AOPT 2021 PROGRAM
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Professor, Harvard Medical School
Co-Founder: Axonis Inc.
“New insights into protection and regeneration of retinal ganglion cells.”
SESSIONS
Theme A, Session 1: Optic Nerve Regeneration in the Age of Omics and Big Data Analytics
Session Moderators:
Kevin Park, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery, Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, FL, USA
Abigail Hackam, PhD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, FL, USA
Session Speakers:
Feng-Quan Zhou, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, USA
Title of Talk: “Targeting neuronal chromatin and transcriptomics landscape to regulate optic nerve regeneration”.
Yi-Lan Weng, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, TX, USA
Title of Talk: “Epitranscriptomic regulation of regenerative capacity”.
Ava J. Udvadia, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin, WI, USA
Title of Talk: “Evolutionarily conserved mechanisms regulating successful optic nerve regeneration”.
Romain Cartoni, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, NC, USA
Title of Talk: “Mitochondrial positioning in health and disease: Defining local mitochondrial functions in CNS neurons”.
Two speakers from the abstract submissions will be selected by the abstract selection committee. These abstracts are selected on how well they fit into the session theme.
Theme A, Session 2: Regulatory Guidance in Regenerative Medicine in Ophthalmology: A comparison across countries
Session Moderators:
Cheryl L. Rowe-Rendleman, PhD, CEO and Founder, Omar Consultants
Onkar B. Sawant, PhD, Director of Research & Innovations, Eversight
Session Speakers:
Jeffrey Goldberg, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
Tentative Title of Talk: “Regenerating the Eye: Corneal Cell Therapy with Magnetic Nanoparticle Delivery”
Ula Jurkunas, MD, Associate Professor, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Title of Talk: “CALEC – Cell therapy for Limbal stem cell deficiency”
Dr. Naoki Okumura, MD, PhD, Professor, Graduate School of Life and Medical Science, Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan
Tentative Title of Talk: “RhoKinase Inhibitors assisted Cell Therapy for treatment of Corneal Endothelial Dystrophies”
Suzanne Thornton-Jones, PhD, Chief Regulatory and Compliance Officer, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Tentative Title of Talk: “How to tackle FDA hurdles – Guidance to bring therapy from Bench to Bedside”
Two speakers (preferably on retinal or RPE regeneration) will be selected from open submissions by the abstract selection committee.
Theme A, Session 3: Novel Therapeutic Drugs and Devices for Glaucoma Treatment
Session Moderators:
Najam Sharif, PhD, DSc., Santen Inc USA, Emeryville, CA.
Sunny Ohia, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX.
Session Speakers:
Mitch DeLong, PhD, Vice President, Dept. Chemistry, Aerie Pharmaceuticals Inc, Raleigh-Durham, NC.
Title of Talk: ”Netarsudil: Recent developments”
Najam Sharif, PhD, DSc, Vice President, GAER, Santen Inc USA, Emeryville, CA.
Title of Talk: “Omidenepag Isopropyl : a novel non-prostaglandin EP2-receptor agonist anti-glaucoma drug”
Sunny Ohia, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX.
Title of Talk: “Hydrogen sulfide and glaucoma pharmacotherapy- new vistas”
Len Pinchuk, PhD, Senior Vice President, Santen Inc USA, Miami.
Title of Talk: “The Effect of Mitomycin C used Intraoperatively with the PRESERFLO® MicroShunt on Long-Term Outcomes”
Two speakers from open submissions will be selected by the abstract selection committee.
Theme B, Session 4: Retinal neuroprotection, plasticity and regeneration: where we are
Filippo Drago, MD/PhD, Professor, Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Catania, Italy
Vittorio Porciatti, DSc, Professor, School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, USA
Session Speakers:
Rebecca L. Pfeiffer, PhD, Research Associate University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, USA
Title of talk: Retinal regeneration, remodeling and plasticity
Heping Xu, MD, PhD, Professor, Queen’s University Belfast, UK
Title of talk: Immune regulation of the aging retina
Valery Shestopalov, PhD, Professor, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
Title of talk: Intraocular pressure, inflammasome and retinal ganglion cell death
Gianluca Romano, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
Title of talk: Plasticity mechanisms in glaucoma
Two more speakers will be selected from the submitted abstracts.
Theme B, Session 5: Visual Perception and Ocular Disorders
Session Moderators:
Dora Fix Ventura, PhD, FARVO, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Malinda E. C. Fitzgerald, PhD, FARVO, Research consultant, University of TN Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
Session Speakers:
Kallene Summer Vidal, M.D., PhD, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil and Prevent Senior Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
Title of Talk: Visual functions and Alzheimer’s Disease
Mirella T. S. Barboni, PhD, Department of Ophthalmology, Semmelweiss University, Budapest, Hungary
Title of Talk: Visual functions and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Givago S. Souza, PhD, Neuroscience Program, Federal University of Para, Belém, PA, Brazil
Title of Talk: Visual functions and Mercury Intoxication
Marcelo Fernandes da Costa, PhD Head of Department of Experimental Psychology, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Title of Talk: Visual functions and ZIKA virus infection
Patricia M. Cisarik, O.D., Ph.D., Southern College of Optometry, Memphis, TN USA
Title of Talk: Advances in clinical measurement of visual perceptions
One speaker will be selected from open submissions by the abstract selection committee.
Theme B, Session 6: Innovation imperative—changing Industry: science relationships
This session will be a panel discussion promoting an open dialogue around industry working with academia, translating science from bench to bedside and navigating legal/ IP issues along the way.
Session Moderators:
Kimberly Southern, Chief Executive Officer Glauconix Biosciences, New York
Barbara Wirostko MD, FARVO, Cofounder and Chief Medical Officer at Qlaris Bio, Weston, MA. Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Engineering at Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.
Session Speakers:
Michael Fautsch PhD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Research Chair for Ophthalmology at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
Susan Orr OD, MBA, CEO and CMO of Claris Biotherapeutics, New Jersey.
Anthony Khawaja MA(Cantab) PhD FRCOphth, Associate Professor at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Honorary Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK.
One more speaker will be selected from the submitted abstracts.
Theme C, Session 7: Student Round table
Objectives of the Round table: “The Round table will engage in a conversation from the student/fellow/young faculty perspective about how to make science more inclusive, to develop an awareness of issues surrounding gender and racial bias in science and identify short and long-term solutions to increase diversity in science”.
Session Moderators:
Dorette Z. Ellis, PhD, Associate Professor, College of Pharmacy, UNTHSC, North Texas
Mildred M.G. Olivier, MD, BS, Professor of Ophthalmology and Assistant Dean at Chicago Medical School (CMS) of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (RFUMS).
Theme C, Session 8: Degeneration and Regeneration of the Trabecular and Downstream Outflow Pathways
Session Moderators:
Carol Toris, PhD, Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska.
Padmanabhan Pattabiraman, PhD, Assistant Professor, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis.
Session Speakers:
Vasantha Rao, PhD, Professor, Duke Eye Center, Durham, North Carolina.
Title of Talk: “TBA”
Avinash Soundararajan, PhD, Postdoc, Glick Eye Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis.
Title of Talk: “Decoding the mechanistic role of clusterin in regulating intraocular homeostasis”
Gillian McLellan, PhD, BVMS, DACVO, DECVO, PHD, Associate Professor, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Wisconsin- Madison, Madison.
Title of Talk: “TBA”
Kate Keller, PhD, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University, Oregon.
Title of Talk: “TBA”
Two speakers will be selected from open submissions by the abstract selection committee.
Theme C, Session 9: Diabetic retinopathy: new pharmacological targets
Session Moderators:
Claudio Bucolo, PhD, FARVO, Associate Professor of Pharmacology – University of Catania, Catania, Italy
Maria B Grant, MD, FARVO, Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL
Session Speakers:
Julia Busik, PhD, Professor of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI)
Title talk: Use of cyclodextrin for removal of retinal cholesterol crystals in diabetic retinopathy
Mei Chen, PhD, Senior Lecturer, Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Title talk: Targeting IL1 pathway for the management of diabetic retinopathy”
Chiara B.M. Platania, PhD, Senior Post-Doc, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
Title talk: Innovative approaches to identify new pharmacological targets for diabetic retinopathy
Maria B Grant MD, FARVO, Professor of OphthalmologyUniversity of Alabama, Birmingham, AL
Title talk: LXR agonist for treatment of diabetic retinopathy
Two speakers will be selected by the abstract selection committee from open submissions.
Theme C, Session 10: Mechanism and Therapeutics for Ocular Fibrosis
Session Moderators:
Shusheng Wang, PhD/MBA, Associate Professor, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology & Department of Ophthalmology, Tulane University
Heping Xu, MD/PhD, Professor, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen’s University, Belfast, UK
Session Speakers:
Mark Gillies, PhD, Professor, Director of Research, The University of Sydney, Save Sight Institute, Sidney, Australia
Title of Talk: ”Notch Signaling and Retinal Fibrosis”
Audrey Bernstein, PhD, Associate Professor, Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, and Cell & Developmental Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University
Title of Talk: “Self-delivery siRNA to prevent ocular scaring”
Joana Galvao, PhD, Discovery Lab head, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development Innovation Centre, Basel, Switzerland
Title of Talk: “Novel Insights into the contributions of Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 in retinal angiogenesis and fibrosis”
Heping Xu, MD/PhD, Professor, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen’s University, Belfast, UK
Title of Talk: “The role of the complement system in retinal fibrosis”
Two more speakers will be selected from the submitted abstracts.
Theme C, Session 11: Novel therapeutic targeting for age-related macular degeneration – overcoming the challenging path to success
Session Moderators:
Goldis Malek, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Department of Pathology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
Aparna Lakkaraju, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
Session Speakers:
Wai Wong, MD, PhD, Vice President Retinal Discovery at Janssen R&D, and Senior Investigator at NEI, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Title of Talk: “Targeting retinal glia to regulate neuroinflammation in AMD therapeutics”
Louise Porter, PhD, FRCOphth, Scientist, University of Strasbourg, Alsace, France
Title of Talk: ”Common targets in the ageing RPE and in AMD”
Jennifer Chao, MD, PhD, Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Research, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
Title of Talk: “Early Onset Macular Drusen: Loss-of-Function variant in CFH”
Mike (Przemyslaw) Sapieha, PhD, Professor in Translational Reserch and Professor of Ophthalmology, Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
Title of Talk: “Targeting Senescent Vasculature in AMD”
Two speakers will be selected by the abstract selection committee from open submissions.
Theme D, Session 12: Update on ocular pharmacology research in China
Session Moderators:
Jay Ji-Ye Wei, MD/PhD, Professor, He University, China
Sylvie He, PhD, Partner, Hyfinity Investment Fund, Beijing, China
Session Speakers:
Colin J. Barnstable, PhD, Professor, Behavioral and neural science, Penn State University, USA; Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University, China
Title of Talk: ”How an academic researcher to develop a drug candidate in China”
Joyce Tombran-Tink, PhD, Professor, Behavioral and neural science, Penn State University, USA; Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University, China
Title of Talk: “PEDF peptide for treatment of ocular diseases”
Sylvie He, PhD, Partner, Hyfinity Investment Fund, Beijing, China
Title of Talk: “Innovation and drug discovery of ophthalmic research in China”
Jay Ji-Ye Wei, MD/PhD, Professor, School of Medicine, He University, Shenyang, China
Title of Talk: “Gene therapy to treat ocular disorders in China”
Two speakers will be selected by the abstract selection committee from open submissions.
Theme D, Session 13: Ophthalmic Imaging Technologies and Biomarkers
Session Moderators:
Ashwath Jayagopal, Ph.D., Executive Director, Kodiak Sciences Inc., Palo Alto, CA USA
Imam Uddin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
Session Speakers:
Imam Uddin, PhD, Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
Title of Talk: A novel method to visualize mRNA to predict ocular angiogenesis
Jennifer Hunter, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Rochester Medical Center
Title of Talk: “Adaptive optics fluorescence lifetime ophthalmosopy ”
Nicolas Chateau, PhD, CEO, Imagine Eyes
Title of Talk: Adaptive optics imaging usable by clinicians
Yali Jia, PhD, Jennie P. Weeks Professor of Ophthalmology, Oregon Health & Science University
Title of Talk: “Visible-light OCT oximetry in retinal capillaries”
Two speakers will be selected by the abstract selection committee from open submissions.
Poster sessions
Three designated posters sessions are part of the program accommodating Themes A-D.
Session Modulators:
Daniel Pelaez, PhD, Assistant Professor, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, USA
Juana Gallar, MD, PhD, Professor, Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernandez-CSIC, San Juan de Alicante, Spain
Consider membership to receive meeting registration waiver.
Meeting registration discount*
*Applicable to moderators, invited speakers, students and trainees, Regular attendees receive steep
discount due to membership