The Master's student in Optometry and Vision Sciences wins the 4th edition of the INDO - UPC Young Research Award in Optometry

Feb 26, 2026

Laia Salido Barbachano wins the INDO prize with the work Halometry in young phakic patients.

The Master's student in Optometry and Vision Sciences wins the 4th edition of the INDO - UPC Young Research Award in Optometry — Photograph of the two winners of the INDO 2025 award.

On Wednesday, February 25, the INDO Award ceremony was held. This event was moderated by Dr. Joan Carles Ondategui, director of the University Master's Degree in Optometry and Vision Sciences. The event took place at the Joan Salvadó auditorium and was presided over by Aurora Torrents, dean of the FOOT.

From left to right: Joan Carles Ondategui, Vice-Dean and Head of Master's Studies at FOOT; Laura Sanchís, head of the training department at INDO Optical;
Manel Espínola, head of Innovation at INDO Optical; Aurora Torrents, dean of the Faculty of Optics and Optometry of Terrassa and Joaquim Grau, president of the Official College of Opticians and Optometrists of Catalonia.

Laura Sanchís and Manel Espínola highlighted the quality of all the works presented:

Validation of a predictive algorithm for peripheral refraction based on axial length, subjective refraction and keratometry, by Natalia Albinska.
Descriptive study of intraocular pressure in the pediatric population of Senegal using iCare rebound tonometry, by Gemma Contra Guardia.
Development of a protocol for the detection of visual problems in patients with acquired brain injury aimed at non-optometrist professionals, by Aicha Daghouri Rbiai.
Evaluation of optical aberrations related to a new orthokeratology lens model, by Federica Salemi.
Halometry in young phakic patients, by Laia Salido Barbachano.
Accuracy and safety of online information on contact lens wear and maintenance, by Carla Vega Martínez.

The first prize was awarded to the student Laia Salido Barbachano, for her University Master's Degree project in Optometry and Vision Sciences: Halometry in young phakic patients, supervised by Professor Laura Clavé Cerezo.

Photograph where they appear standing in front of the INDO advertising poster, from left to right: Manel Espínola, from Innovation at Indo Optical; the winner of the first INDO 2026 prize, Laia Salido, who holds a large €600 check in her hands, and Laura Sanchís, from Training at INDO Optical.

Manel Espínola and Laura Sanchís, from INDO Optical, award the first prize to Laia Salido.

The second prize was awarded to the student Gemma Contra Guàrdia, for her work in the Master's of Lifelong Learning in Pediatric Optometry: Descriptive study of intraocular pressure in the pediatric population of Senegal using iCare rebound tonometry, and supervised by Beatriz Redondo Cabrera, Jesús Vera Vílchez and Carlos Fresno Cañada.

Photograph where they appear standing in front of the INDO advertising poster, from left to right: Manel Espínola, from Innovation at Indo Optical; the winner of the second INDO 2026 prize, Gemma Contra Guàrdia, who holds a large €300 check in her hands, and Laura Sanchís, from Training at INDO Optical.

Manel Espínola and Laura Sanchís, from INDO Optical, award the second prize to Gemma Contra.

The jury highlighted the value of research conducted by master's students in their Final Projects. This task not only promotes emerging talent but also generates a shared benefit for the business community, the academic institution, and the students themselves.

INDO is a member of the FOOT Board of Trustees, a consultative and participatory body that integrates some of the main players in the world of ophthalmic optics and visual health, with the goal of working to contribute to the professional development and social recognition of opticians and optometrists and the sector.