

During my residency, I had the privilege of contributing to several book chapters and presenting my work at national and international conferences. My commitment to continuous learning also inspired me to complete official certifications such as the Board of Ophthalmology and the International Council of Ophthalmology exams.

I pride myself on my ability to work effectively as part of a team, my creative and tireless mindset, and my unwavering passion for everything I do. These qualities fuel my dedication to both my professional and personal growth in ophthalmology. I am delighted to be part of the Eucornea YA Committee!

Nacim Bouheraoua

France

Nacim Bouheraoua is a French professor of ophthalmology. He works in Paris in the 15-20 National Eye Hospital and in The Vision Institute. He is specialized in the medical and surgical management of corneal diseases. And especially refractive surgery, corneal graft, keratoconus, corneal infections, and corneal healing with a special interest in corneal nerves and corneal neurotization.

He has a PhD in Neurosciences in corneal innervation and has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications in these different topics.

Heleen Delbeke

Belgium

Heleen Delbeke graduated summa cum laude as a medical doctor at the KU Leuven in 2012, and immediately embarked on her career in ophthalmology. She was trained in several institutions, including UZ Leuven, Sint Lucas Bruges, and the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom, where she further honed her skills in cataract surgery. 

Her subspecialty in cornea, cataract, and refractive surgery was further developed during two fellowships—first under Prof. Dr. Beatrijs Foets at UZ Leuven, followed by Dr. Robert Wisse in Utrecht, The Netherlands. After this extensive training, she joined the medical staff of UZLeuven in 2018 as anterior segment surgeon.

Heleen Delbeke completed her PhD in 2023, with a dissertation titled “Insights in the Ocular Surface Microbiome – Optimisation of Technical Aspects of 16S rRNA Amplicon Sequencing.” Her clinical research in cataract, cornea, and refractive surgery continues alongside her more fundamental investigations into the ocular surface microbiome and its relationship to ocular immunology.

In addition to her clinical responsibilities and ongoing research projects, Heleen Delbeke also provides medical and operational support to the UZ Leuven Biobank. This combination of practical expertise and cutting-edge research will undoubtedly enhance our efforts in both patient care and scientific innovation.

Antonia Howaldt

Germany

Antonia Howaldt, MD, studied Medicine at Charité University Berlin, graduating in 2019

In 2021, she earned her experimental doctorate summa cum laude in the field of rare monogenetic disease of bone metabolism. Her research was conducted at the Institute of Medical Genetics and Human Genetics at Charité and the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin and supported by a 12-month doctoral scholarship from the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH).

In April 2020, she began her residency in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Cologne, Germany, under the supervision of Professor Claus Cursiefen. As a clinician scientist, her research focuses on immune modulation of the corneal surface and clinical imaging in Fuchs Dystrophy. She is also interested in genetics of corneal disease. Antonia Howaldt is a principle investigator within the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1607, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), co-leading a project on ocular surface inflammation and immune modulatory agents in dry eye disease and herpetic keratitis in collaboration with Professor Alexander Steinkasserer (Erlangen, Germany).

From 2022 to 2024, she served as the First Fellow Speaker of the Cologne Clinician Scientist Program. Since October 2022, she has been Second Speaker of the Young German Ophthalmological Society (yDOG) and participated in the DOG Leadership Academy (2023-2024).

Maria Phylactou

Cyprus

Dr. Maria Phylactou is a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon with expertise in Cornea, Ocular Surface Disease and Cataract & Refractive Surgery.

She graduated from Athens Medical School and undertook her ophthalmic specialty training in both Cyprus and the United Kingdom, during which she became a Fellow of the European Board of Ophthalmology. She pursued further training by undertaking a prestigious and highly competitive sub-specialty training in Cornea and Ocular Surface Disease at the world- renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. During her training she was awarded numerous awards for teaching, research and surgical innovation, including the 1st prize in the Global Surgical Video Contest by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Dr. Phylactou has also undertaken a Master’s degree in Ophthalmology, where she graduated with distinction and a scholarship award for excellence. In addition, she successfully completed, with distinction, an advanced postgraduate diploma in cataract and refractive surgery at the University of Ulster.

Dr. Phylactou manages complex Cornea and Ocular Surface Disease patients and carries out all modern corneal transplants including partial-thickness (DMEK, ultra-thin DSAEK, DALK) and full-thickness (PKP) corneal grafts, as well as limbal stem cell transplantation and amniotic membrane grafting. She also performs routine and complex cataract surgery and implants both monofocal and premium intraocular lenses.

She has a special interest in research and has numerous peer-reviewed publications in leading Ophthalmology journals. She regularly presents her research projects at various national and international conferences. She has a strong interest in medical education and supervises medical students and residents. She also serves as a reviewer for several scientific journals.

Anna Randag

The Netherlands

The Rotterdam Eye Hospital in the Netherlands has been my second home for nearly 9 years. After my residency I had the privilege of learning all about the cornea from my highly esteemed colleagues Annette Geerards, Tom van Goor, Lies Remeijer and Jeroen van Rooij, during my fellowship. As of January 2023, I am officially part of the Cornea team, and it is my time to teach residents and fellows. My research activities focus on infectious keratitis, particularly on Acanthamoeba keratitis.

Away from the hospital at my real home, we have two wonderful kids of 5 and 3 years old. I am very honoured to be part of the EuCornea YA committee and look forward to meeting everyone in Prague!

Vito Romano

Italy

Prof. Vito Romano is Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Brescia, where he also serves as the Resident Program Director, and Head of the Cornea Service at Spedali Civili di Brescia, Italy. Additionally, he is an Honorary Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom. Renowned for his expertise in eye surgery, Prof. Romano specializes in corneal transplantation and cataract, as well as refractive surgery.

He honed his surgical skills through prestigious fellowships at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital and Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. Prof. Romano is an active researcher, having authored over 250 peer-reviewed publications, with a focus on corneal diseases, lamellar corneal transplantation, and innovative approaches to enhance graft survival. Prof. Romano holds prominent leadership roles in professional societies. He is a member of the Management Committee for the Cataract, Optometry, Refractive, and Cornea (CORC) UK Clinical Study Group (CSG) and the Management Committee of the Corneal Transplant Italian Society (S.I.Tra.C). He is deeply committed to teaching and mentorship, inspiring the next generation of ophthalmologists.