Macular Degeneration: News You Can Use

This event featured Rob Howden and Diane Marshall, both currently living with geographic atrophy, the advanced form of dry macular degeneration. They give a firsthand account of daily living with geographic atrophy and discuss the importance of diagnosis.

This event featured Dr. Surendra Sharma, Senior VP of Medical Affairs at Outlook Therapeutics. Dr. Sharma discussed the difference between Wet AMD and Dry AMD, who is at risk for Wet AMD, and what treatment options are available.

BrightFocus Foundation hosted this Access Live event to discuss macular degeneration. This event featured Joshua Dunaief, MD, PhD, professor of ophthalmology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Dunaief spoke about symptoms and treatments for macular degeneration, including a new study of zebra fish to understand how they regenerate eye cells. Participants asked questions regarding eye injections, the risk factors of drusen turning into geographic atrophy and how important a healthy diet is to help prevent macular degeneration.

This event featured guest speakers Maureen Foley and Sheila Klein, who are both currently living with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and gave firsthand accounts of daily living with low vision. They also discussed the biggest challenges and the resources they find most helpful while living with AMD.

This event featured Jerry Feliz, Access Technology Director at Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. He discussed how to use a screen reader and apps the blind can use to help with daily activities. Jerry also spoke about his YouTube channel and he let participants know that he does private consultations for anyone that might need extra help increasing their independence with assistive technology.

BrightFocus Foundation hosted this monthly chat featuring Dr. Maria Richman, a Low Vision Rehabilitation Optometrist from Shore Family Eyecare in New Jersey. Dr. Richman discussed Advanced Macular Degeneration and provided an update on the investigational medical device called the SING Implantable Miniature Telescope. She discussed the improvements and benefits made to the new implantable telescope device as well as the criteria that is needed in order to join the clinical trial for the device.

This event featured Dr. Sally Temple and Dr. Jeffrey Stern who are both co-discoverers of stem cells in the human retinal pigment epithelium at the Neural Stem Cell Institute, who addressed the role of stem cells in central nervous system development, maintenance, and repair. There was also discussion about cell transplants to replace retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and clinical trials for stem cell therapy and AMD.

Understanding Dry AMD and Geographic Atrophy.” The event featured Dr. David S. Liao, a board-certified ophthalmologist at the Retina-Vitreous Associates Medical Group, who specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of diseases of the retina and vitreous. The hosts discussed a proposed and promising pharmaceutical under investigation for geographic atrophy (GA) using a targeted C3 therapy. There was also discussion about other possible treatment for Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and GA, clinical research, how long eye disease may take to progress, and regular provider visits with optometrists and ophthalmologists.

Featuring Allysin Bridges-German, OTD, MA, OTR/L, who specializes in treating people living with low vision.

The Chat features Ranjoo Prasad, OD, Staff Optometrist at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center and Board Member of VisionLink Philadelphia. Learn how to improve your quality of life by using low vision devices, making adaptations to your hobbies and tasks, making the most of lighting, and finding services to assist in identifying the best strategies for you.

This chat features Dr. Rowan, an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, MA, and a scientist on the Nutrition and Vision Research Team at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, located at Tufts.

BrightFocus Foundation held this Access Live Event to speak with participants about eye care. Our guest speaker was Alicia Menezes, M.D., a Medical Director in U.S. Medical Affairs, Ophthalmology at Genentech. Topics of discussion included comprehensive exams, treatments, and new advances in research.

BrightFocus Foundation held this Access Live Event to speak with participants about eye care. This event featured Dr. Gayatri Reilly, Retina Specialist and Vitreoretinal Surgeon at Retina Group of Washington, who spoke about macular degeneration and the effects that it has on your eyes. Dr. Reilly also spoke about both wet and dry macular degeneration and understanding both forms of the disease. She discussed preparation for doctor visits regarding macular degeneration or any other eye disease.

BrightFocus Foundation hosted this Access Live Event to speak with participants about living and coping with age related vision diseases. The event featured Dr. Deirdre Johnston, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins Hospital, who discussed the impact that age related vision diseases has on older adults and common challenges that older adults face living alone. Dr. Deirdre Johnston also addressed the depression and anger that people face when dealing with an age-related vision disease and steps to take when facing those emotions.

BrightFocus Foundation held this Access Live Event to speak with participants about living with age-related macular degeneration. The event featured Dr. Joshua Dunaief from the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center to provide tips on how to keep eyes healthy in the new year. Specific topics of discussion included stem cell research, new treatments, and dietary/vitamins that may be helpful to aid in this disease.

This event featured Jill Adelman and Liz Tully, both of whom are living with AMD. The guests shared helpful tips regarding doctors and specialists that assist with vision loss and shared the physical and psychological challenges of living with AMD.

he event featured experts including Moshe Vardi, Vice President and Global Medicine Team Lead at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, and Aleksandar Skuban, MD, Executive Medical Director for Neurology and Ophthalmology Clinical Development and Translational Sciences at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Vardi explained the role of the immune system as it relates to GMD, or geographical atrophy. Dr. Skuban talked about studies being done to determine efficacy of new treatments, including danicopan, for GMD.

The event featured Joshua Dunaief, M.D., Ph.D., who provided an overview of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) including prevention and treatment. There was specific discussion about overall vision health, new therapies, and which populations are more susceptible to AMD.

The event featured Arshad M. Khanani, MD, who provided an overview of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) including an explanation on how gene therapy is being utilized. There was specific discussion about overall vision health, new therapies, and which populations are most susceptible to AMD.