Collaborations & Conversations

Dear Friends,

This summer I’ve met with colleagues in Korea, India, and here in the U.S. to participate in conversations and conferences tackling a range of problems in vision science, from a variety of perspectives.

As the Doheny Eye Institute envoy on many trips each year, I always find these trips invaluable scientifically, as advances in technology allow for accelerated data collection and evolving treatment options. This is particularly the case now in the era of artificial intelligence. Equally as important as the scientific exchange, is the personal nature of the connections made and strengthened, as these meetings frequently translate into collaborations.

At Doheny Eye Center UCLA, we see many patients with extreme nearsightedness (pathologic myopia), which made my trip to the Asia Pacific Retinal Imaging Society conference significant. Everywhere in the world, the use of screens — on phones and computers — means the amount of “up close work” our eyes are doing is enormous. And it continues to grow. But the continued use of our eyes in this way likely contributes to the progressive lengthening of the eye. Eventually, a breaking point is reached, and a variety of complications can ensue – ranging from macular degeneration to retinal detachment.  Telling kids (and adults, too!) to go outside more is one way to combat this vision problem; but we also need treatments that work. Certain eye drops (low dose treatment) have been suggested to treat this problem, and our conversations are now around how well that treatment works.

In the U.S., one of my summer trips was to the Midwest Ocular Angiography Conference convened by Dr. Jennifer Kang-Mieler and Dr. William Mieler (Illinois Institute of Technology), where colleagues gathered to discuss unusual cases. These opportunities to compare notes on challenging and confusing cases with outstanding ophthalmologists is invaluable. These exchanges often lead to advances that may seem obscure and even become foundational to a range of treatments and cures.  I find these conferences one of the best ways to continue learning.

Finally, I made a brief trip to India to talk with colleagues there engaged in creating a network to collaborate and collect data. We discussed how the recruitment of both, patients and practitioners, to collect such information, strengthens the overall quality of care. Doheny Eye Institute was founded on the idea that promising work to save vision matters; and true to our mission, we still do that all year, all around the world. It is my privilege to continue leading this effort, with your support. Enjoy the rest of your summer!