Welcome to ARVO-SWISS!

ARVO-SWISS is dedicated to promoting activities and programs that benefit members and the vision research profession. 

Membership offers a range of benefits — above all, valuable opportunities for networking and connecting with other professionals in the field.

Any researcher, clinician, or trainee with an active interest in the field of ophthalmic research in Switzerland is eligible for membership in this organization. 

ARVO-SWISS membership is free of charge and is not associated with any practical tasks or obligations. 

Both, ARVO and non-ARVO members can become ARVO-SWISS member.

As ARVO-SWISS Member you will…

• … be part of the ARVO-SWISS community - a welcoming space in which to learn from top vision scientists from the nation and beyond, evolve your career, and share your research.
• … be invited to attend the ARVO-SWISS Plenary Symposium at the annual SOG-SSO Congress; a significant gathering in the field, where you can present/explore the latest research, benefit from the unique expertise and cutting-edge insights presented by our designated speakers, and network with colleagues.
• … be able to participate in the ARVO-SWISS General Membership Meeting, held jointly with the annual Congress of the Swiss Ophthalmological Society (SOG-SSO). The General Assembly Meeting is open to all ARVO-SWISS members and offers the unique opportunity to exchange ideas, support new and ongoing initiatives, and to be informed about all updates and activities throughout the year.
• … be eligible to apply for the ARVO-SWISS Travel Grant (see next section), which financially supports outstanding Switzerland-based scientists each year to attend the ARVO Annual Meeting.
• … be invited and granted free admission to the ARVO-SWISS Reception organized in conjunction with the ARVO Annual Meeting (the next one taking place in Denver, CO, in May 2026).
• … aid ARVO-SWISS to qualify for financial support from ARVO to fund its Travel Grants and other relevant activities in Switzerland and abroad.

You can apply for ARVO-SWISS membership here.

The ARVO-SWISS Travel Grant is dedicated to financially support outstanding Switzerland-based scientists each year to attend the ARVO Annual Meeting. 

The recipients are selected by a designated committee of scientists in the field, and the finalists will be presented with a certificate, offered to them by the President of ARVO-SWISS at the annual ARVO-SWISS Award Ceremony.

The call for the ARVO-SWISS Travel Grant 2027 will open at the end of 2026. The link for online submission and more detailed eligibility criteria will be made available here once the call is open.

On 28 August 2025, ARVO-SWISS held its sixth symposium during the Annual Congress of the Swiss Society of Ophthalmology (SOG-SSO) at the Congress Center in Basel.

In conjunction with this event, ARVO-SWISS also held its annual General Assembly Meeting at the Congress Center in Basel.

The next ARVO-SWISS Plenary Symposium, as well as the General Assembly Meeting, will take place on 28 August 2026 during the SOG-SSO Congress in Lausanne. The detailed program of the symposium can be found here.

On 04 May 2026, ARVO-SWISS will organize an ARVO-SWISS Reception -the third of its kind- which will take place in conjunction with the ARVO Annual Meeting in Denver, CO. If you are interested in this event, please contact Sitta Föhr at sitta.foehr@STOP-SPAM.iob.ch

Registration closes on 31 March 2026.

• Ophta 2025 / 6

President: 

• Carlo Rivolta, PhD

Vice President: 

• H. Viet Tran, MD

General Secretary: 

• Sitta Föhr 

Leadership Officers:

• Nicolas Feltgen, MD, PhD
• Gabriele Thumann, MD
• Thomas Wolfensberger, MD
• Martin Zinkernagel, MD, PhD
• Sandrine Zweifel, MD, PhD

For more information, please contact Ms. Sitta Föhr at sitta.foehr@STOP-SPAM.iob.ch