Paihia: host to NZAO's 2018 conference

The New Zealand Association of Optometrists’ (NZAO) annual conference is now open for registration. This year the conference will be held in Paihia in the glorious Bay of Islands, from Friday 12 to Saturday 13 October, at the Copthorne Hotel by the Waitangi Treaty grounds.

The two-day conference programme is packed with interesting educational sessions and collegial social events. Joining popular New Zealand speakers, this year’s overseas keynotes are Professor Joseph Sowka and Associate Professor Lori Vollmer, from Nova Southeastern University’s College of Optometry in Florida, and Paula Katalinic, from the Centre for Eye Health at New South Wales University.

Prof Sowka has lectured extensively internationally and will share his clinical expertise in three separate talks: how to avoid mistakes in neuro-ophthalmic disease, glaucoma management and anterior segment and retinal disease. A/Prof Vollmer’s professional interests lie in ocular disease and nutrition. She will cover this as well as discussing managing ocular trauma. While Katalinic will connect the dots and discuss advancements in diabetic retinopathy and deliver a rapid-fire session on advanced imaging, presenting a range of interesting and clinically relevant ocular pathologies seen at the Centre for Eye Health. Katalinic’s last talk will also consider the latest research and provide tips on how advanced imaging can contribute to differential diagnosis and management.

For more information or to register, visit www.nzao.co.nz/nzao-conferences.