Speakers
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Dr. Kate Gifford
Scientist O.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Kate Gifford is an internationally renowned clinician-scientist optometrist and peer educator, and a Visiting Research Fellow at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. She holds a PhD in contact lens optics in myopia, four professional fellowships, over 100 peer reviewed and professional publications, and has presented more than 200 conference lectures. Kate was the youngest ever National President of Optometry Australia from 2014—16 and was named the QUT Young Alumnus of the Year in 2017.
Kate is the chair of the Clinical Management Guidelines Committee of the International Myopia Institute and the lead author of the landmark 2019 paper and 2021 Digest by that committee. She was named one of the world’s top Myopia Influencers by Contact Lens Spectrum in 2021. In 2016, Kate and her optometrist husband, Dr. Paul Gifford, co-founded Myopia Profile, the world-leading educational platform on childhood myopia management. After running her paediatric, contact lens and myopia specialty practice in the Brisbane central business district for 13 years, Kate moved full-time into peer education through Myopia Profile in 2020.
Dr. Jeffrey Walline
O.D., Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research - Ohio State University College of Optometry
Dr. Jeffrey J. Walline is the Associate Dean for Research at The Ohio State University College of Optometry. He received his Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry, and he received his master’s and Ph.D. degrees from The Ohio State University College of Optometry.
Dr. Walline has led several pediatric contact lens studies, and he is the study chair of the Bifocal Lenses In Nearsighted Kids (BLINK) Study, a National Eye Institute (NEI)-sponsored randomized clinical trial to investigate the myopia control effects of soft multifocal contact lenses. He is also the co-chair of the Delaying the Onset of Nearsightedness Until Treatment (DONUT) Study, an NEI-sponsored planning grant to determine whether low-concentration atropine can delay myopia onset.
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Dr. Langis Michaud
O.D., Professor & Chief of the Contact Lens Department - Université de Montréal
Dr. Langis Michaud graduated from École d’optométrie de l’Université de Montréal in 1986 where he also obtained his Master’s Degree in Physiological Optics (1998). He also graduated in public health ( third cycle) from École Nationale d’Administration Publique in Montréal (2006). He has been a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry since 1989 and Cornea and Contact Lens Diplomate since 1994. He is also a Fellow of the Scleral Contact Lens Organization and a Fellow of the British Contact Lens Association. Dr. Michaud is the current president of the College of Optometrists of Quebec (Ordre des Optométristes du Québec).
Dr. Michaud is a full-time professor and practiced at Université de Montréal since 2001 as the chief of the contact lens department. He has been involved in numerous clinical studies for pharmaceutical and contact lens companies. He was also a visiting professor at the Université de Paris-Sud (France) for over a decade.
Dr. Michaud has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and publications or professional reviews. He has been involved in numerous clinical studies for pharmaceutical and contact lens companies. Dr. Michaud is currently developing a unique longitudinal study project on ocular manifestations of Fabry’s and other lysosomal storage disorders.
Dr. Michaud has shared his expertise across the world, and he is a regular speaker at the American Academy of Optometry and at the European Academy of Optometry meeting.
Dr. Jeff Goodhew
O.D., Practice Owner
Dr. Jeff Goodhew graduated from the University of Waterloo with an optometry degree in 1993 and became therapeutically licensed in 2000. He enjoys being an active part of his profession, having served as the President of the Ontario Association of Optometrists from 2014 to 2016. Dr. Goodhew also served as the co-chair of the National Public Education Committee for the Canadian Association of Optometrists.
Dr. Goodhew enjoys seeing patients of all ages. He
has a special interest in dry eye disease, myopia management and glaucoma. He has worked as a consultant for some of the world’s largest eye care companies, including Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, CooperVision, Alcon and Zeiss.
Dr. Goodhew is also a partner at MyDryEye, a multifaceted Dry Eye company with several digital properties spanning public education and eye doctor education. Outside of work, he is passionate about cycling, running, golfing, tennis, and spending time with his wife, Dr. Tina Goodhew and their two sons, Camden, and Braedon.
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Dr. Tina Goodhew
O.D., Practice Owner
Dr. Tina Goodhew graduated with the highest standing in her class with a B.Sc. Honours degree from Queen’s University, which she attended on a full scholarship. After receiving several offers and awards, including an Ontario Graduate Scholarship and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Dr. Tina chose to attend the University of Waterloo to pursue optometry.
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Dr. Tina is active in service to the profession of Optometry. She served on the Board of Directors for the BC College of Optometrists in the early 2000s. From 2010 to 2016, she was a director for Eye Recommend, a group responsible for helping chart the course of optometry in Canada. She has given numerous talks to colleagues and community groups and is a key opinion leader for Alcon, CooperVision, Bausch & Lomb, and Sightly.
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Dr. Tina delights in helping patients see their best. She is especially passionate about children’s vision and is a past recipient of the Eye See Eye Learn award. She is especially interested in advanced contact lens fitting, dry eye disease, and laser vision correction. After hours, she enjoys spending time with her family and playing volleyball, tennis, and softball.
Dr. Vishakha Thakrar
O.D., Owner of Vaughan Vision Centre
Dr. Vishakha Thakrar founded Vaughan Vision Centre, an advanced specialty contact lens clinic, myopia, and dry eye clinic in Vaughan, Ontario. The practice focuses primarily on scleral lens fitting, full-scope myopia management, vision therapy, and advanced dry eye treatment. She completed a Cornea and Contact Lens Residency at the New England College of Optometry. She then became the Director of the Contact Lens Service at the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic.
She later helped establish the Contact Lens Clinic at the Kensington Eye Institute in Toronto. Dr. Thakrar has been fitting OrthoK lenses, scleral lenses and treating ocular surface disease for over 20 years. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and the Scleral Lens Society. She has spoken and written extensively for many years on contact lenses, dry eye disease, corneal disease, and myopia management.
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Dr. Devan Trischuk
O.D., Top 40 Under 40 Optometrist in Canada
Dr. Devan Trischuk was born and raised in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. He completed his Bachelor of Science – Honours Physiology degree at the University of Alberta in 2007 and his Doctor of Optometry – Dean’s Honour List at the University of Waterloo in 2011. He received the Michael Gutwein Memorial Award for his graduating class at Waterloo.
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He was honoured to be selected in 2018 as one of the top “40 Under 40” optometrists in Canada by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care.
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Dr. Trischuk’s interest in optometry started from a young age with yearly visits to his optometrist for stronger glasses due to his rapidly progressing myopia. Myopia management has become one of his main areas of interest, and he enjoys working with children and families in an attempt to control and slow its progression to ensure years of health vision for his youngest patients!
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Dr. Trischuk has taken his interest in myopia management a step further and currently delivers lectures across North America to other optometrists and healthcare professionals on this topic.
His other optometric interests include specialty contact lenses, ocular disease management, and co-managing refractive surgery options for his patients.
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He is a proud father of four children — Emma, Desmond, Willa and Rose — and husband to his wife, Jen. In his free time, he enjoys getting outdoors and being active with his family in his free time!
Dr. Anita Voisin
O.D., Eye Recommend Board Member
Dr. Voisin graduated from the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry and worked in Ontario for two years at the Oshawa clinic before moving to Vancouver Island. With Dr. Trevor Miranda in Mill Bay, she was the lead in their first satellite clinic in Chemainus. She helped to expand the Mill Bay location to Cobble Hill, followed by the opening of three more clinics.
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Dr. Voisin sits on the board of the Rotary Club of Chemainus, as well as Eye Recommend, and has served with the Chemainus Chamber of Commerce for eight years. Dr. Voisin has developed a special interest in both dry eye disease and myopia management and participates regularly in community eye health programs providing top-tier education to students and seniors.
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