The Aniridia and Low Vision Research Symposium is being held July 15 – 17, 2011, in concert with the Aniridia Foundation International 2011 Medical Conference. The Medical Conference educates patients and their families on the medical and genetic aspects of aniridia. The Research Symposium will address current and emerging strategies for the treatment of low vision disorders including aniridia, and it will include sessions for both clinicians and researchers.
These meetings are a unique opportunity to bring together patients, physicians, and researchers in the study and treatment of aniridia and related eye disorders. The dinner and keynote address on Friday, as well as the exhibits and poster sessions, are open to patients, physicians, and researchers. The clinical sessions on Saturday are open only to medical professionals, researchers, and research personnel.
Keynote Address I
Peter A. Netland, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Virginia Health System; he has received both the Achievement Award and the Senior Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Topic: Emerging Understanding of Aniridia
Keynote Address II
Robert Grainger, Ph.D., W.L. Lyons Brown Professor of Biology in the Department of Biology at the University of Virginia; Principal Investigator on award to establish national Xenopus center at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA; specializes in vertebrate eye development.
Topic: Eye Development
Additional Featured Speakers
- Robert Chow, Ph.D., Canada Research Chair in Retinal and Early Eye Development and Assistant Professor at the University of Victoria; research focus is mechanisms underlying cell type diversity in the vertebrate retina.
- John M. Freeman, M.D., Instructor of Ophthalmology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis; specializes in the cornea, stem cell disorders of the eye and refractive Surgery.
- Cheryl Gregory-Evans, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, University of British Columbia; developmental neurobiology specialization includes both zebrafish and mouse model systems to study developmental eye diseases.
- Kevin Gregory-Evans, M.D., Ph.D., FRCS, FRCOphth, Julia Levy BC Chair in Macular Research and Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology, University of British Columbia; specializes in genetics and cell therapies for diseases of the eye.
- Christopher D. Riemann, M.D., Retinal Surgeon at the Cincinnati Eye Institute; specializes in diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, retinal detachment, and other vitreoretinal diseases.
- Heather Skeens, M.D., Assistant Professor, Medical University of South Carolina; specializes in corneal transplantation and ocular surface stem cell transplantation.
- Elizabeth M. Simpson, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia; research focus in mouse models of developmental brain and behaviour disorders, stem cells and neurogenesis, and gene therapy.
- Michael E. Snyder, M.D., Ophthalmologist at the Cincinnati Eye Institute; specializes in diseases and surgery of the front of the eye, including small-incision, topical anesthesia cataract surgery. His special interests include traumatic cataract surgery, iris repair, corneal transplantation, and refractive surgery.
Session Topics
- Session 1: Clinical Topics*
- Session 2: Translational Research
- Session 3: New Genes
- Session 4: Eye Development
- Session 5: Aniridic Keratopathy
- Session 6: PAX6
- Poster Sessions & Vendor Exhibits
There will be two poster sessions featuring presentations from submitted abstracts and vendor exhibits from our meeting sponsors. The dates and times for the poster sessions are Friday and Saturday evenings, July 15th and 16th, from 8:00 – 10:00 PM.
* Due to the nature of material that will be presented and the requirements regarding confidentiality, the Clinical Topics session is open only to medical professionals, researchers, and research personnel.
page last updated 06/11/2011