Macular Degeneration: News You Can Use

Orli Weisser-Pike, a doctor of occupational therapy and a certified low vision therapist is the guest speaker. She has over eighteen years of clinical experience in a wide variety of settings and has for the past decade specialized in helping people affected by low vision.

The guest speaker is Michael Allingham, MD, PhD, who is an ophthalmologist at Duke University.

Adam S. Wenick, M.D., Ph.D., who is an assistant professor of ophthalmology in the retina division at Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute is the guest speaker.

The phone conference features Brian S. McKay, PhD, who conducts basic research towards developing new cell-based therapies for macular degeneration. He discusses a major new breakthrough showing that L-DOPA, a drug widely used to treat Parkinson’s disease, may help protect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD); Maria B. Grant, MD, who conducts research using adult stem cells to repair damaged blood vessel networks within the retina that are associated with macular degeneration; and David Pepperberg, PhD, who researches methods to restore vision lost in diseases such as age-related macular degeneration.

The featured speakers for this telephone discussion are Katherine Freund, the President and Founder of the Independent Transportation Network (ITN America), a national nonprofit providing transportation to seniors and to adults with visual impairments, and Karen A. Keninger, director of the National Library Service (NLS) for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, where her top initiatives are to increase braille literacy and leveraging technology to improve service to NLS’s 500,000-plus patrons.

This telephone discussion features Christopher Brady, MD, an ophthalmologist from the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, who specializes in the medical and surgical management of retinal diseases, including macular degeneration. His research focuses on the benefits of telemedicine for underserved populations and how new technologies can improve patient care.

This telephone discussion features Neal Adams, MD, who is in private practice at DC Retina and is a nationally-recognized leader in the field of retina disorders. He is author of the book, "Nutrition for the Eye," and will provide healthy tips for those living with low vision.

This telephone discussion features Priyatham (Prithu) S. Mettu, M.D., from the Duke Center for Macular Diseases, who provides helpful information for those recently diagnosed with macular degeneration.

This telephone discussion features Mary Jo McGuire, an occupational therapist in private practice from Akron, Ohio, who serves clients in the home and community addressing the real-life problems caused by aging, disease, or trauma, including the challenges related to low vision.

This telephone discussion features Michael B. Gorin, MD, PhD, an ophthalmologist from UCLA who is devoted to research and clinical care of hereditary retinal disorders, especially age-related macular degeneration, retinal dystrophies and other medical retinal conditions.

The telephone discussion features Emily Y. Chew, MD, who is a retina specialist and is the deputy director of the Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications, and the deputy clinical director at the National Eye Institute (NEI), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Chew has extensive experience in age-related eye diseases, and designing and implementing clinical trials, including the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2).

The telephone discussion features Robert W. Massof, PhD, who is Professor of Ophthalmology and Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Director of the Lions Vision Research and Rehabilitation Center and the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, and Jim Deremeik, RT, CLVT, who is the LOVRNET Project Manager and the Education/Rehabilitation Program Manager for the Lions Vision Research and Rehabilitation Center at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute.

The telephone discussion features Dr. Gayatri S. Reilly of The Retina Group of Washington, who has excelled in research, patient care, and educating other eye care professionals about treating diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The telephone discussion features Dr. Joshua Dunaief, of the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School Medicine, who specializes in the study of age-related macular degeneration.

This telephone discussion feature Katherine Freund, the President and Founder of the Independent Transportation Network (ITN America), a national nonprofit providing dignified transportation to seniors and to adults with visual impairments, and Meredith Lyons, an occupational therapist and driving rehabilitation specialist who works primarily in treating patients with neurological disorders and visual impairments.