Meet the judges 

With scores of entries year on year, judging our competition offers an exciting challenge for our panel. With over 100 years' experience beween them, there's no doubting the rigor and quality standards that our judges bring to the process. 

This year, we are delighted to see the return of judges Marc Curchod, Jesús Conejero, and Jacqui Kenyon, and extend a warm welcome to our new panel members, Cynthia VandenHoven and Marcel Meyer. All boast many years' experience in clinical and industry settings,  plus a genuine passion for the artistic potential of the slit lamp. Why not take a few moments to meet our fantastic five – and learn a little more about them?

Marc Curchod

A professional photographer by training, Marc got into ophthalmic photography by chance. His training took place alongside colleagues, as well as through contacts with medical doctors. Marc worked for 31 years at the Jules Gonin Ophthalmic Hospital, Lausanne. Now retired, he continues to practice this profession several hours a week at Swiss Visio in Lausanne.

Jesús Conejero

Jesús is currently an ophthalmologist at the ‘Hospital de Mérida’, Mérida, Spain, as Ocular Surface and Cornea specialist. He qualified as a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Salamanca, Faculty of Medicine, in 1993. He became a specialist in Ophthalmology in 2000, having completed the Residency period in the Ophthalmology Department of the "Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón" in Madrid, from 1996 to 2000.

Cynthia VandenHoven

Cynthia VandenHoven, BAA, CRA, FOPS is a photographer-trained medical imaging specialist with over 25 years of expertise in pediatric ophthalmic imaging. Certified in Retinal Angiography (CRA) and a Fellow of the Ophthalmic Photographers’ Society (FOPS), she specializes in multimodal imaging, adapting techniques for pediatric patients, and advancing best practices in ophthalmic imaging.

A dedicated educator and leader, Cynthia has organized international conferences, developed accredited training programs, and mentored medical trainees and imaging staff in pediatric imaging. She has contributed to multiple peer-reviewed publications, and her clinical ophthalmic images have earned numerous international awards. Her career in medical imaging allows her to continue pursuing photography in her leisure time.

Jacqui Kenyon

Jacqui completed a BA in Photography in 2000, leading to her to pursue a career in medical photography. During her training, she discovered a keen interest in ophthalmology and pursued this specialty. Jacqui worked in ophthalmology and bio-pharmaceuticals for over a decade before joining Haag-Streit UK in 2012 as a Product Manager. In this role, she was responsible for a range of products including OCT, ultrasound, fundus photography, laser and simulation.

In 2022, Jacqui moved across the Atlantic to join Haag-Streit USA as a Product and Market Manager and recently started an exciting new position as National Education and Training Specialist – Diagnostics.

Marcel Meyer

Marcel has over 20 years of experience in the ophthalmology industry. Today, he works in product management for Haag-Streit's General Diagnostics division. Marcel's contribution to the development of advanced imaging solutions for slit lamps – along with his background in training users in slit lamp imaging – gives him a distinct affinity for high-quality slit lamp images.