11th Annual Bench to Bedside Symposium

7:30 - 8:25 AM: Registration / Continental Breakfast

Lobby and Dining Room

8:25 - 8:30 AM: Welcome

Vladimir Kefalov, Ph.D., Professor, Ophthalmology, UCI Center for Translational Vision Research; Vice Chair of Research, UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute; Professor, Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine

8:30 - 09:30 AM: Session #1 

Ocular Metabolism 

Moderator: Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, Ph.D, Associate Professor, Ophthalmology, UCI Center for Translational Vision Research,
UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute; Associate Professor, Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine

• Bruch's membrane Heparan Sulfate regulates lipoprotein retention in the early stages of AMD | Christopher Toomey, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology, UCSD Shiley Eye Institute, University of California, San Diego
• Imaging of retinal oxygen metabolism | Mahnaz Shahidi, Ph.D., FARVO, Professor of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Engineering, Riffenburgh Professor in Glaucoma Research, Research Director and Vice Chair for Translational Research, Department of Ophthalmology, USC Roski Eye Institute, University of Southern California
• A soft drug approach to design of better-tolerated visual cycle modulators | Philip Kiser, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Ophthalmology, UCI Center for Translational Vision Research, UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Associate Professor, Physiology and Biophysics, Associate Professor, Clinical Pharmacy Practice, University of California, Irvine

9:30 - 10:15 AM: Morning Break and Poster Viewing

Atrium

10:15 - 11:15 AM: Session #2

Ocular Genetics

Moderator: Audrone Lapinaite, Ph.D, Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology, UCI Center for Translational Vision Research, UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine

• Single-cell multiomics of the human retina | Rui Chen, Ph.D., Professor, Ophthalmology, UCI Center for Translational Vision Research, UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine,
• Molecular regulation of visual system wiring: in vivo imaging of axons, dendrites and synapses | Susana Cohen-Cory, Ph.D., Professor, Neurobiology and Behavior, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine

11:15 - 12:50 PM: Lunch and Poster Viewing

Dining Room

12:50 - 2:10 PM: Session #3

Ocular Circuitry

Moderator: Charlotte Gore, M.D., Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology, UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine 

• Visual circuit plasticity after injury | Robert Hunt, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Anatomy & Neurobiology, Director, Epilepsy Research Center, University of California, Irvine
• Cristina M. Kenney Memorial Lecture: Molecular pathways for maintaining homeostasis in the developing and aging nervous system | Susan Ackerman, Ph.D., Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, Stephen W. Kuffler Chair in Biology, Distinguished Professor, Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego
• Light adaptation of retinal rod bipolar cells | Alapakkam 'Sam' Sampath, Ph.D., Grace and Walter Lantz Professor & Associate Director, Department of Ophthalmology, UCLA Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles

2:10- 2:40 PM: Afternoon Break and Poster Viewing

Atrium

2:40 - 3:40 PM: Session #4

Ocular Surface

Moderator: Olivia Lee, M.D., Professor, Ophthalmology, UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine

• Advances in drug therapy and delivery for cataract treatment | Natalie Afshari, M.D., Stuart I. Brown MD Chair in Ophthalmology in Memory of Donald P. Shiley, Professor of Ophthalmology, UCSD Shiley Eye Institute University of California, San Diego
• Bacterial and fungal keratitis - new insights | Eric Pearlman, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Immunology; Professor, Ophthalmology, UCI Center for Translational Vision Research, UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute; Professor, Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine
• Management of Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency | Sophie X. Deng, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Ophthalmology, Walton Li Chair in Cornea and Uveitis, Co-Chief, Cornea Division, Vice Chair for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, UCLA Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles

3:40 - 4:40 PM: Session #5

Novel Therapeutic Technologies

Moderator: Seanna Grob, M.D., Associate Professor, Ophthalmology, UCI, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine

• Bench to Bedside: basic principles of drug discovery and development | Botir Sagdullaev, Ph.D., Head of Ophthalmology Research, Regeneron
• Advancing ocular drug discovery:  AAV-based gene therapy for the treatment of IRDs and AMD | Claire Gelfman, Ph.D., Principal and Founder, CMG Consulting
• Femtosecond lasers in ophthalmology | Tibor Juhasz, Ph.D., Professor, Ophthalmology, UCI Center for Translational Vision Research, UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Professor, Biomedical Engineering, The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, University of California, Irvine

4:40 - 6:00 PM: Best Poster Awards and Reception

Atrium