April 16, 2025 – Eversight team members recently attended the 2025 World Cornea Congress (WCC) conference in Washington, DC. This conference brought together leading experts, surgeons, researchers and industry professionals to share advancements in corneal transplantation, engage in meaningful discussions and foster collaboration.
Eversight had a strong presence at the event, contributing to discussions, supporting partners and providing hands-on training opportunities for the next generation of corneal surgeons.
Held every five years by the Cornea Society, WCC features speakers and papers, interactive programming, networking opportunities and exhibits highlighting the progress that has been made in both clinical and research endeavors of the international corneal community.
Engaging with customers & industry partners
Eversight’s purpose in attending WCC was to strengthen relationships with both current and potential customers while showcasing Eversight’s tissue offerings, as well as identifying emerging trends, and supporting and participating in the Fellows DMEK/DSAEK wet lab.
Connecting with industry partners, learning about their new offerings and discussing the potential for future collaboration was another priority.
“The intimate size of the exhibit hall made it easy to connect with attendees,” said Brooke Harthun, Eversight Partner Development Director. “Additionally, the Cornea Society provided a bingo card to encourage engagement, requiring participants to visit each exhibitor for a chance to win prizes. This creative approach allowed us to interact with most surgeons, which I found to be highly effective!”
Eversight Senior Business Development Director, Caithlin Lopes, attended with a similar focus.
“It was exciting to be surrounded by so many people passionate about the same things we are,” she said. “I started in eye banking right around when DMEK came into the picture, and at this conference, there was research and discussion on the next big thing. It’s exciting to see it unfold and know it’s going to have such an incredible impact on patients.”
Hands-on learning
Eversight played a crucial role in supporting the Fellows DMEK/DSAEK wet lab, supplying tissue and materials for hands-on training. The wet lab featured 27 attendees and six instructors who had the opportunity to work on tissue provided by six eye banks, including Eversight.
By equipping professionals with the knowledge and skills they need, Eversight is not only advancing the field of corneal transplantation but also strengthening the future of eye banking and vision care worldwide.
"It was an opportunity for 27 U.S. cornea fellows to network and to try different techniques for both DMEK and DSAEK insertion," Michael said.
Eversight provided 30 full thickness corneas and 30 preloaded DSAEK tissues, working directly with VisionGift, VisionFirst, Advancing Sight, Iowa Lions Eye Bank and Lions World Vision Institute to provide tissue for this wet lab. Colleagues from VisionFirst, AltruVision and Miracles in Sight lended extra hands.
Additionally, Caithlin served on the eye banking panel, providing great insight and background to the fellows about how the eye banking system works and how they can work with their eye bank.
The wet lab support that is provided at conferences like WCC is part of Eversight Academy, an expertly curated collection of education, training and professional development offerings for partner ophthalmologists, vision researchers and allied health professionals.
Eversight Academy features live, interactive and on-demand webinars, hands-on wet labs with expert instruction, operating room support and courses, and more.
“Eversight training and education, particularly through DALK wet labs organized for our cornea fellows, have significantly enhanced the skills and confidence of trainees at Wills Eye Hospital,” said Dr. Zeba Syed, Director, Cornea Fellowship Program, Wills Eye Hospital. “These hands-on experiences allowed cornea fellows to refine their techniques in a supportive environment, empowering and preparing them to apply these skills effectively in clinical practice.”
Reflections & future impact
For Eversight, WCC was a resounding success—a conference where collaboration, education and innovation took center stage. The Eversight team looks forward to continuing these meaningful discussions and working together to advance the future of corneal transplantation.
“We would not be where we are today in corneal transplantation without the collaboration between eye banks and surgeons, and the next places we go in this field continue to depend on that partnership," Caithlin said.
