VISCO 2026

Meet Our Speakers

Dr. Edsel Ing

MD, PhD, University of Alberta

Dr. Edsel Ing is the Professor & Chair of Ophthalmology at the University of Albera, and a Professor at the University of Toronto. He specializes in oculoplastics, strabismus and surgical neuro-ophthalmology.
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He completed medical school and residency in Toronto his fellowships at Wills Eye, the Mayo Clinic, and Allegheny General Hospital. His interdisciplinary training includes an MPH from Harvard, MEd from Hopkins, PhD from Kingston University, UK, an MBA at LSUS, and a Master In Affairs & Diplomacy from the United Nations/University of Catalonia collaborative.

His research spans oculoplastics, neuro-ophthalmology, and medical education.

Dr. Irfan Kherani

MD, University of Toronto

Dr. Irfan N. Kherani is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Toronto and a fellowship-trained glaucoma and anterior segment surgeon.

Dr. Kherani completed his undergraduate studies in Molecular Biology at Princeton University and earned his medical degree from the University of Alberta. He subsequently completed his ophthalmology residency at the University of Ottawa, followed by fellowship training in Glaucoma and Advanced Anterior Segment Surgery at the University of Toronto and Vision Rehabilitation at the University of British Columbia.

His research focuses on surgical optimization in glaucoma, visual rehabilitation, and training the next generation of ophthalmologists.

Dr. Parnian Arjmand

MD, MSc, University of Toronto

Dr. Parnian Arjmand is a vitreoretinal surgeon specializing in the medical and surgical management of vitreous and retinal conditions. Dr. Arjmand practices at the Mississauga Retina Institute, Burlington Laser Eye Centre, and Baycrest Health Sciences Centre. She completed her undergraduate and master's degree in Immunology at the University of Toronto, medical school at McMaster University, and ophthalmology residency at the University of Ottawa. Outside of the hospital, she enjoys long-distance running, cycling, hot yoga, and exploring Toronto's beautiful ravines.

Dr. Steve Arshinoff

MD, University of Toronto

Dr. Arshinoff was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, graduated in Medicine from Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston, Texas, and is Professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Toronto, Canada, and adjunct Professor at McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.

His areas of research interest include ophthalmic viscosurgical devices and related surgical techniques, phacoemulsification machine design, immediately sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS), intracameral antibiotics for post-operative endophthalmitis prophylaxis, and medical outreach programs. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and has authored more than 350 peer-reviewed publications, 41 medical textbook chapters and 1 book (Immediately Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery, Academic Press 2022), and has presented >1,250 academic lectures worldwide.

Dr. Henry Fung

MD, MSc, University of Calgary

Dr. Fung was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Ajax, Ontario. He completed his undergraduate degree in 2011 at the coveted Bachelor of Health Sciences program at McMaster, then completed his MD in 2015 at the University of Toronto. In medical school, he participated in eyecare research and outreach initiatives involving the homeless and marginally housed populations.

After medical school, he matched into a residency program at McGill University in Montreal, where he honed his language skills in French while achieving the top resident surgeon award in ophthalmology. He then pursued the University of Calgary Medical and Surgical Vitreoretinal Fellowship from 2021 to 2022. Afterwards, he join the Red Deer Ophthalmology team of Dr. Mila Bozdech, Dr. Hernando Chacon, and Dr. Kaisra Esmail, to serve the region of Central Alberta as a General Ophthalmologist and Vitreo-retinal surgeon.

Dr. Matthew Benson

MD, PhD, University of Alberta

Dr. Benson is a clinician-scientist and assistant professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Alberta. He completed his ophthalmology residency and graduate studies at the University of Alberta. He then pursued subspecialty fellowship training in ophthalmic genetics at the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health. His clinical interests include ophthalmic genetics and adult strabismus.

His lab investigates disease mechanisms of inherited retinal disorders and macular degeneration using cell culture-based techniques. Specifically, his lab is interested in understanding the role of peroxisomes in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and how dysfunction of peroxisomes may cause retinal degeneration and blindness.

Dr. Sabrina Poonja

MD, University of Calgary

Dr. Sabrina Poonja was born and raised in Calgary, where she completed her degree in Health Sciences followed by medical school at the Cumming School of Medicine where she graduated in 2019. She moved north to Edmonton to complete her residency in neurology in 2024. She completed a fellowship in Neuro-Ophthalmology at the Mayo Clinic, and obtained her board certification as a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

In 2025, she returned in Edmonton to practice as a neurology-trained neuroophthalmologist, where she is a Clinical Lecturer cross-appointed in Neurology and Ophthalmology. She enjoys medical education and working with both neurology and ophthalmology learners. Her research and areas of interest include Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension as well as inflammatory optic neuropathies.

Dr. Anne Xuan-Lan Nguyen

MD,CM, DPhil(C), University of Toronto

Dr. Anne Xuan-Lan Nguyen is a resident physician in the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Toronto, on the Surgeon-Scientist track. She is currently pursuing a DPhil/PhD in Molecular and Cellular Medicine at the University of Oxford's Kennedy Institute as a Rhodes Scholar, KTPS Fellow, and CIHR Foreign Doctoral Award recipient. She completed her medical training at McGill University as a national TD Scholar, where she received the Dr. Mark Cohen Graduation Prize in Ophthalmology.

In addition to her medical and research pursuits, she has extensive experience in grassroots community service, policy-making, and medical education, having founded COSIG-GECIO and VISCO. She serves as the President of the Council of Canadian Ophthalmology Residents (CCOR).

Dr. Marie-Claude Robert

MD, MSc, University of Montreal

Dr. Robert completed a Bachelor of Science (summa cum laude) and a Doctor of Medicine at the University of Ottawa. She specialized in ophthalmology at the Université de Montréal and in cornea at Harvard University. Dr. Robert also completed a Master's in Clinical Research at the Université de Montréal. She has received several awards of excellence, including the Gold Medal in Sciences from the University of Ottawa, the Harvard Ophthalmology Alcon Scholar Award, and the Claes Dohlman Award from the Harvard Cornea Center of Excellence.

Dr. Robert is affiliated with the CHUM and CHU Sainte-Justine. She has a strong interest in research on corneal inflammation and transplantation, and serves as Director of Clinical Research in Ophthalmology at CHU Sainte-Justine.

Dr. Mostafa Bondok

MD, University of Calgary

Mostafa Bondok is a PGY-1 Ophthalmology resident at the University of Calgary. He is a member of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society Ergonomics and Injury Prevention Working Group and is involved in national initiatives to improve ergonomics education and reduce musculoskeletal injury among ophthalmologists and trainees. His academic interests include surgical education, evidence synthesis, and health equity. Outside of work, Mostafa enjoys basketball, hiking, digital design, and travelling.

Dr. Ojas Srivastava

MD, University of Alberta

Ojas Srivastava is a PGY-3 Ophthalmology resident at the University of Alberta and a member of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society Ergonomics and Injury Prevention Working Group alongside Mostafa. He is driven to improve overall physician health with a focus on surgical ergonomics for all trainees and healthcare providers. When not in the hospital, you can find Ojas travelling, hiking, running, experimenting with board games, and finding new ways to stay active.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I participate?
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‍Ocular complaints are prevalent and can greatly impact patient quality of life. It is important for all physicians to have a certain comfort level in managing basic eye issues, regardless of your future career path in medicine. Therefore, VISCO aims to demystify ophthalmology and to provide students access to high quality live teaching and high yield resource content to reinforce important ophthalmology concepts.

‍Who is eligible to participate in this course?
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‍All medical students and residents, regardless of year of training and interest level in ophthalmology, are invited to participate in this course! We believe that the high-yield content presented during the workshops and through the reading material are pertinent to all future medical practitioners.

‍Can international students or pre-medical students participate in the course?
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‍As the aim of this course is to provide a Canadian perspective to ophthalmology to medical students, some of the content may be less relevant for students studying outside of Canada. Additionally, some of the course content may be challenging for students without a background in medicine. However, interested international or pre-medical students are welcome to participate in the course.

‍Should I still register if I can’t make it to all the sessions? Will the sessions be recorded?
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‍Yes - please register even if you can’t make all the sessions. This will provide you access links and information for the times that you can make it. We will do our best to record some sessions, however, this is at the discretion of the workshop host. Additionally, as the nature of the sessions is very interactive, you will get more out of it by attending in person.
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Meet the Organizers

MD Candidate 2027
Université Laval

Yosra Er-reguyeg

Course Director
OphthoGames Organizer

PGY-2
University of Toronto

Dr. Anne Xuan-Lan Nguyen

COSIG & VISCO Founder
Resident Advisor

PGY-3
Queen's University

Dr. Aidan Pucchio

Resident Advisor

MD Candidate 2029
Université de Sherbrooke

Youssef Shalaby

OphthoGames Organizer

MD Candidate 2028
McGill University

Mathilde Gallant

Social Media Lead

MD Candidate 2029
Memorial University

Maria Henein

Social Media Lead
Medical Student Lead

MD Candidate 2027
University of Toronto

Xiaole Li

Medical Student Lead

MD Candidate 2028
University of Alberta

Ehsan Misaghi

Medical Student Lead

MD Candidate 2029
McMaster University

Nicholas Kuzik

Medical Student Lead

MD Candidate 2027
Université de Sherbrooke

Noémie Chiasson

Medical Student Lead

MD Candidate 2027
University of Calgary

Kareem Sadek

Medical Student Lead

MD Candidate 2027
Queen's University

Nirmay Shah

Medical Student Lead

Virtual Introductory Summer Course in Ophthalmology 2026

A Free Course on the Crucial Elements of Ophthalmology

How it Works

Reading List >

History & Physical Cheat Sheet >

Anki Deck: Ophtho Games 2026 >

FAQ >

More About This Course

New This Year: OphthoGames!

Learn From Experts

High-Yield Resources

Our Objectives

Course Schedule

Saturday, July 11th, 2026

Saturday, July 18th, 2026

Meet Our Speakers

Dr. Edsel Ing

Dr. Irfan Kherani

Dr. Parnian Arjmand

Dr. Steve Arshinoff

Dr. Henry Fung

Dr. Matthew Benson

Dr. Sabrina Poonja

Dr. Anne Xuan-Lan Nguyen

Dr. Marie-Claude Robert

Dr. Mostafa Bondok

Dr. Ojas Srivastava

Frequently Asked Questions

Meet the Organizers