Riga - Latvia, 15 May 2026
MiYOSMART Case Study Contest
Following the contest’s inaugural event in 2024, this year’s edition is presented in 2 regional formats – EMEA and APAC – designed to showcase innovative practices that are both relevant and impactful within each region.
The EMEA edition of the MiYOSMART Case Study Contest 2026 has come to a close, celebrating outstanding clinical excellence in myopia management.
This year, we received case submissions from a highly competitive pool of candidates across 30 CEMEA countries. Three finalists presented their cases to a judging panel which included Prof. Bruce Evans of the University of London, Rupal Lovell-Patel, President, EAOO, and previous contest winner Max Aricochi, Optometrist, Augenzentrum Kettenbrücke.
Meet the Winner
Congratulations to Marion Wolff, the winner of the 2026 MiYOSMART Case Study Contest EMEA Edition.
2026 MiYOSMART Case Study Contest EMEA Edition winner, Marion Wolff, Head of Orthoptics and Ophthalmology, Kirchberg Ophthalmology, Greater Strasbourg.
Marion Wolff, Head of Orthoptics and Ophthalmology, Kirchberg Ophthalmology, Greater Strasbourg, was chosen from 3 exceptional finalists who presented their innovative approaches to myopia management at the MiYOSMART Case Study Contest EMEA Edition in Riga on May 15. Marion impressed the judges and the audience with a compelling five-year clinical follow-up of a young patient treated at the critical 8–12 age window within a strong myopic family background.
Reflecting on her win and the competition, Marion said: “Thank you to HOYA Vision Care for your commitment to innovation in support of both patients and professionals. This case study contest truly shows the value of connecting science with real-world clinical experience, and the richness of peer-to-peer exchange — Friday’s discussions and questions were a powerful reminder of how much we learn from each other to better serve children.”
Commenting on the significance of both Eye Care Professionals (ECPs) and the contest’s role in advancing the future of myopia management, John Goltermann Lassen, Chief Executive Officer, HOYA Vision Care said: “Ensuring that innovations such as MiYOSMART reach the children that need it most would not be possible without the dedication of ECPs. The MiYOSMART Case Study Contest matters because of its power to connect real-world expertise of ECPs with our scientific work, ensuring we continue to build evidence that truly reflects the needs of the children we serve.”
A big congratulations also to runners-up, Dr. Stephanie Kearney, Senior Lecturer in Vision Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University and Dr. Vitaliya Zhurba, Medical Director, Visiomed Clinic, Almaty whose contributions were equally inspiring.
Thank you to everyone who submitted case studies, our distinguished expert panel, and all attendees. It was a truly memorable evening celebrating the exceptional work ECPs do to advance paediatric myopia management and improve life through vision.
We look forward to celebrating even more innovative clinical vision care excellence at the next MiYOSMART Case Study Contest scheduled for 2028.
Meet the Expert Jury
Max Aricochi
Lead Optometrist, Augenzentrum Kettenbrücke, Innsbruck, Austria
Bio
Max Aricochi is an optometrist and myopia-management specialist focusing on pediatric myopia control and visual rehabilitation for corneal diseases. A MiYOSMART Case Study Contest 2024 finalist, Max is Lead Optometrist at Augenzentrum Kettenbrücke Eye Centre, Innsbruck, Austria, and author of the first German-language handbook for myopia management. Max is also an optometry lecturer, presents at international conferences and teaches advanced optometry programs.
Rupal Lovell-Patel
President, EAOO, and Associate Dean, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Lancashire, UK
Bio
Rupal Lovell-Patel is an academic optometrist who trained and works in the UK. She is the President of The European Academy of Optometry and Optics (2024 – 2026) and Associate Dean, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Lancashire, UK, where she teaches optometry and optician students. Her research areas include: visual stress, spectacle lens design, and optical education. Rupal also works in private optical practice.
Bruce Evans
Visiting Professor, City St George’s, University of London, UK
Bio
Bruce Evans is an optometrist and Visiting Professor at City St George’s, University of London, UK. His main areas of research include myopia control, dyslexia and vision, binocular vision (orthoptics), children’s vision, contact lenses, computer vision syndrome and headaches. Bruce has authored more than 290 scientific and professional papers, including 10 editions of optometric textbooks, and more than 160 conference presentations.
Meet the Finalists
The Finalists: Bios and Case Studies
Dr. Vitaliya Zhurba
Kazakhstan
Medical Director, Visiomed Clinic, Almaty
Bio
Dr. Vitaliya Zhurba is a paediatric ophthalmologist and Medical Director of Visiomed Clinic in Almaty, Kazakhstan. She holds a medical degree and completed her postgraduate training in Ophthalmology at Almaty State Institute for Postgraduate Medical Education, Kazakhstan, in 2010.
In 2022, Dr. Zhurba earned her Master's degree in Optometry from Aston University, UK, further complementing her clinical approach to paediatric visual care. She sees paediatric patients from birth and is experienced in managing a wide range of visual conditions throughout childhood. Her areas of clinical interest include refractive anomalies in children, binocular vision, strabismus disorders, and progressive myopia management as part of a comprehensive visual care approach.
As a certified specialist in ophthalmic electrophysiology, Dr. Zhurba also supports the early identification of functional visual pathway disorders to inform clinical decision making in complex cases.
Dr. Stephanie Kearney
United Kingdom
Senior Lecturer in Vision Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University
Bio
Dr. Stephanie Kearney is Senior Lecturer in Vision Sciences and Myopia Management CPD Module Lead at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), with a particular interest in myopia pathogenesis and control with a growing focus on the public health aspects of eye care. She contributes her expertise as part of GCU's Myopia Management Clinic.
Dr. Kearney qualified as an optometrist in 2013 after obtaining her degree in Optometry from Ulster University in 2012. She completed her PhD at Ulster University in 2016, focusing on myopia and its association with environmental factors. Following two years in community optometry, Dr. Kearney completed her Independent Prescribing Diploma at GCU in 2018 and joined the university as a Postdoctoral Researcher on the Childhood Atropine for Myopia Progression in the UK (CHAMP) study. She moved into a lecturer position in 2019.
Dr. Kearney achieved a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice in 2022 and was recognised as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2023.
Marion Wolff
France
Head of Orthoptics and Ophthalmology, Kirchberg Ophthalmology, Greater Strasbourg
Bio
Marion Wolff is an orthoptist with over 14 years of professional experience. After graduating from the Orthoptics School of Strasbourg under Prof. Speeg-Schatz in 2012, she worked briefly in a hospital setting before joining Dr. Jérôme Harquel in 2014 to support the creation of his ophthalmology practice in Obernai.
Recognizing the need for specialized expertise in myopia management, Marion underwent specialized training in orthokeratology in 2016, which was the only available myopia control solution in France at the time.
Today, Marion is highly involved in the clinical management of progressive myopia through her practice work and a large-scale internal study on patients fitted with MiYOSMART lenses. She has also been an active contributor to the French Ophtamyop study led by Prof. Brémond-Gignac.
Shape the future with us
Whether you're looking to grow your practice or gain inspiration from the pioneering work of your peers, this is an unmissable opportunity to be part of the conversation shaping the future of myopia management.