March 2014
NEWS | HONORS, AWARDS & GRANTS | PHILANTHROPY | PRESS | RECENT PUBLICATIONS | CALENDAR
As we roll out this issue of Eye News on the heels of the 2014 Faculty Retreat, I wanted to thank our HMS Ophthalmology faculty for generously investing your time and energy to attend this important Department event last week. As you know, collaboration among our clinicians, researchers, and educators is crucial to advancing our efforts. By all accounts, this meeting was our most productive to date and drew record attendance from all of our affiliate institutions. I want to reiterate my thanks to Reza Dana and the entire retreat planning committee for crafting a program that was both informative and thought-provoking. Special thanks to keynote speaker, Dr. Daniel Shapiro, for inspiring us all to engage in more fruitful negotiations!
To ensure that the retreat continues to be a valuable learning opportunity, the retreat planning committee will be emailing a follow-up survey to faculty early next week. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts and ideas so we can fine-tune future meetings and make them as productive as possible. As Reza mentioned, the retreat is a significant investment in resources so your feedback is very important.
On a more subdued note, April 15, 2014, marks the first anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings. I want to once again thank our faculty, fellows and residents at our HMS Ophthalmology affiliates for their outstanding response to last year’s tragic events. On the upcoming anniversary, Mass. Eye and Ear will observe a Day of Remembrance to honor victims and heroes. Several events are being planned at Mass. Eye and Ear and in coordination with city-wide events.
We also want to learn what we can from the incident so our Department (and others) can better treat patients in the future. My thanks to Yoshi Yonekawa and HMS and BU Ophthalmology colleagues who developed a follow-up report that assesses the ocular blast injuries sustained by victims and contains key insights and recommendations for improving future disaster response efforts. The assessment―which also examines efforts following the fertilizer plant explosion in West Texas―was conducted jointly with the DOD/Veterans Administration, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Yoshi is lead author of the final manuscript, which has been submitted for publication.
Joan W. Miller, MD, FARVO
Henry Willard Williams Professor of Ophthalmology
Chair, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School
Chief of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear and
Massachusetts General Hospital
HMS Ophthalmology News
Shizuo Mukai, Dean Cestari, and Cynthia Qian recently visited Mbarara District Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda, to demonstrate how innovative smartphone apps can be utilized as cost-effective vehicles for fundus photography, and for improving clinical practice and providing additional educational resources. The outreach is being conducted through Mass. Eye and Ear’s Office of Global Surgery & Health.
Patricia D'Amore will be one of four featured panelists at the Sixth Annual Women in Eye and Vision Research Luncheon being held on May 6, 2014, in Orlando, FL. This networking event will feature a panel presentation and discussion on the topic, "What's new in mentoring? How to be a good mentor and what to expect of a good mentor."
Mass. Eye and Ear's 2013 Quality and Outcomes Report, now available on-line, marks our 4th year of outcomes reporting. Click here to view the entire 2013 Quality and Outcomes book.
Mass. Eye and Ear’s Team Eye and Ear is “Boston Strong” this year with 101 team members, some of whom were unable to cross the finish line last year. Together, they aim to raise $750,000 to benefit patient care and eye research. Show your support! Click here for more information or to donate.
HMS Faculty Updates
Appointments:
Steven Pennock, Instructor in Ophthalmology, HMS
Jia Ma, Instructor in Ophthalmology, HMS
New Recruits:
Nahyoung Grace Lee completes her ASOPRS training with Suzanne Freitag in July, 2014 and will join the Mass. Eye and Ear Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery Service in August. Grace attended college and medical school at Johns Hopkins University, and completed her residency at Doheny Eye Institute. She followed with a fellowship at Casey Eye Institute in Ophthalmic Oncology and Pathology, before arriving in Boston with Leo Kim as newlyweds in 2011. She worked as a clinical research fellow with Suzanne Freitag before entering into the ASOPRS fellowship. Grace is a skilled surgeon, dedicated educator and researcher, and we look forward to her contributions as a member of the full-time staff.
Third-year resident, Kristine Lo, will join the Comprehensive Ophthalmology and Cataract Consultation Service in November, 2014. A native of the Philippines, Kristine pursued her medical degree, residency, and cornea subspecialty training there, working with some of the foremost experts before arriving at Mass. Eye and Ear for training in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery with Aaron Fay. She joined the HMS Ophthalmology Residency Training Program in 2011, where she has received stellar reviews. We are very pleased that Kristine has elected to join the department.
We are delighted to welcome Glen Ong as our fifth Mass. Eye and Ear Optometric resident. Glen graduated from the University of Calgary with distinction prior to attending the University of California, Berkeley for training in optometry. He has received several awards including a National Eye Institute T35 Summer Research Award in 2011 and the Minnie Flaura Turner Memorial Fund for Impaired Vision Research Award in 2012. Fluent in Cantonese, Glen will begin his optometry residency July 1, 2014.
Departures:
It is with regret that we announce the resignation of Aaron Fay from the full-time faculty of the Mass. Eye and Ear Ophthalmology Department. Aaron has been a valued member of the Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery Service since he began his fellowship training in 1997 and led the subspecialty as its Service Director between 2006 and 2011. During this time, he has continued to work in private practice, and now he plans to focus his professional future in that realm. Since Aaron joined us, he has built a strong reputation as a skilled surgeon and shown a true commitment to training and motivating residents and fellows to become top performers in the field. Of particular note, he has sponsored and mentored a series of international fellows over the years who have returned to their underserved countries with critical skills. Aaron’s dedication and unflagging energy have been at the core of building this successful service.
Between now and Aaron’s departure date in early June, we will be working together to inform patients and referring practices of his decision, and ensuring that their needs are addressed with care. We look forward to seeing him at Mass. Eye and Ear and at Department alumni and academic functions, as he remains on the medical staff and plans to be busy in the ORs. Nonetheless, we will miss the good cheer that Aaron has shared so regularly, and, of course, wish him every success in his future endeavors.
Honors, Awards & Grants
Several HMS Ophthalmology faculty and alumni will be inducted into the ARVO Fellows Class of 2014. Joseph Rizzo III and alumni, Joel Schuman and Dimitri Azar will be recognized as Gold Fellows. Alumnus, Jayakrishna Ambarti, will be inducted as a Silver Fellow. The ceremony will be held May 4th at the ARVO Annual Meeting, and honors these ARVO members for their leadership, dedication, and contributions to the Association.
Larry Benowitz has been selected by the New York Academy of Medicine to receive the 2013 Lewis Rudin Glaucoma Prize. The award recognizes the most significant scholarly article on glaucoma published in a peer-reviewed journal in the prior calendar year. Larry’s paper, "Full-length axon regeneration in the adult mouse optic nerve and partial recovery of simple visual behaviors," was published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA. The award includes a $50,000 prize in support of his research.
Peter Bex received a Curing Kids Research Award for one-year in the amount of $50,000 for his project entitled, “Oculomotor Therapy for Strabismus.”
Jason Comander has received a Research to Prevent Blindness Career Development Award in the amount of $250,000 to be paid over a period of four years.
Reza Dana was awarded a $299,335 clinical research agreement from Rigel, Inc. for his project entitled, “A Phase 2, Multi-Center, Randomized, Double-Masked, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of 0.2% and 0.5% R932348 Ophthalmic Solutions for the Treatment of Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca in Patients with Chronic Ocular Graft versus Host Disease.”
Schepens Adjunct Scientist, Martine J. Jager, has been selected for ARVO’s 2014 Joanne G. Angle Award for her contributions to the Association and to eye research.
Qin Liu has received a Curing Kids Research Award for two-years in the amount of $50,000 for her project entitled, “The Roles of TTC28 in Leber Congenital Amaurosis.”
John Loewenstein has received a Curing Kids Award for one-year in the amount of $50,000 for his project entitled, “Computer Based Teaching Program for Retinopathy of Prematurity.”
On March 12th, Richard Masland received the 5th annual Jay Pepose ’75 Award in Vision Sciences from Brandeis University and delivered a public lecture, “The Neuronal Organization of the Retina: Answers and Problems.” Pepose is the founder and medical director of the Pepose Vision Institute in St. Louis and a professor of clinical ophthalmology at Washington University. “Dr. Masland’s pioneering studies define the complex organization of the retina that underlies the visual percept,” Pepose said. “His work on ganglion cells may translate into a better understanding and treatment of glaucoma and inherited retinal disorders.”
Eric Ng has received a Curing Kids Research Award for one year in the amount of $50,000 for his project, “Developing a Novel Therapeutic for ROP by Targeting the Heparin-binding Domain of VEGF: Anti-inflammation and Normalization of the Hypoxic Retina.”
Sotiria Palioura was selected as one of 10 winners of a 2014 ASCRS Foundation Resident Excellence Award.
Congratulations to Janey Wiggs who was selected to present the 14th American Glaucoma Society’s (AGS) Clinician-Scientist Lecture at the recent AGS Annual Meeting. The AGS Clinician-Scientist Lecture is given annually by an individual who exemplifies qualities of excellence in patient care and basic research. Selected by a special committee of the AGS comprised of past, present, and future AGS Presidents and the AGS Program Chair, Dr. Wiggs is only the second woman to be selected for this honor since its inception in 2000. Her presentation “Glaucoma Genetics: Families and NEIGHBORs,” delineated two different approaches to using genetics in glaucoma research, depending on whether the disease occurs early or late.
Janey Wiggs and Lou Pasquale were the featured speakers at a luncheon on February 26 hosted by The Alliance for Eye and Vision Research. The event was in recognition of the 2014 American Glaucoma Society Annual Meeting and World Glaucoma Week 2014 (March 9-15). Their lecture was entitled, “Determining the Genetic Basis of Glaucoma to Develop Novel Treatments/”
Philanthropy
Edwin S. Webster Foundation for AMD research conducted by Neena Haider ($50,000)
Estate of Bernard J. Seastrom for glaucoma and cataract research ($45,000)
Press
Symposia Gives Strategies for Auditory, Eye Problems: February 15, 2014 (Palm Beach Daily News) The recent 19th annual Florida Vision & Hearing Research Symposia, presented by Mass. Eye and Ear, provided strategies for auditory and eye problems and showcased the latest research in these areas. Leo Kim weighed in on clinical trials being conducted with embryonic stem-cell transplants in patients with dry, age-related macular degeneration.
Clinician-scientist Strategizes Different Genetic Approaches to Early-onset, Late-onset Glaucoma: March 3, 2014 (Helio Ophthalmology) In the clinician-scientist lecture at the American Glaucoma Society meeting in Washington, Janey L. Wiggs, delineated two different approaches to using genetics in glaucoma research, depending on whether the disease occurs early or late.
8 Tips for Optimizing Your Eyes and Workspace for Photo Editing: March 3, 2014 (popphoto.com) Practical tips from Scott Greenstein.
Healthy Diet May Reduce Risk for exfoliation glaucoma: March 4, 2014 (Medscape) Louis Pasquale quoted. He presented the results at the American Glaucoma Society 24th Annual Meeting.
Young New Zealander’s Tour Lands in Boston: Twelve-year-old Louis Corbett from New Zealand, who is losing his vision from retinitis pigmentosa, visited Mass. Eye and Ear for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Ocular Genomics Institute (OGI), where he met with Eric Pierce and Luk Vandenberghe and saw our researchers in action. Louis captured hearts all over the world when news went viral via social media that his parents had decided to take him on a “bucket-list” tour to see the world before his vision is permanently lost. An avid sports fan, Louis’ love for the Celtics brought him to Boston to watch a game and meet the team. Many news outlets featured Louis’ trip to Boston including, The Boston Globe, CNN and WCVB-TV Channel 5.
As part of an event for the 2014 Boston Marathon Team Eye and Ear, a panel of Mass. Eye and Ear healthcare workers spoke at the New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord, Mass. on March 19th to inform the community about their critical roles during the April 15, 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Featuring a panel composed of Mass. Eye and Ear employees, Debra Trocchi (registered nurse), Maureen Martinez (nursing manager), and Aaron Remenschneider (chief ER medical resident in ENT), the event created a forum for sharing memories of the marathon bombing from the healthcare perspective. Jack Savage, a member of Team Eye and Ear, facilitated the panel; he plans on running this year. The event was picked up by numerous media outlets across the country, including Chron, NECN.com, WMUR.
Recent Publications
(FEBRUARY 2014)
Aggarwal S, Cavalcanti BM, Pavan-Langston D. Treatment of pseudodendrites in herpes zoster ophthalmicus with topical ganciclovir 0.15% gel. Cornea – 2014 February
Alberti CF, Horowitz T, Bronstad PM, Bowers AR. Visual attention measures predict pedestrian detection in central field loss: a pilot study. PLoS One – 2014 February 18
Bansal AK, Madhavan R, Agam Y, Golby A, Madsen JR, Kreiman G. Neural dynamics underlying target detection in the human brain. Journal of Neuroscience – 2014 February
Bowers AR, Keeney K, Peli E. Randomized crossover clinical trial of real and sham peripheral prism glasses for hemianopia. JAMA Ophthalmology – 2014 February
Hong J, Liu Z, Hua J, Wei A, Xue F, Yang Y, Sun X, Xu J. Evaluation of age-related changes in noninvasive tear breakup time. Optometry & Vision Science – February 2014
Levin MH, Pistilli M, Daniel E, Gangaputra SS, Nussenblatt RB, Rosenbaum JT, Suhler EB, Thorne JE, Foster CS, JabsDA, Levy-Clarke GA, Kempen JH. Incidence of visual improvement in uveitis cases with visual impairment caused by macular edema. Systemic immunosuppressive therapy for eye diseases cohort study. Ophthalmology – 2014 February 12
Loomis SJ, Kang JH, Weinreb RN, Yaspan BL, Cooke Bailey JN, Gaasterland D, Gaasterland T, Lee RK, Lichter PR, Budenz DL, Liu Y, Realini T, Friedman DS, Mccarty CA, Moroi SE, Olson L, Schuman JS, Singh K, Vollrath D, Wollstein G, Zack DJ, Brilliant M, Sit AJ, Christen WG, Fingert J, Kraft P, Zhang K, Allingham RR, Pericak-Vance MA, Richards JE, Hauser MA, Haines JL, Pasquale LR, Wiggs JL. Association of CAV1/CAV2 genomic variants with primary open-angle glaucoma overall and by gender and pattern of visual field loss. Ophthalmology – February 2014
Murakami Y, Matsumoto H, Roh M, Giani A, Kataoka K, Morizane Y, Kayama M, Thanos A, Nakatake S, Notomi S, Hisatomi T, Ikeda Y, Ishibashi T, Connor KM, Miller JW, Vavvas DG. Programmed necrosis, not apoptosis, is a key mediator of cell loss and DAMP-mediated inflammation in dsRNA-induced retinal degeneration. Cell Death & Differentiation – 2014 February
Papakostas TD, Jakobiec F, Mantagos J, Rashid A, Fay A, Vavvas D. Idiopathic dacryoadenitis mimicking a primary intraocular tumor in a young girl. Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology – 2014 February 17
Park JH, Tanaka Y, Arango NA, Zhang L, Benedict LA, Roh MI, Donahoe PK, Teixeira JM. Induction of WNT inhibitory factor 1 expression by Müllerian inhibiting substance/antiMullerian hormone in the Müllerian duct mesenchyme is linked to Müllerian duct regression. Developmental Biology – 2014 February 1
Sahin O, Ziaei A. The role of methotrexate in resolving ocular inflammation after specific therapy for presumed latent syphilitic uveitis and presumed tuberculosis-related uveitis. Retina – 2014 February 12
Salvador-Culla B, Behlau I, Sayegh Rr, Stacy RC, Dohlman CH, Delori F. Very low risk of light-induced retinal damage during Boston keratoprosthesis surgery: A rabbit study. Cornea – 2014 February
Sukhdeo K, Koch CE, Miller TE, Zhou H, Rivera M, Yan K, Cepko CL, Lathia JD, Rich JN. The Lgr5 transgene is expressed specifically in glycinergic amacrine cells in the mouse retina. Experimental Eye Research – 2014 February
Stevenson W, Sadrai Z, Hua J, Kodati S, Huang JF, Chauhan SK, Dana R. Effects of topical Janus kinase inhibition on ocular surface inflammation and immunity. Cornea – 2014
Thornton IM, Bülthoff HH, Horowitz TS, Rynning A, Lee SW. Interactive multiple object tracking (IMOT). PLoS One – 2014 February 18
Uchino M, Uchino Y, Dogru M, Kawashima M, Yokoi N, Komuro A, Sonomura Y, Kato H, Kinoshita S, Schaumberg DA, Tsubota K. Dry eye disease and work productivity loss in visual display users: The Osaka study. American Journal Of Ophthalmology – February 2014
Wiggs JL, Pawlyk B, Connolly E, Adamian M, Miller JW, Pasquale LR, Haddadin RI, Grosskreutz CL, Rhee DJ, Li T. Disruption of the blood-aqueous barrier and lens abnormalities in mice lacking lysyl oxidase-like 1 (LOXL1). Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science – 2014