breakfast with the experts

Breakfast with the Experts

May 5 | 7 - 8:30am MT | Colorado Convention Center

Breakfast with the Experts is your chance during the Annual Meeting to meet with subject experts for in-depth conversations in a small group setting. Experts will host a table, give guidance, and answer questions on a specific theme. Browse the table topics and sign up for the one you in which you are most interested.

Registration for Breakfast with the Experts is open. Sign up when you register for the Annual Meeting.

Table A — FULL

Evaluating emerging retinal biomarkers: Clinical relevance and implications

Manuel Amador, MD

Senior Medical Director US Medical Affairs, Ophthalmology Genentech, Inc. (San Francisco, Calif.)

A retina specialist, Amador has extensive experience leading and contributing to multiple clinical trials in retinal diseases. His expertise spans advanced retinal imaging analyses, and he collaborates with his team to leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to gain deeper insights into treatment effects on the retina. Amador is passionate about translating imaging data into clinically meaningful outcomes to improve patient care and inform the development of novel therapies.

Table B— FULL

IL-6 and uveitic macular edema

Kathryn L. Pepple, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Ophthalmology University of Washington School of Medicine (Seattle, Wash.)

Pepple serves as the director of Clinical Research and the Uveitis Fellowship at the University of Washington. She earned her MD and PhD degrees from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Tex. She subsequently completed ophthalmology residency and a medical retina fellowship at Duke University followed by a uveitis fellowship at the University of Washington. Pepple practices as a clinician scientist, taking care of patients with retinal and ocular inflammatory disease and running a basic science research laboratory studying experimental models of autoimmune uveitis and AAV mediated gene therapy associated uveitis. Her translational research program focuses on developing quantitative biomarkers of disease in patients with uveitis using swept source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) and immunologic analysis of aqueous samples. Pepple’s research has been supported by the NIH as well as awards from several foundations.

Table C— FULL

How to become a champion for academic/industry/government relationships to enhance innovation

Mayur Choudhary, PhD

Principal Scientist Opus Genetics (Durham, NC)

Choudhary is a translational scientist with over 12 years of expertise spanning academia and the biotechnology industry. Currently serving as the director of Discovery and Translational Medicine at Opus Genetics, he leads ocular gene therapy programs from discovery through IND-enabling studies. Choudhary has championed cross-sector collaboration by successfully integrating academic mechanistic insights with industry-driven therapeutic innovation to develop gene therapy programs.

Table D

Work-life integration

Debasish Sinha, PhD

Frieda Derdeyn Bambas Professor of Ophthalmology The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Baltimore, Md.)

Sinha's research focuses on retinal biology and age-related macular degeneration. He previously served as the Jennifer Salvitti Davis Professor in Ophthalmology Research at the University of Pittsburgh. With over 20 years of experience balancing an internationally recognized research program with mentorship and academic leadership, Sinha brings valuable insights on navigating career advancement while maintaining personal well-being.

Table E

Work-life integration

Tasneem Sharma, PhD

Assistant Professor Indiana University School of Medicine (Indianapolis, IN)

Sharma is vice chair of Strategic Engagement and an assistant professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Indiana University School of Medicine, leading initiatives in interdisciplinary collaboration, inclusive excellence, and trainee mentorship. Her research program focuses on mechanisms of glaucoma-related neurodegeneration and the effects of spaceflight-relevant environmental stressors.

Table F

Increasing awareness of diversity, equity and inclusion in ophthalmology

Inderjeet Kaur, PhD

Research Scientist L V Prasad Eye Institute (Hyderabad, India)

Kaur is a research scientist working with multi-omics technologies at the L V Prasad Eye Institute. Her academic contributions focus on dissecting the underlying molecular mechanisms in neovascularization, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration for retinal vascular diseases. Additionally, she has served as the executive council member and general Secretary of the Indian Society of Human Genetics and developed multiple programs.

Table G — FULL

Combining clinical practice, clinical research and basic science - can you do it all?

Lynn Hassman, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine (Aurora, Colo.)

Hassman is a clinician-scientist and uveitis specialist at the University of Colorado. Her clinical practice focuses on the medical management of uveitis, and she leads a translational immunology laboratory studying the mechanisms underlying uveitis pathogenesis.

Table H — FULL

Tips on starting your own laboratory

Andrea S. Viczian, PhD

Associate Professor Upstate Medical University State University of New York (SUNY) (Syracuse, NY)

Viczian's research focuses on retinal development and angiogenesis. She established her laboratory nearly 20 years ago and has assisted colleagues in setting up their laboratories.

Table I— FULL

How to make yourself visible: Learning to self-promote and advocate

Rinki Ratnapriya, PhD

Assistant Professor Department of Ophthalmology Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, Tex.)

Ratnapriya's research focuses on identifying causal genes and variants in neurodegenerative disorders leading to vision loss. She is a recipient of several honors for her work.

Table J— FULL

How to survive as a young investigator

Fiona McDonnell, PhD

Assistant Professor John A. Moran Eye Center University of Utah (Salt Lake City, Utah)

McDonnell's primary research area is in glaucoma, focusing on conventional outflow physiology.

Table K— FULL

How to succeed as a woman in vision research

M. Francesca Cordeiro, MBBS, PhD, FARVO

Chair of Ophthalmology, Imperial College London Professor, University College London Honorary Consultant, Western Eye Hospital London (London, England)

Cordeiro is a clinician-scientist focusing on translational approaches to saving sight with over 190 peer-reviewed publications.

Table L— FULL

How to succeed as a woman in vision research

Jessica Morgan, PhD, FARVO

Carolyn F. Jones Associate Professor of Ophthalmology II Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Morgan's current research is devoted to using high-resolution ophthalmoscopy to investigate pathogenesis in retinal disease.

Table M— FULL

How to succeed as a woman in vision research

Christine A. Curcio, PhD, FARVO

White-McKee Endowed Professor in Ophthalmology Heersink School of Medicine University of Alabama at Birmingham (Birmingham, Ala.)

Curcio's research focuses on age-related macular degeneration, making significant contributions to the pathophysiology of the disease.

Table N— FULL

Funding opportunities for young scientists

Padmanabhan P. Pattabiraman, PhD

Associate Professor Indiana University School of Medicine (Indianapolis, IN)

Pattabiraman's research investigates compartmentalized metabolism and cellular mechanobiology in glaucoma.

Neeraj Agarwal, PhD FARVO

Director, Training and Career Development National Eye Institute (NEI)/National Institutes of Health (NIH) (Bethesda, Md.)

Agarwal's expertise includes managing career development programs within NEI/NIH.

Table O — FULL

How to build successful collaborations

Amani A. Fawzi, MD, FARVO

Cyrus Tang and Lee Jampol Professor of Ophthalmology Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University (Chicago, Ill.)

Fawzi is a vitreoretinal surgeon with extensive publications and contributions to imaging research.

Table P— FULL

Transitioning from Academia to Industry

Hemant Khanna, PhD, FARVO

Associate Professor UMass Chan Medical School; Team Lead Ophthalmology Research Astellas Pharma (Worcester, Mass.)

Khanna specializes in drug development, leading innovative therapeutic programs.

Table Q — FULL

Thinking outside the box: Alternative careers for the clinician-scientist or researcher

Dimitri T. Azar, MD, MBA, FARVO

Professor of Ophthalmology University of Illinois at Chicago (Chicago, Ill.)

Azar is recognized for advances in refractive surgery and corneal diseases.

Table R

Thinking outside the box: Alternative careers for the clinician-scientist or researcher

Brahim Chaqour, PhD

Associate Professor University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Chaqour focuses on neurovascular tissues and their implications in ocular disease.

Ahmara Gibbons Ross, MD, PhD

Associate Professor in Ophthalmology and Neurology University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Ross leads a lab focused on optic nerve degeneration and neuroprotection strategies.

Table S

Pearls for effective science communication

Miranda Scalabrino, PhD

Assistant Professor Medical College of Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Wisc.)

Scalabrino’s work focuses on improving therapies for blindness and effective science communication.

Table T

How and when to search for a postdoctoral fellowship

T.J. Hollingsworth, PhD

Asst. Professor of Ophthalmology, Anatomy and Neurobiology, Microbiology, Immunology & Biochemistry, and Cancer Developmental Biology Hamilton Eye Institute The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (Memphis, Tenn.)

Hollingsworth focuses on developing therapeutic strategies for ocular diseases.

Priyanka Roy, PhD, MSc, BTech

Postdoctoral Associate Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago (Chicago, Ill.)

Roy is researching retinal OCT image segmentation for ophthalmic disease detection.

Table U — FULL

Running a successful clinical research group

R. V. Paul Chan, MD, MSc, MBA, FACS

Department Head; John H. Panton, MD Professor of Ophthalmology Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary University of Illinois Chicago (Chicago, Ill.)

Chan focuses on pediatric retinal disease and technology utilization in evaluations.

Table V — FULL

Applying to ophthalmology residency programs - U.S.

Katherine Talcott, MD

Retinal Surgeon Cole Eye Institute Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, Ohio)

Talcott is a staff vitreoretinal surgeon and an associate professor of ophthalmology.

Table W — FULL

Applying to ophthalmology residency programs following international training

Sun Young Lee, MD, PhD, FARVO

Associate Professor USC Roski Eye Institute Keck Medicine of USC (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Lee focuses on developing ocular therapeutics and educating new professionals in the field.

Table X — FULL

How to succeed as a clinician-scientist

Cynthia A. Toth, MD, FARVO

Joseph A.C. Wadsworth Professor of Ophthalmology; Professor of Biomedical Engineering Duke University (Durham, NC)

Toth’s research involves integrating OCT imaging for retinal microsurgery techniques.

Table Y — FULL

How to succeed as a clinician-scientist

Stephen Tsang, MD, PhD, FARVO

Professor of Ophthalmology, Pathology and Cell Biology Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) (New York, NY)

Tsang advocates for phototransduction research among patients with RP and Stargardt disease.

Table Z

Patent tips: How to avoid common mistakes and pitfalls

Monica Jablonski, PhD, FARVO

Hamilton Endowed Professor of Ophthalmology; Associate Dean of Postdoctoral Affairs Department of Ophthalmology College of Medicine - Memphis (Memphis, Tenn.)

Jablonski is a key figure in visual sciences education and patent expertise.

Table AA — FULL

The art and science of successful grant writing - U.S.

Kevin C. Chan, PhD, FARVO

Associate Professor of Ophthalmology Stanford School of Medicine Stanford University (Stanford, Calif.)

Chan is focused on developing non-invasive imaging methods for guiding vision preservation.

Table AB — FULL

The art and science of successful grant writing - U.S.

Vallabh Das, PhD, FARVO

Moores Professor and Chair, Department of Vision Sciences College of Optometry University of Houston (Houston, Tex.)

Das has maintained NIH funding for research in oculomotor system neuroscience.

Table AC — FULL

The art and science of successful grant writing - International

Timothy W. Corson, PhD, FARVO

Professor; Co-Director Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy University of Toronto (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Corson’s lab focuses on drug discovery for retinal diseases with extensive mentoring experience.

Table AD — FULL

Juggling clinical responsibilities and scientific research in the early years

Glenn Yiu, MD, PhD

Professor Department of Ophthalmology UC Davis Health University of California, Davis (Davis, Calif.)

Yiu’s research includes gene therapy and ocular imaging, contributing to pioneering therapy approaches.

Table AE

Conflict management: How to smoothen the career path

Suchismita Acharya, PhD

Assistant Professor Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience; North Texas Eye Research Institute, UNT Health (Fort Worth, Tex.)

Acharya focuses on developing novel therapies for ocular, neurological conditions and mentoring trainees.

Table AF

Breaking international barriers for successful career progression

Uloma Ubani-Ukoma, B.Pharm, MSc, PhD

Senior Lecturer Department of Pharmaceutics & Pharmaceutical Technology Faculty of Pharmacy University of Lagos (Lagos, Nigeria)

Ubani-Ukoma focuses on ophthalmic drug delivery and has received various prestigious fellowships.

Table AG

New! Immigrant Trainees and the U.S. Career Labyrinth/Training in a foreign environment

Michael Telias, MSc, PhD

Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Neuroscience School of Medicine & Dentistry University of Rochester (Rochester, NY)

Telias offers insights into challenges faced by international scholars in academic research.

Table AH — FULL

New! How to succeed as a basic scientist in a clinical world

Daniel R. Saban, PhD, FARVO

Joseph A.C. Wadsworth Professor of Ophthalmology, Integrative Immunobiology and Pathology Duke University School of Medicine (Durham, NC)

Saban focuses on ocular immunology and provides insights on novel therapeutic strategies.

Table AI

New! How to progress from a mentee to mentor

Ashok Kumar, PhD, FARVO

Professor Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences Wayne State University School of Medicine (Detroit, Mich.)

Kumar shares insights on successful mentor-mentee relationships and career transitions in academia.