Keynote lectures and YO sessions at the 2025 SOE Congress

Fascinating topics at the SOE Congress include challenging retinal cases (presented with the VitBuckle society), use of Botox in ophthalmology and a decades-long study of optic neuritis. Image credit: ©PhotosbyPatrick – stock.adobe.com

The European Society of Ophthalmology (SOE) will hold its 2025 congress from 7-9 June, at the Lisbon Congress Centre (CCL) in Lisbon, Portugal. The programme includes must-see educational content including three keynote lectures and a series of special events for the young ophthalmologist (YO) cohort.

Keynote lectures

The SOE Congress will feature three keynote lectures, addressing topics within glaucoma management, cataract care and neuro-ophthalmology.

Saturday, 7 June

13:30 to 14:15

Sir Peng T. Khaw MD, PhD, FRCS, FRCP, FRCOphth, FRSB, FCOptom, Hon DSc, FARVO, FMedSci, United Kingdom

Prof Peng will deliver the Theodor Axenfeld Lecture, titled “Can Glaucoma be Cured by Surgical and Regenerative Therapies?”

Sir Peng is a professor of glaucoma studies and wound healing at the University College London Institute of Ophthalmology and Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital, both in London, UK. Additionally, he is the founder/director of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) specialist Biomedical Research Centre in Ophthalmology at Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, which is the only national, single-specialty NIHR centre. In 2013, he was knighted as part of the Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to ophthalmology.

Sunday, 8 June

13:30 to 14:15

Filomena Ribeiro, MD, PhD, FEBO, Portugal

Prof Ribeiro will deliver the José Barraquer Lecture, titled “Cataract Surgery and Functional Vision”

Prof Ribeiro is the president of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons and the head of ophthalmology at Hospital da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal. Previously, she served as chair of the Portuguese Ocular Inflammation Group, a committee of the Portuguese Society of Ophthalmology, and of the Portuguese Group of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Monday, 9 June

13:30 to 14:15

Gordon Plant, MA, MD, FRCP, FRCOphth, United Kingdom

Prof Plant will deliver the Marcus Gunn Lecture, titled “40 years with Optic Neuritis”

Prof Plant served as a consultant ophthalmolgist at St. Thomas' Hospital and Moorfields Eye Hospital. Now retired from clinical practice, he is still involved in education, delivering lectures and overseeing research.

YO Sessions

The YO lounge will be open daily from 9:30 am. During each day of the SOE Congress, the lounge will host special sessions exclusive to the YO attendees.

Saturday, 7 June

12:00-13:00

General Assembly & National Representative Meeting

Sunday, 8 June

11:00-12:00

Mini Exchange Session

12:00-13:00

Voluntary work round table

Featuring speakers Lars Christian Boberg Ans (How to get involved in Eye-Rescue MSICS training); Aishwarya Sriram (Global ophthalmology: how to make an impact); Minak Bhalla (UCL glaucoma surgery and West Africa); and Atanas Bogoev (Volunteering to empowering ophthalmology education)

14:30-16:00

VitBuckle Society and SOE YO: Challenging (surgical) Retinal Cases

16:30-17:45

Neuro-ophthalmology and Imaging: A Guide

Monday, 9 June

12:00-13:00

Aesthetics in Ophthalmology

Featuring speakers Mr. Ziyaad Sultan (Upper and lower blepharoplasty); Nina Jovanovic (Tearful tear trough: anatomy, grading and management); and Lana Datuashvili (Botox in ophthalmology: aesthetic and non-aesthetic purposes)

13:00-14:00

Future Career Directions

14:30-16:00

Prevention of Myopia Pandemics

16:30-18:00

Sustainability and Global Ophthalmology