Session Speakers

Hossein Ameri, MD, PhD

Hossein Ameri, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at the USC Roski Eye Institute of the University of Southern California. Additionally, he is the Director of the USC Retinal Degeneration Center. Dr. Ameri’s clinical practice comprises vitreoretinal surgery and medical retina including inherited retinal diseases, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. His research experience includes retinal prosthesis, retinal angiogenesis, and retinal gene therapy. He was involved in the development of the Argus II retinal prosthesis, holds several patents, and has numerous publications. Currently, his lab is focused on developing gene therapy for acquired and inherited retinal diseases. Furthermore, Dr. Ameri runs clinical trials; notably, he was the primary investigator and the implanting surgeon for the Argus II retinal prosthesis post-marketing clinical trial, and currently, he is the primary investigator on several clinical trials for retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, including NAC Attack for retinitis pigmentosa.

James Ashworth

As Vice President of Customer Support and Services at Southwest Airlines, James is responsible for leading efforts to develop and implement strategies that ensure new technologies are introduced, improve service quality, and align customer satisfaction initiatives so Southwest Customers and Employees continue to feel welcomed and cared for.

James is a long-time advocate for the visually impaired. He is dedicated to supporting individuals and their families impacted by vision loss in various aspects of their lives, including education, employment, and daily living skills. James is a donor and advocate for the Foundation Fighting Blindness and served as a Board Member for the Center for the Visually Impaired (CVI). James served as a Georgia State Rehabilitation Council member supporting Georgians with disabilities. James is the Executive Sponsor for Southwest’s ABLE Employee Resource Group and a member of the Black Excellence Achieving Together (BEAT) Employee Resource Group.

James is an Atlanta Falcons fan, but when he isn’t watching football in his downtime, he can be found playing his guitar. James and his wife Precious have been married for over 20 years and are the proud parents of two children, Jay and Skylar.

Benjamin Bakall, MD, PhD

Dr. Bakall, MD, PhD, is a retina specialist at Associated Retina Consultants in Phoenix, Arizona and a Clinical Assistant Professor at University of Arizona, College of Medicine Phoenix. Dr. Bakall is diagnosing, treating and providing genetic counseling to patients with a range of retinal disorders including inherited retinal diseases, Age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. He completed his medical degree and PhD at Uppsala University in Sweden; and his PhD was focused on identifying and analyzing the gene causing Best macular dystrophy. He continued his research at University of Arizona as a postdoctoral fellow, where he also did his ophthalmology residency training. He completed a medical retina and inherited retinal disease fellowship at University of Iowa, Dr. Bakall is a partner and clinical research director at Associated Retina Consultants, and he is involved in dozens of clinical trials for retinal diseases including gene therapy trials. He has written several research manuscripts and book chapters on retinal diseases. He is the founder and president for the non-profit foundation Retina Research Foundation of America. He has is frequently invited speaker on retinal diseases including the Foundation Fighting Blindness Visions conference and has been the medical chair for the Arizona Vision Walk.

Scott M. Bea, PsyD

Scott M. Bea, Psy.D. Is an Emeritus Staff Member at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Bea practiced as a clinical psychologist at Cleveland Clinic for 35 years and as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, prior to his recent retirement. For some added fun, Scott was able to offer psychological insights through a variety of platforms, including television, print media, and podcasts.

Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, just prior to his 22nd birthday, Scott has lived for more than 40 years with the experience of gradual vision loss. At the same time, he has sincere gratitude for RP.

Scott met his wife of 40 years, Barbara, at a fundraising event for The Retinitis Pigmentosa Foundation. Barbara was at the event because her mother had RP. With two adult daughters and, now, a grandson, Scott owes a lot to the experience of retinitis pigmentosa.

Scott is excited to be part of the panel addressing mental health concerns amongst those with visual impairments and blindness, along with their sighted helpers. Thank you to the Foundation Fighting Blindness for inviting me to Chicago.

Robert Bell, PhD

Robert Bell, Ph.D. is Senior Vice President and Head of Research at Ascidian Therapeutics, a biotechnology company aspiring to treat human diseases by rewriting RNA. Prior to Ascidian, Bob held various roles of increasing responsibility in Pfizer’s Neuroscience and Rare Disease Research Units where he led lab-based research teams and participated in various business development activities.

Bob has expertise in developing preclinical models to better understand the pathologic mechanisms of disease in addition to extensive experience in leading drug discovery programs from target validation to clinical candidate selection through successful IND-enabling activities. He has worked closely with non-clinical, safety, medical, and regulatory colleagues to help develop clinical plans for multiple gene therapy programs.

He received a Ph.D. in pathology and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Bob is an inventor on several patents, has authored numerous scientific papers, held a collaborating adjunct faculty appointment at the University of Rhode Island, and is a Scientific Advisory Board member for the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation. Currently, Bob and the team at Ascidian are working on multiple programs in ophthalmology, neurological and neuromuscular disorders, and other genetically defined diseases with a mission to bring life-changing treatments to patients.

Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD

Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD joined the faculty of the Moran Eye Center of the University of Utah in 1995 where he currently divides his time equally between clinical and basic science retina research and a clinical practice devoted to medical and surgical treatment of diseases of the retina and vitreous with special emphasis on macular and retinal degenerations. Dr. Bernstein did his undergraduate, MD and PhD training at Harvard University, his ophthalmology residency at Jules Stein Eye Institute of UCLA, and his vitreoretinal fellowship at Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary. Dr. Bernstein’s current research interests focus on the biochemistry and biophysics of nutritional interventions against inherited and acquired ocular disorders. Dr. Bernstein has authored over 200 peer-reviewed research articles and reviews, and he has served as a reviewer for numerous journals, foundations, and institutes. Dr. Bernstein currently serves as the Vice-Chair for Research at the Moran Eye Center and was vice-president of ARVO from 2016–2017.

Esther Biswas-Fiss, PhD, MB (ASCP)^CM

Esther Biswas-Fiss, PhD, MB (ASCP)^CM is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Medical and Molecular Sciences at the University of Delaware. Her scientific journey started at the University of Washington Seattle, where she studied chemistry. She earned her master’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Maryland and then went on to earn her doctoral degree in Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology from Rutgers University. In 1999, she received her first academic appointment as a faculty member and Director of Departmental Research at Thomas Jefferson University. She was awarded a secondary faculty appointment in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Sydney Kimmel Medical College of TJU and became a member of the Wills Vision Center at Jefferson. She has been serving the College of Health Sciences at the University of Delaware since 2016. Her contributions to research have led to over 60 peer-reviewed publications in journals, including the European Journal of Ophthalmology, Molecular Vision, Journal of Biological Chemistry, and Biochemistry. Esther’s research focuses on understanding the consequences of genetic variation on the structure and function of proteins and their role in human health and disease, particularly the impact of genetic variants in inherited retinal degenerative diseases such as Stargardt disease.

Paul Bresge

Paul Bresge has been a leader in the cell and gene therapy biotech space for over a decade. He is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Ray Therapeutics, an optogenetics gene therapy company for blinding diseases. Prior to co-founding Ray Therapeutics, Paul served as Chief Executive Officer at jCyte, a late-stage clinical cell therapy company developing a treatment for retinitis pigmentosa. He was involved with jCyte prior to its inception in 2012 and concluded a $252M licensing deal with Santen Pharmaceutical in 2020. In addition to his current role as CEO, Paul is on the board of directors of Healios, an iPSC company with programs in ophthalmology and oncology, and is a mentor on the Winning Pitch Challenge. Paul is passionate about supporting companies with emerging technologies that have great potential to address unmet needs for patients with blinding and other diseases.

David Brint

David Brint is CEO of Brinshore Development Company, where he is responsible for Brinshore’s real estate development, acquisitions, development financing, equity syndication, and property management activities. David has arranged over $1 billion in complex financial transactions utilizing a variety of tools including: tax exempt bonds, Federal HOPE VI, CDBG, Empowerment Zone and HOME funds, mortgage-based and cash-flow loans, credit enhancements, Historic and Low-Income Tax Credits, TIF financing, and assorted grant programs. These creative financing tools have been used to leverage public and private resources and have enabled the development of over 4,000 units of successful affordable housing.

David, on behalf of Brinshore Development, is also the Midwest Regional representative and Vice President for the Richman Group Capital Corporation, L.L.C., a national syndicator of low-income housing tax credits. He oversees all of the due diligence, market rate analysis, and acquisition closing for the company's Midwest region, which has amounted to over $300 million since 1994.

David previously served as Board President of the Foundation for Retinal Research, which he co-founded and which has now merged with Foundation Fighting Blindness. He is also a board member of a number of non-profit institutions including Director of the Illinois Housing Council, Director of The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who are Blind and Visually Impaired and Director of Kids Can Do Foundation. He is a former member of the Chicago Federal Home Loan Bank Board Community Investment Advisory Council, and Founding Member and past Director of Highland Park Community Land Trust. He formerly served as Board President of the Victor C. Neumann Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving developmentally disabled individuals.

David received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

David has been involved with Foundation Fighting Blindness since 1998; his son Alan is affected with LCA. David is actively involved with Foundation Fighting Blindness events in the Chicago area. David currently serves as the Foundation Fighting Blindness board chair.

Dan Chung, DO, MA

Dr. Chung is the Chief Medical Officer for SparingVision, an ocular genomic medicine company, focusing on gene agnostic gene therapy and CRISPR gene editing approaches to combat blinding diseases. Prior to his recruitment to SparingVision, Dr. Chung was the Ophthalmology Therapeutic Leader for Spark Therapeutics, where he led the medical affair group and contributed to many other areas ranging from clinical development to commercial and business development. Dr. Chung was intimately involved with the development of Luxturna, the first gene therapy approved by the FDA and EMA for use in a blinding genetic disease. Prior to joining Spark Therapeutics, Dr. Chung was at the Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)working in research and clinical trials for retinal gene therapy.

David P. Corey, PhD

David P. Corey, PhD, is the Bertarelli Professor of Translational Medical Science in the Department of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School. He has studied basic mechanisms of vision and hearing for nearly 50 years. His laboratory has been primarily interested in understanding how the receptor cells of the inner ear convert sound into a neural signal, which has led to studies of proteins that are involved in both hearing and vision, and that cause Usher syndrome when mutated. He and his team have used their knowledge of the atomic structure and biophysical function of these proteins to design gene therapy strategies to successfully treat Usher syndrome in animal models, in both the ear and the eye. Dr. Corey is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and has received major awards from the Biophysical Society and the Association for Research in Otolaryngology.

Eric J. Daniels, MD, MBA

Eric has nearly 20 years of operating experience in biotechnology and medtech companies. Prior to joining Kiora, he served as the CEO of OccuRx Pty Ltd as well as Co-founder and Director of Bayon Therapeutics, Inc., both focused on the development of next generation ophthalmic therapeutics. Eric is also a Co-Founder and Board Director of Okogen, Inc., a specialty ophthalmic biotechnology company.

Eric previously served as part of the leadership teams at Puregraft LLC, Tensys Medical, and Cytori Therapeutics, Inc., serving in senior medical, R&D, and commercial roles. Eric holds an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA, where he also received his MD from the UCLA School of Medicine. Eric received his BS in Molecular Biology from the University of California, Berkeley.

Todd Durham, PhD

Todd Durham is the Senior Vice President, Clinical & Outcomes Research at the Foundation Fighting Blindness, a national non-profit that funds research to treat and cure inherited retinal diseases. In his current role, Todd is responsible for directing the Foundation’s Clinical Consortium of retinal experts, managing the Foundation’s disease registry, developing strategies to enhance product development, partnering with industry, and providing technical input on partnered programs and investment decisions. Todd has over 25 years of drug development experience. Prior to his current position, he contributed to research on numerous marketed products as Director of Biostatistics with IQVIA’s Real World Evidence Solutions, was a doctoral fellow with Bristol Myers Squibb, and worked in various statistical and leadership roles for Novan, Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Quintiles, and as a self-employed consultant. Todd earned a BSPH and MS in biostatistics and a PhD in health policy and management (Decision Science and Outcomes Research) from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Abigail Fahim MD, PhD

Abigail Fahim MD, PhD, is a clinician-scientist who has devoted herself to the care of patients with inherited retinal degenerations, to understanding their diseases at the cellular and molecular level, and to developing new therapies for these largely untreatable blinding disorders. As an undergraduate at Princeton University, she majored in molecular biology and graduated Summa Cum Laude. She completed her PhD in the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Michigan and her MD at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. During her ophthalmology rotations she developed an interest in the genetics of retinal degeneration and subsequently completed a 1-year post-doctoral fellowship with Stephen Daiger, PhD, at the University of Texas, investigating the contribution of genetic modifiers to phenotypic variation in retinitis pigmentosa. She trained in ophthalmology at the University of Michigan, where she has remained, completing fellowships in inherited retinal disease and medical retina. She joined the faculty in 2018 and has a practice caring for patients with inherited retinal disease. She participates in numerous clinical trials and also has a NEI-supported laboratory research program investigating retinal pigment epithelial cell dysfunction in inherited retinal diseases.

Kenji Fujita, MD

Dr. Kenji Fujita is Chief Medical Officer at Atsena Therapeutics. He is responsible for overseeing clinical and regulatory aspects of an IRD pipeline which includes two clinical programs.

Kenji had over 15 years of industry experience, taking roles of increased responsibility at Merck, Alexion, and Alnylam. He has worked in all phases of clinical development across numerous therapeutic areas, including ophthalmology, neurology, metabolic, and cardiovascular disease.

Kenji’s clinical background is in cardiology. He received his MD from Harvard Medical School, followed by residency in internal medicine and fellowship in cardiology at Columbia University. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Nuclear Cardiology and maintains an appointment as Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

Kerry Goetz

Kerry Goetz is the Associate Director for the National Eye Institute’s Office of Data Science and Health Informatics at the US National Institutes of Health. In this capacity she is responsible for advancing data management and sharing strategies to make NEI data FAIR (Fully AI-Ready & Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). For over a decade, Kerry has been leading the eyeGENE Program, a controlled access resource with imaging, data, samples, and a participant registry for rare eye conditions. Kerry has also been entrenched in standards development for over 15 years. Kerry co-leads the Eye Care and Vision Research Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics Working Group, is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology Standards Working Group, and also works in aligning imaging standards and health data to enable groundbreaking research.

Andrew Goldberg, PhD

Dr. Goldberg is appointed as the Reddy Professor of Biomedical Sciences, within the Eye Research Institute of Oakland University. His research program is aimed at understanding how the elaborately elegant structures of rod and cone photoreceptor cells are established, and can be maintained to support a lifetime of health vision. His laboratory’s contributions have been fundamental for understanding the significance of key proteins, including PRPH2 and ROM1, for scaffolding normal photoreceptor structure and function. More recent studies investigate how inherited mutations can compromise protein structure and photoreceptor viability to trigger a diversity of inherited retinal degenerations, and how vision loss caused by associated diseases can be reduced or prevented by appropriate interventions. His program has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Matilda E. Zeigler Foundation, Eversight, and the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Dr. Goldberg earned his Ph.D. from Brandeis University and conducted postdoctoral fellowships at the University of British Columbia and University of Washington, before joining the faculty at the Eye Research Institute of Oakland University in 2000. Outside of work, he enjoys walks, yoga and time with his family and Schnoodle.

Michael Hess

Mike Hess, a tech veteran with twenty years of experience managing seven-figure projects for Fortune 500 companies, noticed a troubling trend — he was often the lone blind professional in the room. Recognizing the untapped potential of the blind and visually impaired (BVI) community, he founded the Blind Institute of Technology (BIT). BIT aims to challenge stereotypes and promote inclusivity for BVI individuals in corporate America through advocacy, education, and innovative initiatives. Leveraging his IT expertise, Mike has fostered partnerships and placed BVI and disabled professionals in Fortune 500 companies nationwide.

To address the need for marketable tech skills among people with disabilities, Mike established the BIT Academy. Through a partnership with Salesforce, the Academy offers specialized courses in Salesforce Administration and Digital Accessibility Analysis, empowering individuals with disabilities to compete effectively in the workforce. With a commitment to leveling the playing field, the BIT Academy is dedicated to equipping individuals with disabilities with high-level certifications for success.

Leslie Hoskins

Leslie Hoskins is a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) and the outreach services and community engagement manager at Leader Dogs for the Blind. She joined the orientation and mobility team in March of 2014 and worked as the camp director and a COMS for six years before moving to outreach. She is responsible for client recruitment, graduate engagement and building relationships with other organizations within the blindness and low vision field. Leslie hosts monthly collaboration events and is one of the hosts of the Taking the Lead podcast. Leslie attended Western Michigan University, where she graduated with a BS in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and an MA in Orientation and Mobility.

Robert Hyde, MD, PhD

Dr. Robert Hyde practices in the Department of Ophthalmology at UI Health. Dr. Hyde's clinical interests include the diagnosis and management of patients with inherited retinal diseases and vitreoretinal disorders. He provides a comprehensive, team-based approach to the care of the patient with retinal disease and has an active interest in preclinical studies and current clinical trials, including gene therapy, for inherited retinal diseases. Dr. Hyde's interests also include the management of diabetic retinopathy, macular pucker and macular holes, central serous chorioretinopathy, and complications following cataract surgery.

Nieraj Jain, MD

Dr. Jain is Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of Ophthalmic Genetics at the Emory Eye Center. He received his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine followed by a residency in ophthalmology at Duke where he served as chief resident. He subsequently completed a fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery at the University of Michigan, as well as a fellowship in ophthalmic genetics at the Casey Eye Institute in Oregon where he was supported by a Career Development Award from the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

His research explores the use of advanced retinal imaging modalities to assess disease progression and outcomes from novel therapies for inherited retinal diseases. He has special expertise in macular diseases, and his discovery of pentosan polysulfatemaculopathy garnered Best Paper honors at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting in 2018. He is particularly interested in developing a novel disease model for macular disease.

Dr. Jain is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, and The Macula Society.

Jami R. Kern, MBA, PhD

Dr. Kern is the Chief Clinical Officer at Nacuity Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for diseases caused by oxidative stress. Nacuity’s lead program applies a gene agnostic approach to treat Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) and is currently ongoing in patients with RP associated with Usher syndrome in an Australian multicenter clinical trial.

Prior to joining the Nacuity team, Dr. Kern spent 15 years leading clinical development and medical affairs at Alcon. She earned a BA in Chemistry from Austin College, a PhD in Biomedical Science, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the UNT Health Science Center, and an MBA from TCU’s Neeley School. She is honored to have the opportunity to work with leading researchers and clinicians worldwide in the pursuit of improved clinical outcomes for patients with a variety of challenges.

Dr. Kern remains very involved in her community, serving on the board of a local independent school, mentoring doctoral students, and volunteering with non-profits.

Kristy Lee, MS, CGC

Kristy Lee is a Certified Genetic Counselor and Research Professor in the Department of Genetics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ms. Lee received her undergraduate degree from North Carolina State University and a master’s degree in Genetic Counseling from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She specializes in genetic counseling for patients and their families with inherited retinal disorders and hereditary coagulopathies in adults and children. Her research interests involve examining the effectiveness and implementation of exome sequencing analysis and novel gene discovery for coagulopathies and retinal dystrophies. She has been involved in multiple genome/exome studies analyzing the utility of exome sequencing as a clinical test, with specific focus on informed consent, molecular variant analysis and results disclosure of diagnostic and secondary findings. She also serves as a key liaison and molecular variant analyst on multiple retinal dystrophy expert panel groups for the Clinical Genome (ClinGen) Resource.

Janni Lehrer-Stein

Janni Lehrer-Stein is a member of the blind community, impacted by retinitis pigmentosa since 1982. A graduate of Yale University, the University of Toronto and Harvard Law School as a visiting student, Janni has practiced law in Washington D.C. and in San Francisco. Janni retired from practicing law to raise her family and has engaged in national disability policy for more than two decades. Janni was appointed to the National Council on Disability by President Barack Obama, Senate confirmed and served two full terms in that capacity. She became an advisor to the Clinton Presidential campaign and also served as policy advisor to Kamala Harris’ primary campaign, then transitioned to lead the Biden/Harris disability policy Taskforce. Currently, Janni is a member of the Board of Directors of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, where she chairs the accessibility task force. She is also a national Trustee of American Foundation for the Blind, where she chairs the Public Policy and Research Advisory committee and serves as an appointed member of the NIH Eye Council, The committee for Preservation of the White House and numerous appointments and elected positions in the DNC.

Kristin Macdonald

Kristin Macdonald’s first vision of life was to become an actress in Hollywood. While her dream was unfolding, Kristin suffered several accidents and discovered she had a degenerative eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa. Kristin was diagnosed at age 30 but started experiencing night vision difficulties in her mid-20s. The condition moved slowly but took almost all of her eyesight. Despite the odds, Kristin went behind the scenes and continued working with some of Hollywood's top producers and celebrities for 25 years.

In 2016 Kristin enrolled in a clinical trial at UC Irvine. This study used progenitor stem cells with the hope of restoring eyesight. As a result of the stem cell therapy, she now sees more light than she had previously, and the progression of the RP has slowed.

Kristin is an inspirational speaker and an ambassador for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, known as CIRM. She has been a guest speaker at the annual ISSCR conference, a keynote speaker for the US Navy, and UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, and hosts her own podcast titled, Second Vision.

Kristin often says that while her eyesight has been challenged, her vision for life is perfect.

Ramiro Maldonado, MD

Ramiro Maldonado, MD, is a distinguished ophthalmologist specializing in medical retina, ophthalmic genetics, and electrophysiology. As a faculty member at Duke University Eye Center, a renowned institution for inherited retinal diseases, Dr. Maldonado serves as the director of the Inherited Retinal Diseases Fellowship and Co-Director of the Center for Ophthalmic Genetics. He focuses his clinical efforts on pediatric retinal conditions, providing tailored care to young patients. Additionally, Dr. Maldonado leads various clinical trials as the principal investigator, driving innovation in diagnostic tools for pediatric retinal diseases. Notably, his groundbreaking contributions have earned him recognition, including the prestigious Foundation Fighting Blindness Clinical Innovation Award, highlighting his dedication to advancing research in the field.

Tom Mendel, MD, PhD

Tom Mendel, MD, PhD, is a retina surgeon-scientist at The Ohio State University (OSU) and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where he serves as an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology. Clinically, he practices both adult and pediatric retina, with a particular focus on inherited retinal diseases. His clinic cares for over 200 inherited retinal disease patients with a team of caregivers, including an ophthalmically specialized genetic counselor in Taylor Sabato, MPH, MMSc, LGC, and a dedicated inherited retinal disease clinical care coordinator in Lindsey Pyers, COA.

Dr. Mendel also directs a research team and translational laboratory to pioneer new gene therapy approaches for his many inherited retinal disease patients. He was trained in Luxturna therapy at the University of Michigan’s Kellogg Eye Center and saw first-hand the impact of restorative gene therapy. With that in mind, he founded his laboratory with the purpose of extending the early success of Luxturna to other inherited retinal diseases. His particular research features a combination of novel surgical and molecular approaches and is carried out within the OSU Gene Therapy Institute, which is comprised of an experienced interdisciplinary team of gene therapy investigators whose expertise ranges from neurosurgery to biomedical engineering.

Jason Miller, MD, PhD

Jason Miller, MD, PhD is the James Grosfeld Endowed Professor and a retina specialist in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Michigan. Dr. Miller's clinical practice and laboratory research focus heavily on dry age-related macular degeneration. He completed his undergraduate degree in biology at Stanford University, where he was active in the development of microsurgical devices with the Department of Ophthalmology. He completed his MD and PhD graduate work at the University of California, San Francisco. He completed his internal medicine internship at Kaiser Permanente Oakland. Seeking to combine his post-graduate medical and scientific training, he became the inaugural awardee for the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center's Pre-Residency Research Fellowship. This fellowship allowed for the establishment of an independent research program in dry AMD prior to joining the ophthalmology residency. Following this, he completed an ophthalmology residency and medical retina fellowship training at the Kellogg Eye Center before joining the faculty in the fall of 2021. His clinical focus is on macular degeneration, particularly dry age-related macular degeneration, as well as other diseases of the macula. His research program seeks to establish primary and iPS RPE culture models of dry AMD as a platform for testing therapeutic interventions.

Timothy Ogden

Timothy Ogden is the founder and President of the Bardet Biedl Syndrome (BBS) Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by BBS and is the father of an 18-year-old son who has BBS and is blind. Tim is also the Managing Director of the Financial Access Initiative (FAI) at NYU Wagner, a research center focused on how financial services can better meet the needs and improve the lives of poor households around the world; he also founded and currently leads Sona Partners, a thought leadership communications firm, where he has helped develop more than 20 books for major publishers. Prior to joining FAI, he was the Chief Knowledge Officer at Geneva Global, Inc., an international philanthropy advisory company, and founding editor of Gartner Press at Gartner, Inc, an IT industry research firm. He also serves as chair of the board of GiveWell.

Alyssa Otis

Alyssa Otis has been with Leader Dog for over 10 years as a guide dog mobility instructor (GDMI) and now as the Outreach Specialist. She started at Leader Dog right after graduating from Central Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and American Sign Language. Over the past 10 years, Alyssa has trained with hundreds of dogs and has placed client/guide dog teams all over the US, Canada and Spain. She has been a GDMI apprentice mentor, participated in professional seminars for COMS seeking to learn more about guide dogs, and presented to various groups on guide dog training and expectations.

Bikash Pattnaik, PhD

Bikash Pattnaik is the clinical director of electrophysiology at UW-Health and a tenured associate professor at UW-Madison in the UW Departments of Pediatrics and Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences. He is also the founder of Hubble Therapeutics (Pioneering novel ion-channel gene therapies to restore vision). Ion channels are membrane proteins of great physiological importance for our ability to see and make it a potential drug target. Prof. Pattnaik received his PhD in Biophysics from the University of Delhi, India, and his Ophthalmology post-doctoral training in France and Kellogg Eye Institute, Michigan. He has received NIH funding for his studies, patents, several awards, and honors with critical publications on his research for ion-channel therapy. Community advocating for students and patient families to educate, enrich, and empower while maintaining scientific excellence is embedded in his approach. He has sought to balance his curiosity about the clinical and scientific world with other interests, especially musicianship in his drumming, which lays the foundation and provides the pulse for musical performance.

Karen Petrou

Karen Petrou is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Federal Financial Analytics, Inc., a privately-held company that since 1985 has provided analytical and advisory services on legislative, regulatory, and public-policy issues affecting financial services companies doing business in the U.S. and abroad. Petrou is a frequent speaker on topics affecting the financial services industry. In addition to testifying before the U.S. Congress, she has spoken before the Federal Reserve Banks of New York, St. Louis, San Francisco, and Chicago, the European Central Bank, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the International Monetary Fund, the Clearing House, the Bank Policy Institute, the Institute of International Bankers, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, the Japanese Diet, and many other governmental, industry and academic groups. Petrou is the author of the book Engine of Inequality, the Fed and the future of wealth in America. She has also authored numerous articles in publications such as the American Banker and the Financial Times, and is frequently quoted as a bank policy expert in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Politico, the Hill, and other media outlets.

Prior to founding her own firm in 1985, Petrou worked in Washington as an officer at Bank of America, where she began her career in 1977. She is an honors graduate in Political Science from Wellesley College and also was a special student in an honors program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She earned an M.A. in that subject from the University of California at Berkeley, and was a doctoral candidate there. She has served on the boards of banking organizations and now sits as a director on the board of the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, and is the incoming chair of the board of directors of the Foundation Fighting Blindness. In 2019, she and her late husband Basil were named “visionaries” by the Foundation Fighting Blindness and received the Berman award in 2022. These reflect the Petrou’s work not only for vision research, but also development of a new financial instrument that would provide billions for biomedical research in all diseases, disabilities, and disorders. Karen currently serves on the Foundation Fighting Blindness board as the executive vice chair and will become the new board chair on July 1, 2024.

Francisco Jose Richardson, OD

Dr. Francisco Richardson is a distinguished low vision optometrist with a passion for helping others overcome visual challenges. Originally from Puerto Rico, Dr. Richardson’s journey is marked by a commitment to service, both in professional endeavors and his community. Raised loving the outdoors, early experiences as an Eagle Scout instilled resilience, compassion, and community service. His desire to aid his country led him to serve with honor as an Officer in the 101st Airborne Division, completing three combat tours across Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Following his military tenure, Dr. Richardson pursued his passion for optometry and established Eyes of Winter Park. Beyond the clinic walls, Dr. Richardson’s thirst for knowledge and love of exploration has taken him around the globe, immersing himself in diverse cultures and experiences. A dedicated family man, Dr. Richardson cherishes moments spent with loved ones, finding balance between professional pursuits and personal fulfillment. Known for his eclectic interests and a penchant for discovering random facts, he approaches life with an open mind, eager to try new activities. With a blend of military discipline, compassionate care, adventure, and a commitment to service, Dr. Richardson continues to positively impact lives, both within his practice and the broader community.

Eric Ringham

Eric Ringham is a writer, editor, actor and voice actor in Minneapolis. His acting credits include roles at half a dozen theaters in the Twin Cities and voice work on a variety of platforms, including commercials and podcasts. He is currently in the cast of “How to Avoid Burnout in 73 Minutes: A Minimally Invasive Musical Procedure,” a play about burnout in the medical profession that has performed in two Minneapolis theaters as well as the University of Minnesota Medical School and Mayo Clinic. Eric is also a volunteer reader for Radio Talking Book.

Eric spent forty years as a working journalist, chiefly as commentary editor for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Minnesota Public Radio News. He was a charter member of the Association of Opinion Page Journalists, which he served for two terms as president, and vice president of the Minnesota Press Club. Among his awards were the 2019 Ancil Payne Award for Ethics in Journalism and the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award.

He is married to the psychologist Ann Wagner, and is very happy about that.

Rebecca Rosenberg

Rebecca Rosenberg is the founder and CEO of ReBokeh (Techstars Equitech 23’), an assistive tech company that creates modern tools for the moderate low-vision community. Rebecca was born with an uncorrectable vision impairment stemming from a rare disease called albinism. Like millions of others with “low vision,” Rebecca isn’t blind, but her vision impairment poses daily challenges.

Inspired by the shortcomings she experienced with assistive tech growing up, Rebecca founded ReBokeh in 2019 as a college student, with the goal of creating a modern assistive tech tool that empowered low-vision users to make better use of the functional vision they do have, rather than try to replace it with audio or tactile descriptions. In the years since, Rebecca has grown ReBokeh to reach a global presence - with users in 105 countries around the globe.

Personally, Rebecca is a member of the Lighthouse Guild Visionary Board and has received a number of awards. She was named to DC Inno’s “25 Under 25” list, as well as Technical.ly’s “20 fastest-rising tech companies” list. Rebecca has previously spoken to audiences at a wide range of events, including the Congress of Future Medical Leaders, and Thought Leaders in Technology Inclusion at CES.

Ethan Rossi, PhD

Ethan Rossi, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Rossi has a secondary appointment in the Department of Bioengineering and is a member of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Rossi is the director of the Advanced Ophthalmic Imaging Laboratory, which is focused on the development and clinical deployment of multi-modal imaging technologies for studying the living human retina in health and disease at the level of single cells. Dr. Rossi received his BA in Brain & Cognitive Sciences from the University of Rochester. He completed his PhD training in Vision Science at the University of California, Berkeley, and then returned to Rochester as a postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Visual Science. Dr. Rossi’s current research interests include adaptive optics ophthalmoscopy, aging, age-related macular degeneration, fluorescence imaging, inherited retinal dystrophies, laser doppler holography, uveitis, eye movements, and concussion. Dr. Rossi has obtained funding for his work from several sources, including the National Eye Institute, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Foundation Fighting Blindness, Henry J. Hillman Foundation, BrightFocus Foundation, and the Eye & Ear Foundation of Pittsburgh.

Renee Ryals, PhD

Renee Ryals, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Casey Eye Institute within the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). Her research focuses on evaluating the safety and efficacy of gene- and cell-therapies in models of retinal degeneration enabling their translation into the clinic. Her affiliations with the Molecular and Medical Genetics Division at OHSU, the College of Pharmacy at Oregon State University, and the Division of Neuroscience at the Oregon National Primate Research Center highlight her collaborative nature and ability to optimize and evaluate therapeutics in small rodent models to large, nonhuman primate models. Dr. Ryals is currently leading a multi-disciplinary team that aims to develop lipid nanoparticle-mediated gene editing therapeutics for inherited retinal dystrophies. Additionally, she is supporting two different groups with their IND-enabling studies, which will accelerate cell therapeutics for dry age-related macular degeneration. Dr. Ryals is an active participant in the industry landscape, serving on the Scientific Advisory Board for EnterX Biosciences and Eyestem.

John Samuel

John Samuel, author of "Don’t Ask the Blind Guy for Directions," is the co-founder & CEO of Ablr, dedicated to enhancing inclusivity by eliminating barriers for individuals with disabilities in education, retail, entertainment, and employment. His commitment stems from personal experience, as he navigates the world as a blind individual, striving to dismantle obstacles for others. With nearly two decades of leadership experience, John has spearheaded initiatives globally, including launching Aster Cameroon, a telecom infrastructure venture, and contributing to Homestrings, a USAID-backed crowdfunding platform. He holds an MBA from George Washington University and a BS in Accounting from North Carolina State University.

Recognized with awards such as the George Washington University Recent Alumni Achievement Award and the Triangle Business Journal’s Leader in Diversity Award, John is also an angel investor in 321 Coffee, which advocates for employment for people with disabilities and serves on the Boards of Aravind Eye Foundation and the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County. John and his wife Nicole reside in Cary, North Carolina, with their two sons, Eli, and Ethan.

Miranda Scalabrino, PhD

Miranda Scalabrino, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. The Scalabrino Lab aims to understand how retinal circuitry changes during retinal disease and following therapy. We use a variety of techniques to accomplish this goal, including physiology, histology, and behavior, aiming for a wholistic picture of retinal health and function to build better therapy options for patients.

Srinivasa Sripathi, PhD

Srinivasa Sripathi, PhD, is the Director of Henderson Ocular Stem Cell Laboratory at the Retina Foundation, where he leads stem cell research to provide innovative solutions for vision restoration. Dr. Sripathi is also an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. After earning his PhD in Retina Biochemistry from Michigan Technological University, he completed post-doctoral training under the direction of Donald Zack, MD, PhD, at the Wilmer Eye Institute at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, focused on ocular stem cell research to understand the early progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Dr. Sripathi’s primary concentration is on patient-specific stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium and multi-layered retinal organoids to recapitulate disease-in-a-dish model for AMD studies. His laboratory uses pharmacological approaches to identify novel drugs that potentially maintain retinal health in AMD. Additionally, his research uses CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing approaches to understand AMD and develop gene therapy strategies.

Dr. Sripathi has received grant support from the BrightFocus Foundation, Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund, Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Addy Foundation, and Theodore and Beulah Beasley Foundation. His peer-reviewed research publications contribute significantly to the field of ocular stem cell research.

Judge David Tatel

Judge David Tatel served on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1994 to earlier this year. After graduating from the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago Law School, he served as the founding director of the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and then director of the National Lawyers Committee. He headed the Office for Civil Rights of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare during the Carter administration and then founded and led the education practice at Hogan Lovells, where he is now Senior Counsel. Judge Tatel is a member of the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In the past, he co-chaired the National Academy of Sciences’ Committee on Science, Technology and Law, and chaired the boards of The Spencer Foundation and The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Judge Tatel and his wife, Edie, live in Virginia and Washington, D.C. They have four children, eight grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Katherine E. Uyhazi, MD, PhD

Katherine E. Uyhazi, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania. She completed her PhD at the Yale School of Medicine on translational gene regulation in embryonic stem cells, followed by an ophthalmology residency and fellowship at the Scheie Eye Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the lab of Dr. Jean Bennett, a world-renowned pioneer in retinal gene therapy, to gain experience in navigating the pathway from pre-clinical research studies to drug development. Dr. Uyhazi runs a basic science laboratory at Penn with a focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying retinal cell death and developing gene- and cell-based therapies to treat late-stage retinal disease. She is currently supported by an FFB Career Development Award and NIH K08 award.

Christy Vanek

Christy Vanek leads Global Disability Accommodations & Accessibility at Otis Worldwide Corporation and co-chairs the Otis Thrive ERG, serving interests of colleagues with disabilities, caregivers, and mental health and wellbeing of all colleagues. As a white woman living with a disability since childhood, Christy navigates privilege, discrimination, inclusion, exclusion, micro-aggressions, and intersectionality daily.

Christy speaks publicly about her personal experience navigating mental health challenges of depression and anxiety. She breaks apart stigmas surrounding mental health and barriers to discussing this topic at work. Christy is legally blind and is a strong and graceful self-advocate for disability awareness and acceptance, as well as a champion for systems-level change to improve digital and physical accessibility.

She holds expertise in mindfulness, meditation, yoga, personal organization, DE&I, and disability inclusion. A graduate of the University of Michigan, she holds a BBA from the Ross School of Business and a BA in Organizational Studies. Christy resides in Chicago with her husband and their two pets.

Michael Voevodsky, MBA

Mr. Voevodsky brings extensive executive experience in disruptive technology development companies. Prior to MitoChem, he was a co-founder and CEO of Salutaris Medical Devices, a VC-funded medical device company developing a breakthrough one-time therapy for wet AMD. He was the VP of Marketing for Matrixx Initiatives, a publicly traded pharmaceutical company, prior to which he was a Director at Perrigo company leading the Rx-to-OTC business. He currently advises The University of Arizona’s Tech Launch Arizona on promising life science and physical science technologies. He holds over 25 US and international patents in ophthalmology. Mr. Voevodsky received a BS with distinction from The University of Arizona and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Ann Wagner, PhD, LP, ABPP

Dr. Ann Wagner is a Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist. She worked for 26 years on the PTSD Clinical Team at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System and has expertise in empirically supported interventions for the treatment of PTSD and other trauma-related problems. Though retired, she is professionally active as a consultant and invited guest speaker. She particularly enjoys presenting on a variety of topics related to vision loss; on Narrative-Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (N-IRT), a protocol for the treatment of nightmares she developed around 2006; and on integrating principles of Narrative Therapy and brief psychodynamic therapy. She is a fierce proponent of the importance of loving kindness and opening to core self, and likes to use the words “village moments” when two or more people sharing authentically can feel belongingness in the span of a moment. She treasures such moments.

Dr. Wagner is blind due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP), an inherited eye condition known for progressive loss of peripheral and night vision. She has delivered local and national presentations for the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the American Macular Degeneration Foundation on the topics of grief and loss, anxiety, depression, and resiliency related to vision loss or serving in a helper role. She welcomes curiosity and questions about RP. Dr. Wagner finds joy in spending time with her husband, her dog, her grandson and other family members. Hugs and baking for others are some of her love languages.

Karl Wahlin, PhD

Dr. Karl J. Wahlin is the Director of the Richard C. Atkinson Laboratory for Regenerative Ophthalmology and Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Shiley Eye Institute at the University of California, San Diego where his laboratory studies human retinal development and inherited retinal disease. He received his PhD in 2009 from the Department of Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where he explored how retinal neurons wire together during development and insight into the mechanism of neurotrophic factors induced neuroprotection of dying retinal neurons. After his post-doctoral studies at the Wilmer Eye Institute studying emerging stem cell technologies, he moved to UC San Diego, where his current research uses cutting-edge genome editing technology and stem cells to explore how the human retina forms, why photoreceptors degenerate during disease, and ultimately, how to restore vision after the retina has already failed. This work has broad implications in a wide range of retinal dystrophies, including Leber’s congenital amaurosis (LCA), Retinitis pigmentosa (RP), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and glaucoma.

Thomas Wubben, MD, PhD

Thomas Wubben, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Michigan, Kellogg Eye Center. As a clinician-scientist, his ultimate goal is to identify a viable human therapy that reduces morbidity and improves vision in those affected by retinal disorders. As a vitreoretinal surgeon, Dr. Wubben provides medical and surgical care to patients with a multitude of retinal degenerative diseases in the clinic and acts as the principal investigator for numerous gene therapy and novel therapeutic trials for retinal diseases.

While Dr. Wubben cares for and investigates innovative therapeutic interventions in patients with retinal diseases, he also directs a translational laboratory program researching novel therapeutic paradigms to prevent vision loss in those affected with these blinding diseases. His research program looks to improve our understanding of the metabolic signals that drive retinal cell function and survival in retinal degenerative diseases and ultimately, to identify novel therapeutic strategies. His laboratory has demonstrated that reprogramming retinal cell metabolism is a novel neuroprotective therapeutic strategy, and Dr. Wubben’s research program is currently developing small molecule therapeutics that reprogram retinal metabolism to prevent disease progression in age-related macular degeneration.