Publication and Innovation of the Year Award – Third Clinical Congress

Publication and Innovation of the Year Award

At the Third Clinical Congress of the Kosova College of Surgeons, various prizes were awarded. One of them was the “Publication and Innovation of the Year” Award, which is dedicated to the most important publication and/or innovation of the year.

“PUBLICATION AND INNOVATION OF THE YEAR” AWARD FOR PROF. ASSOC. QENDRESE DAKA

The Kosova College of Surgeons was pleased to award the “Publication and Innovation of the Year” award this year to Prof. Assoc. Qëndresë Daka, ophthalmological surgeon, because of her extraordinary achievements during the period between our two congresses.

The activity of Dr. Daka, the titles, achievements, and responsibilities that she has taken on during this period, make us all proud, and she is an excellent example of a member of the Kosova College of Surgeons, while Dr. Qëndresë Daka is also a Fellow of the European Board of Ophthalmology.

Below you can read a summary of the professional/scientific achievements of Dr. Daka for this period:

1. First author of the chapter “Angle-Closure Glaucoma: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Clinical Impact” in the book “The Science of Glaucoma Management: From Translational Research to Next-Generation Clinical Practice” by Elsevier Science. ISBN: 9780323884426. A collaboration of world experts in the field to summarize data from current basic and technological research for potential application in clinical practice.
2. First author of the paper “Home-Based Perimetry for Glaucoma: Where Are We Now?” published by J Glaucoma, IF 2.29, the official journal of the World Glaucoma Society. A collaboration with experts in the field for the application of technological innovations in the detection, monitoring, and remote medical/surgical treatment of glaucoma.
3. Winner of the grant of the European Association for Refractive and Cataract Surgery for Systematic Review Award 2022 “Effectiveness of intraocular lenses designed to correct presbyopia after cataract surgery and patient-reported optical aberrations”. Research protocol registered with the National Institute for Health Research.
4. Co-author of the research protocol of the Cochrane Eyes & Vision group “Prognostic factors for predicting progression of open-angle glaucoma in adults” indexed in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2022 with IF 11.87, which aims to identify risk factors for the progression of the disease glaucoma in adults. A collaboration with subject matter experts from the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
5. Co-author of the paper “Identifying Important Questions for Cochrane Systematic Reviews in Eyes and Vision: Report of a Priority Setting Exercise” published in Cochrane Evidence Synthesis and Methods, which aims to identify questions for which it is necessary to conduct research in ophthalmology. A paper by members of the Cochrane Eyes & Vision Group.
6. First author of the paper “Exploring the Relationship Between Anti-VEGF Therapy and Glaucoma: Case-series and literature review on evidence for implications on management strategies” which was accepted in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, with IF 4.96. A collaboration with experts from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Ljubljana on possible pathophysiological mechanisms.
7. Realization of the research work for the projects: “Relationship Between Anti-VEGF Therapy and Glaucoma”, “Retinal ganglion cell function and perfusion following intraocular pressure reduction in patients with glaucoma and Ocular hypertension”, and “Glaucoma fellowship in the European Union” at the Clinical Center University in Ljubljana.
8. Winner of the European Glaucoma Society grant for research and professional training in 2022.
9. Selected by the European Glaucoma Association as a Next Generation Partner to implement the association’s mission and vision.
10. Winner of the professional title Fellow of the European Board of Ophthalmology, a diploma issued by the European Board of Ophthalmology for the practice of professional work in all countries of the European Union for candidates who meet the standards.
11. Membership as an expert in the Cochrane Eyes & Vision research group, part of the international Cochran network that aims to synthesize the best evidence from research to aid decision-making in medicine without the use of commercial funds or those that may have a conflict of interest.
12. Selected member of the working group of the European Cooperation for Science and Technology (COST) for the promotion of geriatric care in countries where it is not developed within the project PROGRAMMING CA21122.
13. Winner of the “Research-based Learning” grant and reward. Award of the Austrian Development Agency and the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation in Kosovo for the application of research-based teaching. Three papers from three groups of students have been accepted and presented at the international science conference ICNA-STA and one presentation as an invited presenter at the EVER conference.
14. Guest lecturer at the 19th Glaucoma School in Slovenia.
15. Guest speaker at Pan-Ireland Ophthalmology Day in Ireland.
16. Trainer of the “Presentation Skills” module for teachers in higher education organized by QPM-UP as a trainer certified by the World Learning/MEST/USAID collaborative program.
17. Mentor in the “K-GENU” program, a mentoring program for young people organized by UNICEF and Mentoring our Future.

A brief resume of Prof. Assoc. Qendrese Daka

Prof. Assoc. Qëndrese Daka is a lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Pristina, and an ophthalmologist at the Eye Clinic, KKUK. She is a certified higher education teaching trainer from World Learning, a certified glaucoma specialist from the European Glaucoma Society, and has completed the European Ophthalmology exam and holds the FEBO title.

Dr. Daka is an author in the Cochrane Eyes & Vision group, a next-generation partner in the European Glaucoma Society, and a research fellow in the Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. As an ophthalmologist and researcher, she worked at: Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany; La Sapienza University in Rome, Italy; University of Ljubljana in Ljubljana, Slovenia; and Queen’s University Belfast in Belfast, United Kingdom. She is the presenter of Kosovo in the “Programming” program of COST, and the author of several scientific articles and books about glaucoma disease.

Dr. Daka is the winner of many scholarships, grants, and international projects from Ophthalmology. She is the founder of the local NGO “Kosovar Eye Institute” which aims to promote eye health and is currently the leader of the “Research-based Teaching” project at the Faculty of Medicine. She is a volunteer mentor in the UNICEF K-GENU program, vice president of the Kosovo-Austria friendship association, and a member of the Kosova United States Alumni.