‘Keep your eyes on the journey’ urges new BCLA President at AGM

‘Keep your eyes on the journey’ urges new BCLA President

The new President of the BCLA will explore how advances in materials, modalities, and patient expectations have not only shaped modern contact lens development, but also the way that eye care professionals teach, learn, and connect.

Byki Huntjens will use her Presidential Address on Wednesday, 25 June to focus on the importance of storytelling, reflection, and forward-thinking while inspiring the next generation of eye care professionals and educators to keep their own ‘eyes on the journey’.

The lecture will take place virtually via Zoom, straight after the BCLA’s Annual General Meeting held on the same night. One CPD point will be available.

Byki said: “Leading the BCLA is a huge honour and I’m excited to have the chance to host this Presidential Address where I will discuss my own journey in contact lenses while encouraging others to shape their own.

“I’m passionate about contact lenses and communicating their benefits to patients. It’s an ever-changing field and technology is moving incredibly fast. We need to make sure eye care professionals keep up with that and patients have access to the latest products and information.

“Language matters and, if we can get the next generation of eye care professionals to think carefully about the words they choose when discussing lenses with their patients, I’m certain we can get more people to not just consider them but successfully wear them for years to come.”

Byki is a consultant educator and optometrist from the Netherlands, Education Lead with the Association of Optometrists, and an honorary senior research fellow at City St George’s, University of London collaborating on the TFOS Lifestyle report, BCLA CLEAR, and Cochrane.

Her current educational and research interests include contact lenses, dry eye, and AI. Byki, a BCLA Fellow and certificate lead, is also a Fellow of IACLE and former Director.

Register online at www.bcla.org.uk