Research will be the focus of the program on Friday, Nov. 2; clinical updates will be provided in a half-day program on Saturday, Nov. 3. All programs will be in Spitzberg Hall at the Glick Eye Institute, 1160 W. Michigan St., on the IU School of Medicine campus in Indianapolis.
“We have had fantastic response and participation over the last two years as we featured presentations on glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and stem cell research from our colleagues in ophthalmology, optometry, biology and other parallel scientific investigators, and this year decided to expand our view to include updates for our clinicians,” said Louis B. Cantor, M.D., chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology.
Featured speakers for the 2012 research program include:
- Louis Pasquale, M.D., FARVO, director of glaucoma service and telemedicine at Massachusetts Eye and Ear in Boston. His topic is “The reverse engineering cycle of discovery in glaucoma.”
- Jost Jonas, M.D., FARVO, faculty member of clinical medicine at Mannheim-Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany. His topic is “Pathogenic implications from the morphology of the glaucomatous optic nerve head.”
- Einar Stefansson, M.D., FARVO, retina faculty at the University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland. His topic is “Retinal oximetry in health and disease.”
Additional speakers will be selected based on the abstracts submitted for consideration by program chair Alon Harris, M.S., Ph.D., FARVO, director of clinical research at the Glick Eye Institute. Abstracts are due by 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 27; selections for oral presentations or poster presentations will be made and published by Sept. 14.
“This scientific program allows researchers to discuss their work while learning about potential collaborations and parallel investigations that involve the eye, vision or vision-related components,” Dr. Harris said. “Abstracts not selected for presentation can be included in poster sessions that will be held concurrently with the symposium.”
Chi Wah Rudy Yung, M.D., this year’s chair of the program’s clinical schedule, has invited Wallace L.M. Alward, M.D., a glaucoma specialist from the University of Iowa, to be a keynote speaker on Saturday. Ophthalmology faculty and area physicians also will present Saturday on topics such as diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, cornea disease to glaucoma. The tentative agenda for Saturday is available as a PDF.
The first Glick Vision Symposium in 2010 featured 16 scientific presentations on topics including disease detection, glaucoma and retinal blood flow and showcased 13 research posters on topics including corneal innervation, age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma testing. The 2011 event, held in conjunction with the dedication of the Glick Eye Institute, featured an internationally known glaucoma expert and 13 presentations on topics including glaucoma, vascular function and age-related macular degeneration; 25 posters also were presented.
“We know that often researchers from a variety of disciplines are conducting vision-related research, yet many are unaware of parallel or related research taking place on their campus or another IU campus,” Dr. Harris said. “This kind of meeting benefits all researchers as we can learn from each other while seeking opportunities to collaborate in this increasingly competitive grant environment.”
Dr. Yung said adding the clinical program to the symposium gives practicing ophthalmologists an opportunity to receive brief updates about new techniques, treatments and surgery outside their area of expertise.
The cost to attend will be $50 for M.D./Ph.D. participants; $35 for postdoctoral participants; and $25 for residents and students. Meals, including Friday’s breakfast and lunch, and Saturday’s breakfast, are included along with conference materials. Continuing medical education credits are available. Updates and registration information will be posted online as it becomes available.