Book a ‘Blind-Date’ with Eye Experts & Help the Fight for Sight

Fight for Sight, the UK’s main eye research charity, is offering the opportunity to have ‘Blind Dates’ with leading research experts at 100% Optical.

Members of the Fight for Sight’s speaker network including: Professor Roger Buckley, Professor Barbara Pierscionek, Professor John Marshall, Professor Keith Meek, Professor Harminder Dua and Dr Christos Bergeles, will be sharing their love for eye research at Europe’s fastest growing optical trade show on 6-8 February, at the Excel, London.

Visitors and exhibitors will have the opportunity to speak to them exclusively following their scheduled seminars at the show. If you have a burning desire to ask research questions, this is the perfect chance to meet one-on-one and help support Fight for Sight’s pioneering eye research.

All ‘Blind Dates’ will last 15 minutes and for every minute you will be donating £1 to help create a future everyone can see.

Dr Christos Bergeles, a Lecturer at the Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering at UCL, will be discussing microsurgical robots for retinal interventions at the event and will be available for appointments. He said: “Engineering solutions should not just simplify ophthalmic interventions; they should make impossible interventions possible. Research is becoming more pioneering than ever and thanks to funding from Fight for Sight I’ve been able to carry out vital work. For anyone interested in this particular area I’ll be happy to discuss in more details through the charity’s ‘Blind Date’ element.”

Julian Jackson, Senior Advisor for Fight for Sight said: “Following on from the popularity of the Fight for Sight seminars at 100% Optical last year – we wanted to maximise the opportunity to raise awareness of the charity and the importance of eye research. A huge thanks to our researchers for taking part in this activity. Please join the fight against sight loss and book your ‘Blind-Date’ today.”

As well as the ‘Blind Dates’ activity the charity is encouraging people to support their #BlinkWinkThink campaign for a second year running. Capture a one-eyed selfie, nominate friends, family and colleagues to help spread the importance of eye research and donate by texting BWTC16 £3 to 70070.

Visitors can use the #BlinkWinkThink photo booth situated on Fight for Sight stand (position B70) for a small donation and take part in the charity’s Love to See feature.

To book your ‘Blind Date’ please visit here. 

Fight for Sight Speaker Network Seminar Schedule at 100% Optical

Saturday 6 February

1pm: Professor Roger Buckley from Moorfields Eye Hospital will be presenting  ‘Ocular Allergy and its Management’ covering the different types of allergic diseases that can affect the surface of the eye, distinguishing mild self‐limiting conditions from severe, chronic and sight-threatening conditions.

2pm: Professor Barbara Pierscionek’s, Associate Dean of Research and Enterprise in the Faculty Science, Engineering and Computing, at Kingston University, seminar focuses on the eye lens, ageing and growth.

Sunday 7 February

12pm: Professor John Marshall, the Frost Professor of Ophthalmology at UCL’s Institute of Ophthalmology, will be discussing laser surgery past, present and future.

3pm: Professor Keith Meek, from Cardiff University, has worked on corneal ultrastructure for nearly 40 years and will be discussing developing ways of treating or replacing the cornea.

Monday 8 February

12pm: Dr Christos Bergeles, Lecturer at the Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering at UCL, will be discussing microsurgical robots for retinal interventions.

1pm: Professor Harminder Dua, is an eye surgeon and academician working at the Queen’s medical centre, specialising in corneal transplantation and ocular surface disease. He will be discussing re-surfacing the ocular surface.