Tuesday, May 6
7 - 8:30am MT
Salt Palace Convention Center
Registration — $15

Breakfast with the Experts is your chance to meet with subject experts for in-depth conversations in a small group setting. Experts will host a table, give guidance and answer questions on a specific theme. Browse the table topics and choose the one you are most interested in.

Registration for Breakfast with the Experts is open. Sign up when you register for the Annual Meeting. If registered for the Annual Meeting already, you may add a table to your current registration.

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Table A

Ashwath Jayagopal, PhD, MBA, FARVO Chief Scientific and Development Officer Ocuphire Pharma (Durham, NC)

 

How to become a champion for academic/industry/government relationships to enhance innovation

Ash Jayagopal, PhD, MBA, is chief scientific and development officer of Ocuphire Pharma. A bioengineer by training with over 17 years of experience, he  leads multidisciplinary research teams focused on therapeutic research and development, drug delivery platforms, as well as biomarkers for retinal diseases in industry and academia. Jayagopal also oversees research and development strategy for Opus, including the execution of IRD clinical trials and pipeline development for retinal diseases. Prior to the acquisition of Opus Genetics by Ocuphire Pharma, he served as the chief scientific officer with scientific and clinical leadership responsibility for Opus’ retinal gene therapy portfolio, including management of discovery, manufacturing, nonclinical development, and clinical development functions. Prior to Opus, he was executive director of discovery medicine at Kodiak Sciences where he supervised early-stage portfolio development, and the head of molecular pharmacology and biomarkers in ophthalmology at Roche. His accomplishments at Roche included leadership of teams conducting discovery and IND-enabling studies for over 16 programs, including the FDA-approved therapeutic for retinal vascular disease, Vabysmo® (trademark of Genentech, Inc.) — the first bispecific antibody in ophthalmology. Before his career in industry, Jayagopal was an assistant professor and NIH-funded principal investigator at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center. An author on over 40 peer-reviewed publications, he has been awarded the Roche Key Contributor Award, Dolly Green Special Scholar Award from Research to Prevent Blindness, and a Junior Faculty Award from the American Diabetes Association. He is a Gold Fellow of ARVO, and a fellow and president of the Association for Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics (AOPT). Jayagopal serves on the Innovation Advisory Council for Foundation Fighting Blindness, and the editorial board of the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

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 Table B

Vivian Lee, MD Associate Professor of Ophthalmology University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine Scheie Eye Institute (Philadelphia, Pa.)

 

Work-life balance/integration

Vivian Lee, MD, is an associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania with secondary appointments in the Departments of Dermatology and Pathology and Laboratory Sciences. She is a board-certified ophthalmologist who subspecializes in ocular pathology, and principal investigator of an NIH-funded basic science lab that focuses on ocular surface regeneration. In addition to her clinical and research endeavors, she is deeply involved at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, serving as co-chair on the Committee on Admissions and chair of the Policy Ccommittee.

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Table C

Kimberly Gokoffski, MD, PhD Associate Professor of Ophthalmology (Clinical Scholar) Associate Director of Research Institute for Technology and Medical Systems Keck School of Medicine of USC University of Southern California (Los Angeles, Calif.)

 

Work-life balance/integration

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Table D

Darlene Miller, DHSc, MPH, CIC, FARVO Research Professor of Ophthalmology and Scientific Director of Ocular Microbiology Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami (Miami, Fla.)

 

Increasing awareness of diversity, equity and inclusion in ophthalmology

Darlene Miller, DHSc, grew up in the southern part of the United States — Virginia and then Florida — where she attended segregated elementary, middle and high schools. Her undergraduate, masters and doctorate degrees were obtained from universities with mixed student populations harboring diverse ethnicity, political orientation, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, tolerance and/or inclusiveness toward others. These experiences have shaped both her personal and professional life. Miller is currently a research professor in the departments of ophthalmology, microbiology and immunology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

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 Table E

David Gamm, MD, PhD, FARVO Professsor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, RRF Emmett A. Humble Distinguished Director McPherson Eye Research Institute University of Wisconsin-Madison (Madison, Wisc.)

Combining clinical practice, clinical research and basic science: Can you do it all?

David M. Gamm, MD, PhD, is the director of the McPherson Eye Research Institute, the Trout Chair in Eye Research, and a professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is also a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. In 2016, he founded Opsis Therapeutics, where he serves as chief scientific officer. In his practice, Gamm diagnoses and treats pediatric eye disorders, while his research focuses on the use of human pluripotent stem cell technology for retinal disease modeling and cell replacement therapies.

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Table F

Harriet Lloyd, MS Director of Research Administration Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Research Integrity Office, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai (New York, NY)

 

General principles on the ethical conduct of research and scholarship

Harriet Lloyd, MS, has been involved in research in the ophthalmic space for almost three decades at Weill-Cornell, Columbia and Mount Sinai. To that end, she has been involved in various laboratory technical and administrative roles, and has managed numerous federal and foundation grants. She draws from a vast array of experiences within ophthalmology and research, including those that deal with sponsored projects, funding initiatives, clinical trials, animal studies and bench work.

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 Table G

John D. Ash, PhD, FARVO E. Ronald Salvitti Professor of Ophthalmology Research Vice Chair and Director of Research University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

 

Tips on starting your own laboratory 

John Ash, PhD, is a distinguished scientist, educator and leader in vision science who currently holds the prestigious E. Ronald Salvitti Chair in ophthalmology research at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He is also the vice chair of ophthalmology, overseeing both research and academic development within the department. Over the course of more than two decades, Ash has established himself as a world-renowned expert in retinal degeneration, with research focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms behind vision loss due to inherited retinal diseases and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).  He has mentored 14 graduate students, five postdoctoral fellows and approximately 20 early-career faculty.

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 Table H

Daisy Shu, PhD, FARVO Scientia Senior Lecturer, School of Optometry and Vision Science  University of New South Wales  (Sydney, Australia)

How to make yourself visible: Learning to self promote and advocate

Prior to her current role, Daisy Shu, PhD, was an instructor at Harvard Medical School. Her research explores the molecular mechanisms driving age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Shu is vice-president of the International Society for Eye Research (ISER) and serves on ARVO's Women in Eye and Vision Research (WEAVR) leadership committee. She is also a recipient of the ARVO Emerging Advocate Award and is an alumni of the ARVO Science Communication Training Fellowship. Shu is a co-host of the podcast, Behind our Science.

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 Table I

Fiona S. McDonnell, PhD Principal Investigator and Assistant Professor John A. Moran Eye Center University of Utah School of Medicine (Salt Lake City, Utah)

 

How to survive as a young investigator

Fiona McDonnell, PhD's primary research area is the study of glaucoma with a special focus on conventional outflow physiology. Her interest in glaucoma began with her doctoral work in her hometown of Dublin, Ireland and continued with her postdoctoral training at Duke University (Durham, NC). In 2022, McDonnell joined the John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah as an assistant professor and principal investigator of the McDonnell Laboratory. The lab is currently researching the role that extracellular vesicles play in outflow physiology and IOP homeostasis.

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 Table J

M. Francesca Cordeiro, MBBS, PhD, MRCP, FRCOphth, FARVO Chair and Professor of Ophthalmology, Imperial College London Research Lead and Honorary Consultant Ophthalmologist, Western Eye Hospital (London, United Kingdom)

How to succeed as a woman in vision research

M. Francesca Cordeiro, MBBS, PhD, is a clinician-scientist, chair of ophthalmology Imperial College London, UCL professor, honorary consultant ophthalmologist & director of the ICORG clinical trials unit at the Western Eye Hospital London, and recently founder and director of Novai Ltd. — a start-up company based on DARC Technology. Her research, funded continuously by the Wellcome Trust since 1996, focuses on translational approaches to saving sight and reducing disability, with over 190 peer-reviewed publications. She has received a number of international awards for this work, including the GG2 Diversity Award for Outstanding Achievement in Medicine 2017 and the 2019 Duke Elder Award (RCOphth). Cordeiro is also frequently asked to give keynote lectures abroad.

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 Table K

Christine A. Curcio, PhD, FARVO Professor Emeritus and Director of AMD Histopathology Lab Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham (Birmingham, Ala.)

 

How to succeed as a woman in vision research

Christine Curcio PhD, a neuroscientist by training, has made seminal contributions to the anatomic and molecular pathobiology of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which degrades central vision in aged adults worldwide. Using tools of digital histology, her lab has made important discoveries about the composition and role of drusen deposits in human AMD while also identifying hallmarks such as early loss of rod photoreceptors, gliosis, and RPE transdifferentiation. Her microscopy studies support multiple clinical diagnostic techniques for ophthalmology, including optical coherence tomography, autofluorescence, adaptive optics, and rod-mediated dark adaptation. 

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 Table L

Neeraj Agarwal, PhD, FARVO Director of Research Training, Career Development, and Diversity NEI/NIH Division of Extramural Science Program (Bethesda, Md.)   Ed Clayton, PhD Program Officer NEI/NIH Training Office (Princeton, NJ)

 

Funding opportunities for young scientists

Neeraj Agarwal earned his PhD in biochemistry from the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (Chandigarh, India).  He had his postdoctoral trainings at the University of Southern California, Yale School of Medicine, and UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, Tex. He was mentored by David Papermaster, MD, in the field of retinal degenerations and vision research. Following this, he established his own laboratory in the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (Fort Worth, Tex).  Agarwal's research focused on the mechanisms of visual cell loss using animals and cultured retinal cells as models for retinal degenerations and glaucoma. Currently, he is serving as the director of training, career development, and diversity at the NEI/NIH Division of Extramural Science Program. His portfolio manage NRSA fellowships, the institutional research training programs, the mentored career development programs, BRAIN initiative training mechanisms, and the loan repayment programs.

Ed Clayton, PhD, received his BS in psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill and his doctorate in psychobiology from the University of Virginia. After a postdoc at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied the role of the locus coeruleus in decision making, he joined the Center for Scientific Review as a scientific review officer in the integrative, functional, and cognitive neuroscience integrated review group. In 2013, he was named senior director of strategic funding and grants administration at Autism Speaks. In 2015 Clayton joined the Princeton Neuroscience Institute as their director of training and professional development. In 2023, he joined the National Eye Institute as a program officer in the Training Office. He currently manages NEI’s institutional training grants and a portfolio of neuroscience-related training and career development awards. 

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 Table M

Amani A. Fawzi, MD, FARVO Cyrus Tang and Lee Jampol Professor of Ophthalmology Feinber School of Medicine Northwestern University (Chicago, Ill.)

 

How to build successful collaborations

Amani A. Fawzi, MD, is a vitreoretinal surgeon, Clinician-scientist, and the Cyrus Tang and Lee Jampol endowed professor at Northwestern University, where she divides her time between her surgical practice and NIH-funded research. She has authored/coauthored over 200 peer-reviewed articles, delivered several named lectureships, and serves as a standing member of the NIH study section. Recognized for her imaging research, Fawzi has received the Honor Award of the American Society of Retina Specialists, the Young Investigator Award of the Macula Society, the Secretariat, and Senior Achievement Awards of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and is a gold fellow of ARVO.

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 Table N

Hemant Khanna, PhD, FARVO Associate Professor and Principal Investigator University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (Worcester, Mass.)

 

Transitioning from academia to industry 

Hemant Khanna, PhD, is an accomplished research leader with 20+ years of demonstrated leadership experience driving innovation in biomedical sciences. He has proven expertise in translating discoveries into drug candidates, leading cross-functional R&D teams, and navigating complex drug discovery and development processes. A tenured associate professor at UMass Chan Medical School, he has a strong track record of academic research, culminating in a patented minigene-based AAV delivery system. He collaborated also with Iveric Bio as a consultant and as part of sponsored research agreements on AAV gene therapy and small molecule programs. Khanna was recruited to Iveric Bio to build and advance the preclinical and early discovery research and development pipeline where he demonstrated strategic leadership in developing both small molecule and AAV-based therapeutics. He also successfully collaborated with regulatory agencies, contributing to the FDA approval of Izervay^TM — an aptamer that targets the complement pathway for the treatment of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration. Khanna has continued driving innovation at Astellas Pharma post-acquisition, leading IND-enabling studies for AAV gene therapies and novel small molecules targeting neurological and ophthalmological diseases. His expertise spans the entire drug development continuum, from discovery to clinic.

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 Table O

Dimitri Azar, MD, MBA, FARVO Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology. Bioengineering and Pharmacology B.A. Field Chair in Ophthalmologic Research Dean Emeritus of the College of Medicine University of Illinois College of Medicine (Chicago, Ill.)

 

Thinking outside the box: Alternative careers for the clinician-scientist or researcher

Dimitri Azar is an internationally recognized ophthalmic surgeon and a leader in basic science and clinically related vision research. He has made significant contributions to the treatment of corneal diseases and to advances in refractive surgery through mathematical analyses and applications of advanced optics. His basic science research on matrix metalloproteinases in corneal wound healing and angiogenesis has been continually funded by the National Eye Institute R01 award since 1993. Azar has authored more than 400 scientific articles and book chapters. He is the editor of 14 books in ophthalmology and holds 15 patents. He has been named one of the best doctors in America and recognized among Castle Connolly’s Regional Top Doctors in America annually since 1994. Azar has received multiple leadership awards also, including the 2009 Lans Distinguished Award and the University of Illinois at Chicago Scholar Award.

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 Table P

Joe Carroll, PhD, FARVO Richard O. Shultz, MD / Ruth Works Professor in Ophthalmology Department of Ophthalmology, Medical College of Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Wisc.)

 

Pearls for effective science communication

Joseph Carroll, PhD, is the Richard O. Schultz, MD/Ruth Works Professor of Ophthalmology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He directs the Dennis P. Han, MD Advanced Ocular Imaging Program (AOIP), which utilizes a variety of non-invasive retinal imaging devices to study the structure and function of the living human retina. Carroll currently serves as the editor-in-chief for ARVO's Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science journal and has over 30 years of combined editorial experience across five different journals.

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 Table Q

Theodore G. Wensel, PhD, FARVO Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, Tex.)

 

How to develop successful mentee/mentor relationships: Helping your mentee progress in their careers

Theodore Wensel, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, Tex.), where he leads a laboratory that combines biochemistry, mouse genome engineering and advanced imaging technologies to understand mammalian vision and visual disease. He received his PhD in chemistry from the University of California, Davis, before training in vision science and spectroscopy in the laboratory of the late Lubert Stryer, MD, at Stanford. Twenty-four PhD students and 20 postdoctoral scholars have completed training in his lab and pursued science-related careers.

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Table R

Stephanie Watson, OAM, FARVO Head, Corneal Research Group Save Sight Institute, University of Sydney (Sydney, Australia)

 

How to develop successful mentee/mentor relationships: Helping your mentee progress in their careers

Professor Stephanie Watson, OAM, is a cataract and corneal surgeon known for her ground-breaking research in corneal therapies. She leads the Corneal Research Group at University of Sydney and is head of the corneal unit at the Sydney Eye Hospital. As chair of Australian Vision Research; recent past-chair of ARVO's Advocacy and Outreach Committee; vice-chair of RANZCO NSW Branch and secretary to the Asia Pacific Ophthalmic Trauma Society, Watson contributes to policy and advocacy. Her practice is in corneal and cataract surgery in adults and children with appointments at the Sydney Eye Hospital, Sydney Children's and Prince of Wales Hospitals where she is a royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) trainer. The research programme led by Watson has generated over 217 Scopus publications, over 250 presentations and $14 millon in funding. She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to ophthalmology and named an ARVO Gold Fellow (FARVO). In 2019, Watson became a fellow of the Academy of Asia-Pacific Professors of Ophthalmology (AAPPO) and a fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales. She was the only Australian to make the power list of the top 100 women in ophthalmology in 2021 and 2022, and in 2023 was the only Australian woman on the top 100 power list for all ophthalmologists. Watson was honoured to be on the top 100 power list again in 2024. She has received an Outstanding Service in Prevention of Blindness award from the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology, New Zealand’s Dorothy Potter Medal and an NSW Premier’s Prize for Leadership in Innovation. Watson practices at Bondi Eye Doctors, Bondi Junction.

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 Table S

Jeremy Kay, PhD Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology Duke University (Durham, NC)

 

How and when to search for a postdoctoral fellowship

Jeremy Kay, PhD, is a neurobiologist interested in how the visual system forms during early development. His lab studies how developing neurons and glia interact with each other and with their environment to build neural circuits. Work from the lab has focused on many different aspects of retinal development, including synapse specificity, naturally occurring cell death, glial cell biology, and patterning of neuronal mosaics. The lab is also interested in understanding how perturbed developmental events can lead to diseases such as retinopathy of prematurity or inherited retinal degenerations.

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 Table T

R.V. Paul Chan, MD, MSc, MBA Professor and Chair, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Director of Pediatric Retina and Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) Service Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, University of Illinois at Chicago (Chicago, Ill.)

 

Running a successful clinical research group

R.V. Paul Chan, MD, MSc, MBA, is the department head and the John H. Panton, MD Professor of Ophthalmology at the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). His clinical practice focuses on vitreoretinal surgery, with an expertise in pediatric retinal disease. Chan is a global leader in pediatric blindness prevention and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and his primary research interests focus on utilizing new technology and imaging techniques to better evaluate and manage children with retinal disease.

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 Table U

Katharine Talcott, MD Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Cole Eye Institute Surgical Retina Specialist and Associate Program Director of Opthalmology Residency Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, Ohio)

 

Applying to ophthalmology residency programs

Katherine E. Talcott, MD, is an associate professor of ophthalmology at the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic. She is a surgical retina specialist and the associate program director of the ophthalmology residency.

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 Table V

Russell Van Gelder, MD, PhD, FARVO Boyd K. Bucey Memorial Chair of Medicine, Chair and Professor of Ophthalmology Adjunct Professor of Biological Structure and Pathology University of Washington School of Medicine (Seattle, Wash.)

 

How to succeed as a clinican/scientist 

Russell Van Gelder earned his BS, MD, and PhD degrees from Stanford University. He completed his ophthalmology residency and uveitis and medical retina fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. Following 10 years on faculty at Washington University, Van Gelder moved to University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, where since 2008 he has served as the Boyd K. Bucey Memorial Chair, professor and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology. Van Gelder is an active clinician-scientist and has published over 200 papers and book chapters. His laboratory has made seminal advances in the fields of non-visual photoreception, vision restoration, and ocular inflammatory disease. He is editor-in-chief of Ophthalmology journal. Nationally, Van Gelder served as president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) as well as the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO). He currently serves on the Council of Councils of the National Institutes of Health.

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 Table W

Stephen Tsang, MD, PhD Professor of Ophthalmology, Pathology and Cell Biology Columbia University (New York, NY)

 

How to succeed as a clinician/scientist 

Stephen Tsang, MD, PhD, cares for two percent of Americans with RP or Stargardt disease. He serves on PED2, DPVS study sections, and the RPB Scientific Advisory Panel, advocating phototransduction research. An elected member of honorary societies, including American Society for Clinical Investigation, Alcon Research Institute, Macular-Society and AOS, Tsang advances innovation in CRISPR therapeutics.

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 Table X

Linda McLoon, PhD, FARVO Professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.)

 

How to succeed as a woman in vision research

Linda McLoon, PhD, is a tenured professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences at the University of Minnesota. She received her PhD from the University of Illinois at the Medical Center and did her postdoctoral studies at University of Washington and the Medical University of South Carolina. Her most recent research focuses on extraocular muscle structure and function, concentrating on developing pharmacologic treatments for strabismus. She has a long history of successful mentorship. McLoon has over 115 peer-reviewed publications, as well as over a dozen chapters. She is the current section editor for the Orbit and Vitreous Sections in the new addition of the Encyclopedia of the Eye. In addition, she has edited a book on craniofacial muscles.

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 Table Y

Monica Jablonski, PhD, FARVO Hamilton Professor of Ophthalmology, Vice Chair and Director of Research Health Science Center, University of Tennessee (Memphis, Tenn.)

 

Patent tips: How to avoid common mistakes and pitfalls

Monica M. Jablonski, PhD, is the Hamilton Professor of Ophthalmology and serves as vice chair and director of research at the the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tenn. She is also the founder and CSO of Tavo Biotherapeutics, a start-up that stemmed from discoveries made in her lab. Jablonski and her team hold three issued patents and have several others in various stages of execution.

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 Table Z

Eric Pierce, MD, PhD, FARVO Chatlos Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School Director of Ocular Genomic Institute, Mass Eye and Ear (Cambridge, Mass.)

 

The art and science of successful grant writing

Eric Pierce, MD, PhD, is the Chatlos Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, and director of the Ocular Genomics Institute (OGI) at Mass Eye and Ear. His research program is focused on improving understanding of the genetic causality of inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs), and developing genetically informed therapies for these disorders. His work has led to the identification of several IRD disease genes, helped highlight the importance of non-coding mutations in IRDs, and supported clinical translation of genetic therapies for several genetic forms of retinal degeneration. Pierce received the Proctor Medal from ARVO in 2023.

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 Table AA

Vallabh Das, PhD, FARVO Professor of Optometry Cullen College of Engineering, University of Houston (Houston, Tex.)

 

The art and science of successful grant writing 

Vallabh Das, PhD, is an expert in oculomotor system neuroscience and in the study of strabismus in awake behaving non-human primates. Das has maintained NIH R01 funding since 2002 for research into binocular coordination of eye movements in strabismus. In addition to being department chair, Das has had leadership and service experience as president of the University of Houston Faculty Senate, a member of ARVO's Annual Meeting Program Committee (EY Section), and as a member in many NIH study sections.

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 Table AB

Joseph L. Demer, MD, PhD, FARVO Division Chief, Arthur L. Rosenbaum Professorship of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Stein Eye Institute, UCLA Professor of Neurology and Founding Chair of EyeSTAR Residency-PhD Program in Ophthalmology (Los Angeles, Calif.)

 

Juggling clinical responsibilities and scientific research in the early years

Joseph Demer, MD, PhD, is division chief and holds the Arthur L. Rosenbaum Professorship of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus at the Stein Eye Institute, Geffen Medical School at UCLA. He is professor of neurology and founding chair of the EyeSTAR Residency-PhD program in ophthalmology. In 2003, Demer received the Friedenwald Award from ARVO, and a recognition award from Alcon Research Institute in 2004, for his work on the extraocular muscles and orbital connective tissues. He serves on the ARVO Board of Trustees representing the eye movements, strabismus, amblyopia, and neurooophthalmology (EY) scientific section. His work has been funded by NEI since 1985.

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 Table AC

Fatema Ghasia, MD Associate Professor and Director of Vision Neurosciences and Ocular Motility Lab Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, Ohio)

 

Conflict management: How to smoothen the career path 

Fatema Ghasia, MD, is a clinician-scientist, associate professor, and director of vision neurosciences and ocular motility lab at Cleveland Clinic. She has made outstanding contributions to eye movements and visual neuroscience. Ghasia combines cutting-edge research and clinical ophthalmology, finding novel ways to quantify visual dysfunction and devise treatments in pediatric and neuro-ophthalmic eye diseases. Her research focuses on studying abnormal brain circuits that cause visual problems in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. She has discovered a novel approach of quantifying eye movements as an objective marker of visual deficits seen in children and are devising artificial intelligence algorithms to expedite the diagnosis of amblyopia and strabismus in young children. Her and her team's research employs innovative ways to treat visuo-motor abnormalities in Parkinson’s disease. They use a brain-machine interface to modulate oculomotor abnormalities in Parkinson’s disease. Ghasia has served on the ARVO Annual Meeting Program Committee and also serves on AAPOS Vision Screening and Adult Strabismus Committees. Her extramurally supported research was honored with the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Young Investigator award.

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 Table AD

Isabelle Audo, MD, PhD, FARVO Clinician Scientist and Professor in Ophthalmology, Quinze-Vingts Hospital Deputy Director, Institut de la Vision (Paris, France)

 

Braking international barriers for successful career progression

Isabelle Audo, MD, PhD, is a clinician scientist and professor in ophthalmology, working both at the Quinze-Vingts Hospital and as a group leader in the department of genetics. She is also deputy director at the Vision Institute (Institut de la Vision) in Paris, France. Her areas of expertise are medical retina, inherited retinal disease both for clinical and molecular diagnosis, and visual function explorations with clinical electrophysiology and imaging techniques. As a clinician and a scientist, Audo has developed a comprehensive expertise on inherited retinal diseases from the clinical diagnosis, patients' care to translational and more basic research aiming at a better understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms underlying these disorders. Her research on inherited retinal diseases has been published in more than 200 scientific papers. She is also the coordinator of several laboratory and clinical research projects and trials. Audo is president of the Francophone Genetic Ophthalmic Society. In Sept. 2021, she became the coordinator of the National Reference Center for Rare Disease of Quinze-Vingts National Ophthalmology Hospital and deputy director of the Institut de la Vision.