Dr. Christine W. Sindt is a 1994 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Optometry. She completed a disease-based residency at the Cleveland Veterans Administration Medical Center. Dr. Sindt joined the faculty of the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences in 1995, where she is currently the director of the contact lens service and professor of clinical ophthalmology. She also serves as a consultant optometrist for the Iowa City Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Dr. Sindt holds 7 US patents and has over 150 publications. She regularly travels to conferences, both nationally and internationally. She has had numerous funded research grants; her current research projects include elevation specific scleral lens design, higher order aberration control on contact lenses, ocular health associated with scleral lenses, and smart contact lenses.

Awards and Recognition:

• 2019 National Keratoconus Foundation names her “Top Doc” of the year and the Scleral Lens Society Scleral Lens Practitioner of the Year.
• 2017 Theia Award of Excellence for innovation
• 2016 Top 30 Most Influential in Contact Lenses in the Last 30 Years by the Contact Lens Spectrum
• 2013 Legends Award from the American Optometric Association’s Contact Lens and Cornea Section
• 2011 Practitioner of the Year by the Contact Lens Manufacturers Association
• 2010 AOA Cornea and Contact Lens Council Chair
• Rodger Kame Award
• Past president and founding member of Women in Vision
• Past president and co-founder of the Scleral Lens Education Society
• Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry
• Member of the Gas Permeable Lens Institute Advisory Panel

Dr. Sindt is the chief clinical editor for Review of Optometry and has served as associate editor for Review of Cornea and Contact Lens, an Optometry Times editorial advisory board member, and as a contributing editor for Contact Lens Spectrum. She also serves a peer reviewer for several ophthalmologic journals.

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Dr. Maria K. Walker is an Assistant Professor at the University Of Houston College Of Optometry and recently completed her Ph.D. studying the effects of scleral lenses on the ocular surface. Dr. Walker is involved in several research projects at the Ocular Surface Institute at the University of Houston, primarily studying scleral lenses and tear film. Her other research interests include specialty contact lens optics and inflammation with contact lenses. She has published several peer-reviewed manuscripts and is an active reviewer for Contact Lens & Anterior Eye and Optometry & Vision Science. Dr. Walker lectures domestically and internationally on scleral lenses and has won several awards related to contact lenses and research, including the VSP Vision Care Scholarship for Clinical Excellence, the Sheldon Wechsler Contact Lens Residency Award, and is a two-time recipient of the Ezell Fellowship given by the American Optometric Foundation. Dr. Walker is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, an advisory board member of the Gas Permeable Lens Institute, a member of the Cornea & Contact Lens Section of the AAO, and a board member of the International Forum for Scleral Lens Research.

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Lakshman Subbaraman is an Associate Director for Clinical Projects at Vision Care Global Clinical Development & Medical Affairs, Alcon, where he has been since 2018. Previously, he was the Head of BioSciences, Senior Clinical Scientist and Research Associate Professor at the Centre for Ocular Research & Education, School of Optometry & Science, University of Waterloo, Canada.

He has authored over 90 peer-reviewed & professional articles, three book chapters and over 200 published abstracts in the areas of contact lens discomfort, contact lens interaction with the ocular surface & ophthalmic drug delivery. He has presented at numerous conferences and continuing education programs in 15+ different countries.

Lakshman was listed in the “top 10 most impactful authors in the field of silicone hydrogel contact lenses” (Efron N, et al. Journal of Optometry 2021). He was also named in the list of “200 most impactful optometrists in the world” (Efron N, et al. Global optometrist top 200 research ranking. Clinical and Experimental Optometry 2021). Expertscape, a biomedical-focused website that objectively ranks scientists and researchers by their expertise, recently ranked Lakshman in the top 10 global experts in the past decade in the field of contact lenses.

He is a recipient of several awards including American Optometric Foundation’s William Ezell Fellowship and the Ontario Ministry of Research & Innovation Award. He is on the editorial board of the British Contact Lens Association’s peer-reviewed journal, Contact Lens & Anterior Eye and has served on the editorial board of American Academy of Optometry’s (AAO) journal, Optometry & Vision Science. He has previously served as the chair of the scientific program committee of the Canadian Optometry Research Conference, and as a member of AAO’s Research Committee and Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society’s (TFOS) Young Investigator Committee. He was on the committees of the TFOS Contact Lens Discomfort Workshop and the Dry Eye Workshop 2 (TFOS DEWS 2). He serves as a referee for over 35 Ophthalmology, Optometry & Biomedical journals and several international research granting agencies. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a member of the International Society for Contact Lens Research (upon invitation only), TFOS & ARVO.

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Optom. Prasad K. Sawant has completed his Bachelors & Masters degree from Bharati Vidyapeeth School of Optometry, Pune in year 2001 & 2005 respectively. Later he has completed his Clinical Fellowship from L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad in 2002. He has also completed his Fellowship in Scleral Lenses at Boston Foundation for Sight, MA, USA in 2008. He is accredited Fellow of International Association of Contact lens Educators, Australia since 2011. He is awarded with British as well with American Academy of Fellowships in year 2014 & 2015 respectively.

Since 2003, he is successfully running his own private Optometry practice at Dombivli-Mumbai with the name “Sawant Optometry Clinic”. Along with comprehensive clinical practice, he is also practicing low vision, binocular vision and his specialty is, working with all types of Specialty Contact Lenses including Boston Scleral Lenses in the management of corneal ectatic conditions and ocular surface disorders. He is also head of the contact lens department at The Eye Super-Specialties, Ghatkopar-Mumbai (2009) practicing all types of specialty contact lenses including Scleral Lenses. These both clinics are one of the official PROSE provider partner associates in collaboration with L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad & Boston Foundation for Sight, MA, USA.

He is a guest faculty and external examiner in various Optometry Schools across the nation for Clinical Optometry subject, practice managements & primarily for specialty Contact lenses. He was KOL for ALCON and TVCI faculty for Johnson & Johnson Vision Care India since 2012 - 2020. He has also worked with Bausch & Lomb as a clinician for their FOS studies for their new contact lens products. He has delivered several talks in various national Optometry conferences, CME’s & training programs. He has also presented several posters and/or oral presentations at British Contact Lens Association and American Academy of Optometry conferences as a primary or secondary author. As a co-author his publication in international peer reviewed journal on – Proactive Contact Lens Prescribing: Which approach is more effective? is well appreciated.

Other than Optometry his biggest hobby is, to play Cricket as he plays from couple of Cricket clubs from his district. As a Rotarian, he also represents the IFCR (International Fellowship of Cricket Rotarians) at national and international level of Cricket tournaments.