September 2026

Protecting Your Vision as You Age

September is Healthy Aging Month, a reminder to pay attention to your eyes. Some changes are common with age, but others may signal an eye disease.

Common changes include:

1. Trouble seeing up close. Often in their 40s, people start to have trouble reading small print as the eye’s lens becomes less flexible. Reading glasses can help.
2. Needing more light. Seeing in dim light can become harder with age. Better lighting can make reading and other daily tasks easier.
3. Dry eyes. Aging, hormonal changes, and some medications can affect tears, leaving eyes dry or irritated. Ask your eye doctor which treatments may help.

Eye diseases also become more common with age:

1. Cataracts cloud the eye’s lens, causing blurry or dim vision. If they interfere with daily life, your eye doctor may recommend surgery.
2. Glaucoma damages the optic nerve and often has no early symptoms. Regular eye exams can help detect it before you notice vision loss. Eye drops, laser treatment, or surgery can help limit further damage.
3. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects the central vision used for reading and recognizing faces. If straight lines suddenly look wavy or you notice new central blurring, contact your eye doctor right away.

AMD treatment depends on the type and stage. Injections can help treat wet AMD. Certain supplements may help people with intermediate AMD, and injections can slow progression of geographic atrophy, an advanced form of dry AMD. Ask your eye doctor about the benefits and risks of treatment.

Stay active, eat a balanced diet, and avoid smoking. Ask your eye doctor how often you need a comprehensive dilated eye exam, even if your vision seems fine.

Doheny scientists study AMD, glaucoma, and other eye diseases to improve how they are detected and treated.

Stay tuned to Doheny newsletters for updates on the latest advancements in vision research. For personal eye-health concerns, contact your eye doctor.

Celebrating Recent Achievements for Doheny Vision Scientists

The world-class experts at Doheny are always in pursuit of excellence, and we are pleased to share recent achievements of three of our esteemed scientists: Chief Scientific Officer Deborah Ferrington, PhD, Kaustabh Ghosh, PhD, and Ruixue Liu, PhD.

Deborah Ferrington, PhD, has been named Executive Committee Chair of the Stephen J. Ryan Initiative for Macular Research (RIMR). The RIMR Initiative brings together outstanding basic scientists, engineers, medical researchers, and clinicians to develop a better understanding of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), with the ultimate goal of finding a cure.

Dr. Ferrington currently holds the Stephen J. Ryan-Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Endowed Presidential Chair and is an internationally recognized vision scientist whose research has advanced our understanding of the molecular basis for AMD. Having been actively involved with RIMR from the very beginning, she brings deep scientific expertise and collaborative leadership to her new role as Executive Committee Chair in addition to serving as Doheny’s Chief Scientific Officer and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).

Kaustabh Ghosh, PhD, an extraordinary member of our scientific team, has been promoted to Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Dr. Ghosh currently holds the Mary D. Allen Endowed Chair in Vision Research at Doheny was the recipient of the prestigious Catalyst Award for Innovative Research Approaches for AMD from Research to Prevent Blindness. In addition to his efforts in educating and training the next generation of vision scientists, Dr. Ghosh leads a research team at Doheny where he studies the mechanistic basis of common diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy and AMD.

Ruixue Liu, PhD, has been promoted to the position of Doheny Scientist. He uses advanced imaging to study individual retinal cells and small retinal blood vessels, aiming to detect disease earlier to better understand how vision loss develops. He will continue collaborating with Yuhua Zhang, PhD, in the Advanced Ophthalmic Imaging Laboratory while pursuing independent research.

Dr. Deborah Ferrington presenting at the International Society for Eye Research meeting in Spain

Join Doheny in New Orleans Next Month!

Doheny Eye Institute and UCLA Stein Eye Institute will participate in the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in New Orleans, Oct. 9–12. Our experts will present research, lead discussions, and teach courses on topics ranging from children’s eye health to diseases that affect vision as we age.

Explore the Research and Educational Sessions

Highlights include:

• Macular degeneration: Dr. SriniVas Sadda will discuss new ways to track geographic atrophy, an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration, on October 10 and 11.
• Glaucoma surgery: Drs. Vikas Chopra, Brian Francis, and Victoria Tseng will teach hands-on courses in minimally invasive glaucoma surgery on October 10 and 11.
• Children’s eye health: Dr. Monica Khitri will discuss how long to continue treatment for childhood myopia, or nearsightedness, on October 9.
• Retinal imaging: Dr. Michael Ip will participate in clinical trial updates on October 9 and teach a course on imaging the retina on October 12.

On-demand research posters will also feature studies co-authored by Drs. Giulia Corradetti and SriniVas Sadda examining treatment outcomes for wet macular degeneration and diabetes-related retinal swelling.

View the full presentation schedule for speakers, session times and locations. All times are Central Time.

Connect With Us

• Visit Booth #3817 to learn about our vision research and upcoming programs.
• Join us for the Doheny and UCLA Stein Eye Institutes AAO Alumni Reception on October 10. Reconnect with fellow alumni, faculty, and colleagues over local food, drinks, and music. Learn more and RSVP.

We look forward to seeing you in New Orleans!