ST. LOUIS—The Global Myopia Awareness Coalition (GMAC), a coalition of eyecare companies and eye health associations with a mission to increase public awareness about the prevalence and consequences of myopia, has announced the appointment of seven experts to its 2026-2027 advisory panel. These experts bring together expertise across myopia research, clinical practice, professional education and public health, with the goal of providing guidance to support GMAC’s mission to raise global awareness of childhood myopia and encourage informed action, the announcement stated.
“We are delighted to welcome this exceptional group of experts to the 2026 GMAC Advisory Panel,” said Meredith Bishop, OD, MS, GMAC board chair and director, global medical education, vision at Johnson & Johnson. “Their contributions will help GMAC reach more families with clear, accessible information about childhood myopia, the importance of regular eye examinations and the value of early, informed action.”
The experts appointed to the 2026-2027 GMAC advisory panel include:
- Olga Prenat – global head of medical and professional affairs, EssilorLuxottica; chair, GMAC Advisory Panel Committee and GMAC board member (France)
- Annegret Dahlmann-Noor, Dr Med, PhD, FRCOphth, FRCS(Ed), DipMedEd – professor of pediatric ophthalmology, University College London (U.K.)
- Elena García Rubio – OD, MSc, FBCLA, co-founder of National Institute of Vision, co-founder of visual health program of SOLCIOE in Spain; chief clinical officer at Promethei. IMI ambassador.
- Ian Flitcroft, MA, MBBS, DPhil – consultant ophthalmologist, Mater Misericordiae Hospital; adjunct professor of vision science, Technological University Dublin; co-founder, Ocumetra (Ireland)
- Kate Gifford, PhD, BAppSc (Optom) Hons, GCOT, FBCLA, FIACLE, FCCLSA, FAAO – optometrist, clinician-scientist and co-founder and director of Myopia Profile (Australia)
- Li-Lian Foo, MD, FRCOphth, MMed (Ophth), GDFM, BEng (First Class Honours) – president, Myopia Society of Singapore; clinical director, Myopia Service, and consultant Ophthalmologist, Singapore National Eye Centre; clinical assistant professor, Duke-NUS Medical School (Singapore)
- Thomas Aller, OD, FBCLA – myopia researcher, inventor and clinical optometrist (United States)
“Addressing childhood myopia requires scientifically and clinically relevant communication that resonates across diverse populations,” said Olga Prenat, global head of medical and professional affairs at EssilorLuxottica and chair of the 2026 GMAC Advisory Panel Committee. “The breadth of perspectives represented on the panel will strengthen GMAC’s ability to develop awareness initiatives that are globally relevant and responsive to different regional contexts.”
The advisory panel will support GMAC’s efforts to engage healthcare associations, eyecare professionals, parents and other stakeholders, while providing guidance on evidence-based initiatives that increase understanding of the growing prevalence and potential consequences of childhood myopia, the group advised. For more information on GMAC, click here.
