NASA astronaut and clinical lead will deliver keynote at International SPECTRALIS Symposium

Heidelberg Engineering announced its 2025 International SPECTRALIS Symposium (ISS) will be held in Heidelberg, Germany, from 13 to 14 June. This year marks the 21st anniversary of the ISS, and the event will be the first ISS held in the newly-opened Heidelberg Congress Center, the company said in a press release.¹ The keynote presentation will be given by Warren Hoburg and Tyson Brunstetter, OD, PhD, astronauts at the US-based National Aeronautics and Space Administration.²

This year's ISS will be the first to be held at the Heidelberg Congress Center in Heidelberg, Germany. Image courtesy of Heidelberg Engineering.

Frank Holz, MD, FEBO, FARVO, professor and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at University of Bonn, Germany, will serve as chair for the symposium. Over the course of 2 days, attendees will be able to hear from 35 different speakers, traveling to Heidelberg from across 12 countries.

“What began 21 years ago as a dedicated retinal imaging event has evolved into a comprehensive platform for innovation in ophthalmology,” Prof Holz said in the press release. “The opportunity to engage with such a distinguished group of experts and discuss emerging therapies in this setting is truly unparalleled.

The scientific programme³ includes seven different sessions over the course of the symposium, with multiple lectures on each topic: oculomics, High-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT), new technology, age-related macular degeneration and geographic atrophy, artificial intelligence, retina and distributed care. The keynote session on Friday, 13 June will be presented in conjunction with NASA and is titled "A journey into space."

Researchers use Heidelberg's Spectralis OCT technology onboard the International Space Station to investigate the effects of microgravity environments on vision. NASA began using the technology in 2013, and in 2019, a second Spectralis device equipped with the OCT2 Module was installed on the space station.² The collaborative research focuses in part on Space Flight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS), a condition that which commonly causes unilateral and bilateral optic disc oedema in patients who have spent time in microgravity environments.

“Every day at NASA we learn something new about the impact of space travel on the human body, and ocular health in particular," said Hoburg ahead of the meeting. "I am honored to be on this stage with Dr Brunstetter and look forward to sharing our insights, learnings, and experiences with this year’s symposium attendees."

Along with live scientific sessions, attendees will be able to visit the exhibition hall or take a tour of the SkyLabs Tower, Heidelberg Engineering's company headquarters.

Frank Holz, MD, FEBO, FARVO, will serve as chair for the ISS in 2025. Image courtesy of Heidelberg Engineering.

The exhibition hall will feature a showcase of the SeeLuma digital microscope with intraoperative OCT. Following the conclusion of the scientific programme on Friday evening, Heidelberg Engineering will host a boat cruise dinner reception on the river Neckar.¹

The full scientific programme can be found online. Attendees can register through the Heidelberg Engineering Academy webpage.

Reference

1. International SPECTRALIS Symposium – AND BEYOND. Press release. Heidelberg Engineering. Published March 7, 2025. Accessed March 7, 2025.

2. NASA Astronauts Warren Hoburg and Tyson Brunstetter to Headline Heidelberg Engineering’s 2025 International SPECTRALIS Symposium. Press release. Heidelberg Engineering. Published May 22, 2025. Accessed May 22, 2025.

3. International SPECTRALIS Symposium and Beyond: Our Best Program. Heidelberg Engineering Academy. Accessed March 7, 2025. https://www.academy.heidelbergengineering.com/hedata/e-learning/Totara/Dateien/ScientificProgram_ISS2025_Heidelberg.pdf