UPMC and Pitt Ophthalmology Faculty Present at World Cornea Congress IX

UPMC Vision Institute and University of Pittsburgh Department of Ophthalmology faculty members were well represented at the World Cornea Congress IX on March 20 – 22, 2025 in Washington, DC. 

The Cornea Society, an international organization that aims to promote the exchange of information in corneal and external disease, typically holds this special event every 5 years to showcase the “state-of-the-art” in the field. This year’s event attracted more than 800 attendees from 49 countries around the world and featured a range of topics, including Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy, adult and pediatric ocular surface disease refractive surgery, infections and inflammatory diseases, surgical advancements, and beyond. 

Deepinder K. Dhaliwal, MD, L.Ac, professor of ophthalmology, director of refractive surgery at the UPMC Vision Institute, and President-elect of the Cornea Society served as a program chair for this year’s event. 

“The World Cornea Congress gives ophthalmologists specializing in cornea an opportunity to learn from peers and share their insights with the global cornea community, which is crucial to advancing our field,” said Dr. Dhaliwal. “We started planning this event two years ago and are thrilled that attendees felt the Congress exceeded expectations since this was our first stand-alone event not linked to another meeting.  I’m also pleased that some of our UPMC Vision Institute and Pitt Department of Ophthalmology experts were on this year’s agenda.”

Vishal Jhanji, MD, FRCS (Glasgow), professor of ophthalmology and director of the Vision Institute’s cornea service, discussed deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) in keratoglobus, a rare disorder that causes thinning and globular protrusion of the cornea, in the DALK: Alternative Approaches and Indications symposium and addressed challenges and advances in parasitic keratitis management in the Infection symposium. 

Sabrina Mukhtar, MD, MPH, assistant professor of ophthalmology and director of the Dry Eye Center of Excellence, discussed intense pulsed light (IPL) for Meibomian gland dysfunction, a contributing factor to dry eyes, in the Surgical Innovations symposium.

Ken Nischal, MD, professor of ophthalmology and division chief of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, presented the poster Corneal Collagen Cross Linking for Keratoconus in Pediatric and Developmentally Delayed Patients.

Learn more about the UPMC Vision Institute and its experts. 

Dr. Dhaliwal was joined by Dr. Bennie Jeng from Penn Medicine and Dr. Barry Lee from Eye Consultants of Atlanta as Program Chairs.

UPMC Vision Institute faculty members Drs. Dhaliwal, Nischal, and Mukhtar taking a break during the meeting.