Sinjab Academy Prize
An annual prize for ophthalmology residents whose research and innovation can change eye care. First awarded in 2026, on the Academy's 12th anniversary.
- Edition
- 2026
- Finalists
- 10
- The final
- Friday 23 October 2026, 15:45 to 16:45
- Venue
- Main Hall, Damascus University
- Jury
- 8 members
The 2026 Final
Ten finalists each present their work to the jury for five minutes. The Prize is announced at 16:35, at the end of the session.
- 1
Bakri Roumi Jamal
Occupational ocular trauma
- 2
Mohammed Ghiath Shaheen
Traditional eye medicine in Syria: Between fact, fiction, and preventable crisis
- 3
Omar Alemam
AI mental dependence
- 4
Mai Alhelaly
Predicting visual acuity change by OCT and OCTA biomarkers in diabetic macular edema
- 5
Hala Almohi Alsaid Mushaweh
Central corneal thickness in a Syrian cohort measured by Scheimpflug tomography
- 6
Asmaa Hejazi
Adapting and validating AI models for glaucoma diagnosis and progression prediction in low-resource settings
- 7
Mahmoud Elgazzar
Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular safety signals of intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy
- 8
Joudi Herh
Bilateral optic neuropathy following cranial vault surgery in a child with suspected syndromic craniosynostosis
- 9
Bilal Al-Assadi
Correlation between Fourier series coefficients of peripapillary RNFL thickness curve (TSNIT chart) and refractive errors
- 10
Obaida Al Mashhour
A novel smartphone-based pachymetry technique using deep learning model
How the Jury Scores
- Originality
- Presenting novel approaches to eye care.
- Innovation
- Utilizing cutting-edge techniques or technology.
- Remarkable Impact
- Demonstrating measurable improvements in eye care.
Each presentation is judged on these criteria.
The Jury
- Arwa AzmehFaculty of Medicine, Damascus University (Al Mouwasat University Hospital), Damascus
- Yousra HaddahSyria
- Muawyah Al BdourProfessor of Ophthalmology, The University of Jordan, Amman
- Malek Al Atawi
- Noha Lotfi AlfayoumiGeneral Director, Eye Surgical Hospital and Eye Bank, Damascus
- Nawras AlhalabiPhD Candidate, Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus
- Sherif Ekram
- Hashem Abu SerhanHamad Medical Corporations, Doha, Qatar
How to Enter
Who May Enter
Every entrant confirms:
- I am an ophthalmology resident.
- The work has not been presented at another conference.
- The work is my own and original.
Categories of Entry
Each entry is made in one category:
- Innovative research in ophthalmology
- Addressing challenges in high-demand environments
- Advances in diagnostics and treatment
- Artificial Intelligence in ophthalmology
- Improving eye care in under-resourced regions
- Breakthroughs in Surgical Techniques
The Prize
Each winner receives $1,500 and is sponsored to attend the ESCRS Summer Meeting.
The vision is to extend the sponsorship to fellowship programs with renowned international institutions.
How the Prize Is Decided
- 1Submit your work while the call is open.
- 2The Prize Board reviews every submission.
- 3Finalists present at the live final at Academia Syria.
- 4The jury scores originality, innovation and remarkable impact.
- 5The Prize is announced at the end of the final.
The Prize Board
The standing international board of the Prize. It reviews every submission.
Abdul Aziz BadlaSyria
Adel Barbara
Ahmed H. AssafEgypt
Ahmed Mostafa AbdelrahmanEgypt
Cathleen McCabeUnited States
Cosimo MazzottaItaly
David ChangUnited States
Francesco Carones
Gdih Gdih
Hamza AlmajidiIraq
Hatem Ammar
Hossam Ziada
Mahfouth BamashmosYemen
Mazen M. Sinjab
Merab DvaliGeorgia
Miltiadis BalidisGreece
Namrata SharmaIndia
Nancy Al RaqqadJordan
Olivier PrisantFrance
Rohit Shetty
Shady Awwad
Sheraz Daya
Soosan JacobIndia
Tarek El-Naggar
Tarek SharaawyEgypt
The 2027 Call
Submissions for the 2027 Prize are not open yet. Leave your name and email and we will write to you when the call opens.