ARVO Annual Events

Faculty and Trainee Awards

Elizabeth J. Rossin, MD, PhD, to Receive the Bert M. Glaser, MD Award for Innovative Research in Retina

Elizabeth J. Rossin, MD, PhD, a clinician scientist and Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at HMS, is the is the 2024 recipient of the Bert M. Glaser, MD Award for Innovative Research in Retina. Dr. Rossin's current research is focused on the genetics of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSR) and choroidal vasculature. She and her team conduct genome-wide studies to understand genetic variation that contributes to CSR, a disease of the choroid that affects roughly one in 1,000 people.

Rohan Bir Singh, MD, to Receive the Emerging Advocate Award

Rohan Bir Singh, MD, a research fellow at Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass Eye and Ear, has been recognized with the Emerging Advocate Award. Dr. Singh is an alumnus of ARVO's Science Communication Training Fellowship and has participated in the Association's annual Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill to emphasize the importance of continued federal funding for vision research. He is also a mentor with Skype-a-Scientist, facilitating introductions to the vision sciences field for high school and college students. In 2018, Rohan founded Ophthopedia, a platform that provides and promotes the latest updates in eye and vision science.

Martine J. Jager, MD, PhD to Present Mildred Weisenfeld Award Lecture

Macrophages: Two-sided coins in eye diseases
May 8, 2024 from 8:45 - 9:30am PST
Martine J. Jager, MD, PhD, an Adjunct Scientist at Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass Eye and Ear and Professor of Ophthalmology, Emeritus, at Leiden University Medical Center, will present this award lecture in recognition of her distinguished scholarly contributions to the clinical practice of ophthalmology. An international expert in ocular melanoma, Dr. Jager, will discuss the immune response and role of macrophages in eye diseases.

Alumni Awards

Alumnus Daniel R. Saban, PhD, Recognized with Cogan Award and Lecture
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Immune Cells: The unseen guardians of ocular health and disease resilience
May 8, 2024 from 9:30-10:15am PST
Alumnus Daniel R. Saban, PhD, will present this award lecture in honor of his outstanding commitment to advancing our understanding of the mechanisms that contribute to ophthalmic disease and vision loss. Dr. Saban is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Integrative Immunobiology and a faculty network member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences. He is also the Scientific Director of the Foster Center of Ocular Immunology at Duke Eye Center.

Alumnus David Zacks, MD, PhD, to Receive Kreissig Award for Excellence in Retinal Surgery

Alumnus David Zacks, MD, PhD, will receive this award for his groundbreaking research in retinal surgery. Dr. Zacks is the Edna H. Perkiss Research Professor at the University of Michigan’s Kellogg Eye Center and co-founder of ONL Therapeutics. His research focuses on the molecular pathways responsible for photoreceptor cell death after retinal detachment. He has extended his findings to other retinal diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and inherited retinal degenerations. Based on this work, researchers are testing a new drug to protect vision loss for these retinal conditions.

Alumnus Glenn Yiu, MD, PhD, Honored with Carl Camras Translational Research Award

Alumnus Glenn Yiu, MD, PhD, will receive this award to support his translational research in age-related macular degeneration and other retinal diseases. Dr. Yiu is a retinal specialist and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of California, Davis. He reported the first use of CRISPR-based genome editing as a treatment strategy for neovascular AMD, pioneered the use of microneedles for suprachoroidal gene delivery, and has led important studies on drusen evolution and other retinal disease.

Clinical and Biochemical Factors Are Inversely Associated in Diabetic Retinopathy and Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Presented by: Ward Fickweiler, MD
Poster# B0135: Retinoidsand Retinal Diseases
Sunday, May 5 from 3:15-5pm PST

Evaluation of the Accuracy of AI-generated Clinical Summaries from Glaucoma Outpatient Visits
Presented by Yapei Zhang, MD
Poster # A0359: Glaucoma Section
Monday, May 6 from 8:30-10:15am PST

Anti-vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (anti-VEGF) Injections vs Pan-retinal Photocoagulation (PRP) Laser Therapy for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR): A Meta-analysis and Systematic Review
Presented by Dennis Akrobetu, MD
Poster Number B0120: Retina Section
Monday, May 6 from 8:30-10:15am PST

Migratory Antigen Presenting Cells Promote Treg Dysfunction in Corneal Transplantation via IL-6/IL-6R Axis Signaling
Presented by Shima Dehghani, MD
Poster Number A0072: Corneal Immunology and Neovascularization Section
Tuesday, May 7 from 8:30-10:15am PST

Quantitative Contrast Sensitivity Longitudinal Changes Correlate Better Than Visual Acuity with Geographic Atrophy Size Progression in Advanced Dry AMD: A New Clinical Endpoint
Presented by Filippos Vingopoulos, MD
Poster Number A0117: Retina Section
Wednesday, May 8 from 10:30am-12:15pm PST

Investigating Elusive Genetic Causality in Inherited Retinal Degeneration Cases 
Presented by Cherrell Price, MS
Poster Number B0182: Retinal Cell Biology Section
Wednesday, May 8 from 2:15-4:00pm PST

Referral Rates and Barriers to Follow-up at a Tertiary Care Eye Emergency Room
Presented by Amee Azad, MD
Poster # B0720: Clinical/Epidemiologic Research Section
Thursday, May 9 from 11:45 am-1:30pm PST