Centre for Ocular Research & Education

👁️ Contact Lens Week 2026: Wear Them Safely, See Clearly! 👁️

Your contact lenses help you see your best—make sure you're giving your eyes the care they deserve.

✅ Wash and dry your hands before handling lenses
✅ Follow your recommended wearing schedule
✅ Never sleep in lenses unless specifically prescribed
✅ Replace lenses and cases on time
✅ Avoid exposing lenses to water (including swimming and showering)
✅ Book regular eye examinations

If your eyes become red, painful, sensitive to light, or your vision changes, remove your lenses and seek professional advice promptly.

Healthy habits today help protect your vision for tomorrow.

👓✨

August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month — an important reminder that good vision is essential for a child’s growth, learning, and overall well-being.

Eye exams should begin earlier than many parents realize. Children are recommended to have their first comprehensive eye exam at approximately 6 months old, another exam between ages 2 and 5, and annual eye exams throughout their school years.

Because children may not recognize when their vision is affected, eye problems can easily go unnoticed. Regular eye exams can help identify concerns such as:
• Myopia (nearsightedness)
• Focusing and eye coordination issues
• Amblyopia (“lazy eye”)
• Other eye health conditions that may impact learning and development

Parents may also notice signs such as:
• Squinting or sitting very close to screens
• Frequent eye rubbing or blinking
• Complaints of headaches or tired eyes
• Difficulty with reading or attention at school

Detecting vision problems early can help support a child’s confidence, academic performance, and long-term eye health.

This Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, make eye exams an important part of your child’s healthcare routine.

Make sure you have solar eclipse glasses handy for the partial solar eclipse on Thursday - check out your local times in the post by Canadian Space Agency below!

Be safe - Wear your Eclipse Glasses!

August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month — a great reminder that healthy vision plays an important role in a child’s learning, development, and everyday life.

Many vision problems in children can go unnoticed because kids often assume the way they see is normal. Regular comprehensive eye exams can help detect issues early, including:
• Nearsightedness (myopia)
• Eye teaming or focusing problems
• Lazy eye (amblyopia)
• Eye health concerns that may affect learning and development

Signs of a possible vision problem may include:
• Squinting
• Frequent headaches
• Holding screens or books very close
• Difficulty concentrating at school
• Eye rubbing or excessive blinking

Early detection and treatment can make a significant difference in a child’s success both inside and outside the classroom.

This month, help protect your child’s vision by making regular eye exams part of their healthcare routine.

When was your last eye exam? Can't remember? Well, maybe make it this month, as August is National Eye Exam Month!

Annual eye exams are about more than just updating your glasses or contact lens prescription — they are an important part of protecting your overall eye health.

Many common eye conditions, including glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic eye disease, and even dry eye disease, can develop gradually with little or no early symptoms. Regular eye exams can help detect problems early, often before vision is affected.

Your eyes can also provide important insights into your overall health, including signs of diabetes, high blood pressure, and other systemic conditions.

Whether your vision seems perfectly fine or you’ve noticed changes in comfort or clarity, scheduling a yearly eye exam is one of the best things you can do for your long-term eye health.

Healthy vision starts with prevention.

Today is Sjögren's Day.

Sjögren's disease is an autoimmune disease that can also cause fatigue, joint pain, and brain fog. Because symptoms develop gradually, many people go undiagnosed for years.

💧 Common symptoms include:
• Dry eyes
• Dry mouth
• Fatigue
• Joint pain
• Swollen salivary glands
• Brain fog

Because symptoms can develop slowly, many people live with Sjögren’s for years before getting diagnosed.

🩺 Early diagnosis can help protect your eyes, mouth, and overall health. If you’ve had ongoing dryness or fatigue, talk to your healthcare provider.

Great honour for CORE!

We are excited to report that we have been selected as recipient of the 2026 Founders Award from the Section on Cornea, Contact Lenses and Refractive Technologies of the American Academy of Optometry!

The award is in memory and honor of those Academy Fellows who founded the Contact Lens Section of the American Academy of Optometry. It is presented to an individual, group or company which has made an outstanding contribution to the clinical aspect of the art or science of contact lens fitting.

We look forward to receiving the award at the Section Awards Ceremony and Max Schapero Lecture on Wednesday, September 30, at 4:00 PM in Room 255 AB at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Congratulations to all other 2026 award recipients!



School of Optometry & Vision Science

🤖 How is artificial intelligence transforming myopia management?

The latest issue of ContactLensUpdate explores the growing role of AI in supporting clinicians with risk assessment, myopia progression prediction, and personalized treatment planning. As myopia prevalence continues to rise worldwide, AI has the potential to enhance evidence-based clinical decision-making, but where are we today?

In this issue:

🔹 Jeffrey Walline discusses the strengths and current limitations of AI models for predicting myopia progression, particularly at the individual patient level.

🔹 Nicola Logan examines the rapidly expanding AI research landscape, highlighting its current focus on screening and prediction.

🔹 Epifanio Ruiz Campos introduces OPTOMYOPIA, an AI-powered platform that integrates scientific evidence with patient-specific data to support risk stratification and individualized myopia management.

🔹 CORE showcases practical resources, including infographics and summaries of the International Myopia Institute (IMI) reports, to help translate evidence into everyday practice.

Feel free to download and share any of the infographics and summaries!

AI is not replacing clinical expertise, it is becoming a valuable tool to help clinicians deliver more personalized, evidence-based care.

📖 Visit https://ContactLensUpdate.com to discover how AI is shaping the future of myopia management.

July is Dry Eye Awareness Month — a time to recognize a condition that affects millions of people and can have a major impact on daily life.

If you experience symptoms such as:
• Burning or stinging eyes
• Blurry or fluctuating vision
• Watery eyes
• Redness or irritation
• Discomfort during screen time or reading

…you may be living with dry eye disease.

The good news is that there are more treatment options available today than ever before, and research continues to advance our understanding of this condition.

At CORE, we often conduct clinical studies evaluating new and emerging treatments for dry eye disease. These studies help advance eye care research and may provide eligible participants with access to novel therapies under investigation.

Dry eye is common, but it should not be ignored. If symptoms are affecting your comfort or vision, consider signing up for our participant database and speaking with your eye care professional.