New England Vision Connection with Hope in Focus

Join us for the New England Vision Connection, a special collaborative educational event presented by the Foundation Fighting Blindness in partnership with Hope in Focus.

Whether you or a loved one are navigating vision loss, this informative session offers an opportunity to learn about the latest advancements in research, treatments, and local community resources. Together, we are united in our shared mission to empower individuals and families impacted by retinal diseases across New England.

What to Expect

• Expert insights into emerging scientific research and therapies for blinding retinal diseases
• Educational resources and support networks provided by both the Foundation Fighting Blindness and Hope in Focus
• Opportunities to connect with peers, advocates, and experts in the region’s vision community

SPEAKERS

• Nicole Ross, OD, MSc, FAAO, DAAO(LV) is an attending optometrist at NECO Center for Eye Care, Commonwealth; the Perkins School for the Blind; and the Carroll Center for the Blind. She teaches Low Vision Rehabilitation and Advanced Ocular Disease classes at NECO and is currently a PhD candidate at Northeastern University. Her research interests include ocular structure-function relationships, epidemiology of vision impairment, evidence-based clinical practice and translational research in vision testing and enhancement technologies.
  
  
• Darya Iranmanesh is a 23-year-old graduate student from Lexington, MA. She is partially blind due to the LCA5 mutation. Darya has been a speaker for Massachusetts-based program Understanding Our Differences, which brings disabled speakers into elementary schools to educate students. She has also participated in other advocacy efforts over the years. Darya completed her bachelor’s degree in public health at UMass Amherst at the age of 19 and holds a master’s in public health from Boston University. She is completing her final year of her master’s in social work at Simmons University.
  
  

• Jason I. Comander, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. He is also the Ayoub Family Chair in Ophthalmology and Director of the Inherited Retinal Disorders Service at Mass Eye and Ear. Specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, and genetic foundation of inherited retinal disorders (IRDs), Dr. Comander leads clinical operations and research initiatives focused on restoring vision through novel genetic therapies. He has served as a lead investigator and surgeon on landmark trials, including the 2018 administration of LUXTURNA—the first commercial gene therapy procedure for an inherited disease. In 2020, he was also part of the surgical team that delivered the world’s first in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing therapy to the human body. Dr. Comander holds MD and PhD degrees from Harvard University. He completed his ophthalmology residency, vitreoretinal surgery fellowship, and specialized IRD training at Mass Eye and Ear.

Make it a full evening! Stay with us after the New England Vision Connection to attend Hope in Focus’s evening Dining in the Dark event at Foxwoods Resort. Please note that Dining in the Dark requires separate registration directly through Hope in Focus. [Register for the Hope in Focus Dining in the Dark]

For questions please contact Lisa at LLeger@FightingBlindness.org.

Please fill out the form below to register: