Women of the International Society for Eye Research
WISER stands for Women of the International Society for Eye Research. WISER was formed because the executive leadership of the society (ISER) recognized the great need and potential benefits to female early career researchers if they could have personal interactions with senior researchers during attendance of our bi-annual meetings.
ISER’s Biennial Meetings are held on a rotation basis between America, Europe and Asia Pacific. For this reason, there is ample opportunity for attendees to enjoy some R & R at wonderful tourist locations. Our WISER and Early Career Researchers (ECR) social functions are organized to ensure maximal opportunity to interact during meeting times and in the evenings.
ISER’s Asia-Pacific Vice President, Professor Frank Lovicu organized ISER’s version of speed dating during the welcome reception in Tokyo in 2016, which was appreciated by all ERCs as it meant they could form networks to enjoy the rest of the meeting, with others with similar research and social interests.
WISER organizes an evening dinner during each ISER Biennial Meeting where senior researchers attend and sit amongst the ECRs and share their experience and advice in all aspects of professional and family life.
This dinner is typically attended by 20-30 attendees and feedback from the ERCs have been outstanding as the intimate relaxed setting and small group meant that no one was afraid to ask questions or to share their experience.
WISER has had another surprising benefit in that it has also forged new friendship and collaborations amongst senior female and male researchers who attend and support our functions. Some of our best ‘mentor/mentee’, ‘lab collaborations’ and ‘peer to peer professional networks’ are formed during the informal sessions at our meetings, and WISER continues to maximise these opportunities for our ECRs.
The success of WISER during our earlier meetings and the recognition that male early career researchers would also benefit from these special opportunities have led us to welcome male and female attendees to all WISER functions. Having male leadership attend and hear the difficulties faced by females is essential to facilitating equal access to the best training opportunities for all. So please, encourage all your trainees to register to attend WISER and ECR functions planned for the upcoming Biennial meeting as well as during the ISER/Bright Focus co-sponsored meetings in alternate years.
Click HERE to read the history of WISER.
Over a decade wiser and going strong…
Women in ISER is by now a household name associated with ISER. Having held its inaugural event at our San Francisco meeting in 2014, it continued to be a forum for discussions, mentorship and events covering areas of interest for early and established female (and not only, in a true spirit of inclusivity) researchers, including funding, juggling family with demanding workload, establishing research independence, progressing career in academic and non-academic environments, and many more.
The main in-person WISER event and one of the highlights of every ISER meeting is the informal dinner that taps into the energies of numerous principal investigators offering valuable networking opportunities for insightful, albeit Informal, discussion and even long lasting partnerships.
The tradition of the WISER dinner will continue at our XXVIIth Biennial Meeting in Valencia, in August 2026 benefitting from the same generous support from Bright Focus Foundation.
This time, will offer the relaxed setting for a memorable Mediterranean gastronomic experience on Tuesday 25th of August 2026. Tickets for WISER Dinner will be available soon.
Click HERE to read the history of WISER.
