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President’s Letter (October 28, 2020)
Catania, Italy (October 28, 2020)

Dear Colleagues,
The COVID-19 pandemic is again a serious threat in various
European countries and continues to expand in USA and other
extra-European countries. I personally, together with all members
of the AOPT Board of Trustees, feel a great concern about the
health situation in these countries. We also sincerely hope that in
the near future this critical circumstance will normalize allowing
all scientists to resume their custom to meet, exchange ideas, and
increase their knowledge.
Our global community of thinkers, researchers and innovators, is
stronger when we are connected. Distance is no longer our greatest
barrier. Indeed, many small meetings are suffering because of
sanitary restrictions, our laboratories are emptied because best
practices for staying healthy involve social distancing and most
human communication is held via electronic media. My thought is
that we must comply with sanitary rules and limitations on
gatherings and traveling, but also make our best effort to maintain
our human and scientific relationships.
In 2021 the AOPT will host its 15th biennial scientific congress.
By unanimous decision of the AOPT Board of Trustees, this
meeting of ocular scientists, physicians and industry professionals
will be held virtually on March 4-7, 2021. The theme of the
meeting is “Restoring Vision Through Regeneration”. You all will
soon find more information on our website at www.aopt.org.
The meeting, which will be viewed in 12 time zones, will include
13 sessions, plenary talks, exhibits, and posters (short 5 min
videos). I invite all new and existing members to visit our newly
refined website at www.aopt.org to submit your abstracts, renew
your membership, and secure your subscription to the Journal of
Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
A warm hug.

Filippo Drago, M.D.,Ph.D.
PRESIDENT
University of Catania Medical School
f.drago@unict.it
Ashwat Jayagopal, Ph.D.
VICEPRESIDENT/PRESIDENT ELECT
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
ash.jayagopal@gmail.com
Thomas Yorio, Ph.D.
IMMEDIATE-PAST-PRESIDENT
University of North TX Health Science Center
Thomas.yorio@unthsc.edu
Shusheng Wang
TREASURER
swang1@tulane.edu
Cheryl L. Rowe-Rendleman, Ph.D.
SECRETARY
Omar Consulting Group, LLC
Crrendleman@omarconsultants.com
Malinda Fitzgerald
BOARD ADVISOR
drmecfitz@gmail.com
Dan Stamer
JOURNAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Duke University
dan.stamer@duke.edu
TRUSTEES
Sanjoy Bhattacharya
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
sbhattacharya@med.miami.edu
Claudio Bucolo, Ph.D.
University of Catania, Italy
Claudio.bucolo@unict.it
Dorette Ellis
University of North TX Health Science Center
dorette.ellis@unthsc.edu
Shahid Husain
Medical University of South Carolina
husain@musc.edu
Goldis Malek
Duke University
gmalek@duke.edu
Najam Sharif
Santen Inc., USA
najam.sharif@santen.com
Chi-Ho To
sochto@polyu.edu.hk
Heping Xu
heping.xu@qub.ac.uk