Below are video recordings from select VISIONS 2024 sessions:
Welcome and Opening Session – Technology: The Greatest Equalizer.
Speakers: Mike Hess, John Samuel, Rebecca Rosenberg
Join three trailblazing tech leaders as they discuss what they have learned to be the keys to greater digital accessibility, from their professional accomplishments, and their lived experiences with visual impairments.
Johnson & Johnson and David Brint "Reflecting on His Tenure as Board Chair"
Speakers: Alena Reznichenko MD, MSc, MBA, Vice President and Head of Global Medical Affairs of Retina, Johnson & Johnson and David Brint, Board Chair, Foundation Fighting Blindness
Keynote Speaker: Sam Latif, Senior Director, Company Accessibility Leader, Global People with Disabilities Leader, Procter & Gamble
Karen Petrou "Vision For The Future"
Speaker: Karen Petrou, incoming Board Chair, Foundation Fighting Blindness
Mental Health Session –
Losing Sight, Gaining Insight: Addressing Mental Health Concerns for Those Losing Vision and Those That Care About Them.
Speakers: Ann Wagner, PhD, LP, ABPP, Eric Ringham, Tim Ogden and Scott Bea, PsyD
This session will focus on developing positive coping skills around complex grief, anxiety, depression, for parents, caregivers and affected individuals.
Closing Keynote Speaker: Kenyetta McCurdy-Byrd, COO, REACH Riverside Development Corporation
Below are audio recordings from select VISIONS 2024 sessions:
Concurrent Science Sessions
Optogenetics for Sight Restoration (two sessions).
Speakers: Paul Bresge; Eric Daniels, MD and Ethan Rossi, PhD
This session discusses optogenetics, a method of endowing non-photoreceptor cells with light-sensing capabilities. This is the most applicable to late-stage patients
Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine (two sessions).
Speakers: Katherine Uyhazi, MD, PhD and Srinivasa Sripathi, PhD
Stem cell therapies are based on the premise that we could restore vision if we could replace missing or nonfunctional functional cells, either through transplantation or by inducing existing eye cells to create more photoreceptors. These therapies are likely to be most beneficial for mid- to late-stage patients
Genetic Therapies: Gene Therapy and Genome Editing.
Speakers: Kenji Fujita, MD and Renee Ryals, PhD
This session will discuss therapies that are gene and/or mutation specific, including gene therapy and genome editing
Emerging Technologies: Retinal Organoids, RNA Editing, Retinal Prosthetics, and Artificial Intelligence.
Speakers: Robert Bell, PhD; Karl Wahlin, PhD; Hossein Ameri, MD, PhD and Kerry Goetz
This session will discuss hot topics om retinal biology, including retinal organoids, RNA editing, retinal prosthetics, and the use of AI in ophthalmology.
Clinical Trials: What Should You Know?
Speakers: Todd Durham, PhD; Kristin Macdonald and Thomas Mendel, MD, PhD
This session will provide clinician and participant perspectives on inherited retinal disease clinical trials and discuss the importance of natural history studies for interventional clinical trials.
Gene Agnostic Therapeutic Approaches.
Speakers: Dan Chung, DO, MA; Michael Voevodsky, MBA abd Jami Kern, MBA, PhD
This session will discuss gene agnostic therapeutic approaches, which are applicable to multiple retinal diseases and patients at early to mid-stage of disease progression.
Eye Health and Nutrition.
Speakers: Paul Bernstein, MD, PhD and Abigail Fahim, MD, PhD
This session will discuss how dietary supplements and lifestyle choices can influence eye health (e.g. smoking, exercise).
Clinical Trial Readiness
Speakers: Todd Durham, PhD; Kristin Macdonald and Thomas Mendel, MD, PhD
This session will focus on empowering patients to decide if participation in a clinical trial is right for them and discuss how natural history studies pave the way for interventional clinical trials.
Science Plenary Session
Inherited Retinal Disease Genetics: Testing and Registries.
Speakers: Todd Durham, PhD; Kristi Lee, MS, CGC and Ramiro Maldonado, MD
This session will discuss the importance of genetic testing and give an overview of the Foundation's My Retina Tracker® Registry.
Clinical and Research Updates
Usher Syndrome.
Speakers: David Corey, PhD and Benjamin Bakall, MD, PhD
This session will feature clinicans and researchers discussing recent updates for Usher syndrome.
Retinitis Pigmentosa.
Speakers: Robert Hyde, MD, PhD and Miranda Scalabrino, PhD
This session will feature clinicans and researchers discussing recent updates for retinitis pigmentosa.
Leber Congenital Amaurosis.
Speakers: Bikash Pattnaik, PhD and Ramiro Maldonado, MD
This session will feature clinicans and researchers discussing recent updates for Leber congenital amaurosis.
Stargardt Disease and Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
Speakers: Thomas Wubben, MD, PhD; Jason Miller, MD, PhD and Esther Biswas-Fiss, PhD
This session will feature clinicans and researchers discussing recent updates for Stargardt disease and age-related macular degeneration.
Macular Dystrophies.
Speakers: Nieraj Jain, MD and Andrew Goldberg, PhD
This session will feature clinicans and researchers discussing recent updates for specific retinal diseases.
Other Retinal Diseases (CHM, BCM, XLRS).
Speaker: Abigail Fahim, MD, PhD
This session will feature clinicans and researchers discussing recent updates for other retinal diseases, including choroideremia and X-linked retinoschisis.
Adapting & Thriving Sessions
Navigating Air Travel—A Southwest Airlines Perspective.
Speaker: James Ashworth
This session will discuss practical tips and strategies for traveling with vision loss on Southwest Airlines, information such as accessible transportation options, navigating airports, finding accessible accommodations, and using assistive technology. The session aims to empower participants with the knowledge and confidence to explore air travel regardless of their level of vision loss.
My Advocacy. My Choice.
Speakers: Christy Vanek and Janni Lehrer-Stein
Join us for a fireside chat conversation on advocacy across the personal, workplace, and legislative levels. We will explore how advocacy relates to personal identity, what it means to act as an advocate, and personal strategies for making sustainable advocacy choices.
An In-Depth Process of Applying for a Guide Dog.
Speakers: Leslie Hoskins and Alyssa Otis
Learn what to expect when applying for a guide dog, including review of the application materials and potential outcomes. Additionally, an in-depth discussion on the skills required to be approved for a guide dog from the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF) standards.
Low Vision Aids and Devices.
Speaker: Francisco Richardson, OD
Learn about devices, technologies, and low vision adaptations for work, home and education.
Fireside Chat with Judge David Tatel.
Foundation Board Chair David Brint sits down with Judge David Tatel to discuss vision loss, his career and latest book.
Closing Session
Honoring John Corneille, JD, on his retirement from the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the Lulie's Light Awards.
