Conferences

Macula Vision Research Foundation Scientific Conferences

In November, 1997, Karen and Herbert Lotman invited a group of preeminent scientists to meet in Florida. The foremost retina experts from various backgrounds — surgeons, pathologists, geneticists, and neuroscientists dedicated to macula generation research — conferred in an interactive seminar format. This broad range of expertise was one of the reasons this meetings was unusually successful.

Conferences then took place in March 1999, November 2000, March 2002, October 2003, May 2005, September 2006, February 2008 and November 2009. These meetings continue to bring together retina experts and basic scientists from the fields of molecular biology, physiology, pathology and cell biology to address molecular mechanisms of macular degeneration and potential treatments.

There is a core group of elite vision scientists who participate as well as persons from outside the field who are invited so that an interface and new information can be created and delivered to stimulate the field. We have learned that these collaborative meetings are of enormous importance to the researchers. The Macular Vision Research Foundation seminars have proven to be very fruitful.

The 2009 Macula Vision Research Conference was November 13-15 at the St Regis Hotel in Washington, D.C. Basic and clinical vision scientists from North America and Europe met to discuss recent research progress in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and related retinal diseases that represent a major cause of blindness in the world population. Four key themes of the meeting were the clinical and genetic analysis of AMD and related retinal diseases, development of stem cell technology as a potential future treatment for retinal diseases, the role of the complement system in AMD, and emerging treatments for AMD and other retinopathies. A main focus was the continuing search for new gene variants which increase one’s risk for developing AMD. Using genome-wide approaches, researchers have honed in on several chromosomal loci which contain new candidate genes associated with AMD. Stem cells have the potential for regenerating photoreceptor and RPE cells and restoring vision. Although still early in development, significant advances have been made in the isolation of retinal stem and progenitor cells and their transplantation into the retinal tissue. Researchers expressed cautious optimism that stem cells may one day restore significant vision in individuals with little or no remaining photoreceptors cells. In 2005 genetic studies provided direct evidence for the involvement of the complement system and inflammation in the pathogenesis of AMD. Over the last several years, investigators have made significant progress in understanding how genetic variation in complement factor H, a key regulator of the complement system, can lead to inflammation. This information is being used to develop new drugs that could prove useful in limiting the inflammatory response underlying some forms of AMD. It is critical to diagnose AMD at an early stage in the disease and to monitor the progression of the disease as a function of time and treatment. Scientists have developed novel retinal imaging techniques to detect early stages of AMD and to assess the response of the visual system to potential treatments for AMD. Finally, research scientists discussed the significant progress that has been made in the development and application of gene and drug-based therapies for AMD and other retinal degenerative disorders. The presentations and interactive discussions highlighted the remarkable progress that has been made in our understanding of AMD over the past several years. All participants were extremely optimistic that with continued collaborative research, new and improved treatments will be developed that will diminish the risk of developing AMD and greatly improve the outcome of those already affected with AMD and other retinal diseases.

 

Participating Scientists

Thomas M. Aaberg, M.D.
Emory Eye Center
Years attended:  1997 1999

Robin Ali, Ph.D.
Institute of Ophthalmology/UCL
Years attended:  2008

Rando L. Allikmets, Ph.D.
Columbia University
Years attended:  2006, 2009

Jayakrishna Ambati, M.D.
University of Kentucky
Years attended:  2006

Bela Anand-Apte, M.D.
Cole Eye Inst/Cleveland Clinic F
Years attended:  2005

John P. Atkinson, M.D.
Washington University School of Medicine
Years attended:  2006

Brian J. Balin, Ph.D.
College of Osteopathic Medicine
Years attended:  2006

Robert Barlow, Ph.D.
SUNY Upstate Medical University
Years attended:  2005

Colin J. Barnstable, D. Phil.
Penn State College of Medicine
Years attended:  1997 1999 2000 2002 2003 2006 2008 2009

Jean Bennett, M.D., Ph.D.
Scheie Eye Institute, Univ. of Penn.
Years attended:  2003

Alan C. Bird, M.D.
Institute of Ophthalmology
Years attended:  1997 1999 2000 2002 2003 2005

Paul N. Bishop, PhD, FRCOphth
University of Manchester
Years attended:  2009

Seth Blackshaw, Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University
Years attended:  2002

Dean Bok, Ph.D.
Jules Stein Eye Institute
Years attended:  2000 2002 2003 2005 2006 2008 2009

Nalini S. Bora, Ph.D.
Jones Eye Institute
Years attended:  2006

Catherine Bowes Rickman, Ph.D.
Duke University Medical Center
Years attended:  2008

Neil M. Bressler, M.D.
Johns Hopkins Medical School
Years attended:  1999

Susan B. Bressler, M.D.
Wilmer Eye Institute
Years attended:  1999

Alexander J. Brucker, M.D.
Scheie Eye Institute
Years attended:  2003

Peter A. Campochiaro, M.D.
John Hopkins Medical School
Years attended:  2003 2005 2006

Marie-Francoise Chesselet, M.D., Ph.D.
Reed Neurological Research Center, B114
Years attended:  2008

Christine  A. Curcio, Ph.D.
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Years attended:  1999 2000 2005

Eugene de Juan, M.D.
University of California San Francisco
Years attended:  1999 2000

Bruce Demple, Ph.D.
Harvard School of Public Health
Years attended:  2000

Michael A. Dyer, Ph.D.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Years attended:  2009

Victor Elner M.D., Ph.D.
University of Michigan
Years attended:  2000

Howard J. Federoff, M.D., Ph.D.
Georgetown University Medical Center
Years attended:  2008

Thomas A. Ferguson, Ph.D.
Washington University School of Medicine
Years attended:  2009

Toren Finkel M.D., Ph. D.
NIH
Years attended:  2000

Aron Fisher, M.D.
Univ of PA, School of Medicine
Years attended:  2000

Steven K. Fisher, Ph.D.
University of CA Santa Barbara
Years attended:  1997 1999 2008

Martin Friedlander, M.D., Ph.D.
Scripps Research Institute
Years attended:  2005

David M. Gamm, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Years attended:  2009

Alan Garen, Ph.D.
Yale University
Years attended:  2003

Michael B. Gorin, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Southern California
Years attended:  2003 2006 2009

Prof. John Greenwood, Ph.D., FRCPath
University College London
Years attended:  2008

Hans E. Grossniklaus, M.D.
Emory Eye Center
Years attended:  1997 1999 2000 2002

Gregory Hageman, Ph.D.
John A. Moran Eye Center
Years attended:  1997 1999 2000 2005 2009

William W. Hauswirth, Ph.D.
University of Florida
Years attended:  1999 2000 2002 2003 2005 2006 2008 2009

Anita Hendrickson, Ph.D.
University of Washington
Years attended:  1997

Josephine Hoh , Ph.D.
Yale School of Public Health
Years attended:  2006

Joe G. Hollyfield, Ph.D.
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Years attended:  2002 2003 2009

Samuel Jacobson, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Pennsylvania
Years attended:  1997 2000 2002 2003 2005 2006 2008 2009

Lincoln Johnson, Ph.D.
University of California Santa Barbara
Years attended:  2006

Valerian Kagan, Ph.D./D.Sc.
University of Pittsburgh
Years attended:  2000

Nicholas Katsanis, Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Years attended:  2008

Ronald Klein, M.D., Ph.D.
Univ. of WI Medical School
Years attended:  1997

Matthew M. LaVail, Ph.D.
UCSF School of Medicine
Years attended:  1999 2000 2002 2003 2005 2006 2008

Tiansen Li, Ph.D.
Harvard Medical School
Years attended:  2006

Andrew J. Lotery, M.D.
University of Southampton
Years attended:  2009

Raymond D. Lund, Ph.D.
Casey Eye Institute
Years attended:  1997 2002

Alan D. Marmorstein, Ph.D.
University of Arizona
Years attended:  2008

Roderick R. McInnes, M.D., Ph.D., C.M.
Jewish General Hospital,
Years attended:  1997 1999 2000 2002  2005 2006 2008 2009

Robert Mecham, Ph.D.
Washington University School of Medicine
Years attended:  2005

Sheldon Miller, Ph.D.
National Eye Institute
Years attended:  2009

Robert S. Molday, Ph.D.
University of British Columbia
Years attended:  1997 1999 2000 2002 2003 2005 2006 2008 2009

Nicholas Muzyczka, Ph.D.
University of Florida College of Medicine
Years attended:  2008

Jay Neitz, Ph.D.
University of Washington
Years attended:  2009

Maureen Neitz, Ph.D.
University of Washington
Years attended:  2009

Patsy Nishina, Ph.D.
The Jackson Laboratory
Years attended:  1999 2000 2002

William C. Parks, Ph.D.
University of Washington
Years attended:  2005

Professor Stephen J. Perkins
University College London
Years attended:  2006

Donald Price, M.D.
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Years attended:  2002

Thomas A. Reh, Ph.D.
University of Washington
Years attended:  2009

Philip J. Rosenfeld, M.D., Ph.D.
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute
Years attended:  2009

Dennis W. Schultz, Ph.D.
Casey Eye Institute
Years attended:  2003

Johanna Seddon, M.D.
New England Eye Center
Years attended:  2006

Richard L. Sidman, M.D.
Harvard Institutes of Medicine, Rm. 855A
Years attended:  2008

Paul Sieving, M.D., Ph.D.
NEI/NIH
Years attended:  2003  2008 2009

Sangram Sisodia, Ph.D.
Univ. of Chicago
Years attended:  2002

Jane Sowden, Ph.D.
UCL Institute of Child Health
Years attended:  2009

Richard Spaide, M.D.
Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants NY
Years attended:  2009

Janet R. Sparrow, Ph.D.
Columbia University
Years attended:  2008

Paul Sternberg, Jr., M.D.
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Years attended:  1997

Edwin M. Stone, M.D., Ph.D.
Univ. of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
Years attended:  1997 1999 2000 2002 2003 2005 2006 2008

Anand Swaroop, Ph.D.
NEI/NIH
Years attended:  2000 2002 2003 2009

Rudolph Tanzi, Ph.D.
Harvard Medical School
Years attended:  2002

Matthew A. Thomas, M.D.
Barnes Retina Institute
Years attended:  1997 1999 2000 2002

Joyce Tombran-Tink, Ph.D.
Penn State University/ Medical Center
Years attended:  2003

Gabriel J. Travis, M.D.
Jules Stein Eye Institute
Years attended:  2000 2002 2003

Steven Wagner, Ph.D.
Neurogenetics, Inc.
Years attended:  2002

Bernhard Weber, Ph.D.
University of Regensburg
Years attended:  1999 2002 2008

Prof. Alan Wright
MRC Human Genetics Unit
Years attended:  2005

Hiromi Yanagisawa, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Years attended:  2005

Donald J. Zack, M.D., Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Years attended:  2002

Kang Zhang, M.D., Ph,D.
University of Utah
Years attended:  2005 2008

Prof. Dr. med. Eberhart Zrenner
University Eye Hospital of Tübingen
Years attended:  2006
 

What Conference Attendees Say About the MVRF Conferences

...I think the MVRF meeting was far and away the best, most productive scientific meeting I have ever attended. The focus was strong but not overly narrow, the scientific presentations were uniformly excellent, and the opportunities to interact with the other attendees socially in a relaxed atmosphere were unparalleled. I benefited on multiple levels, but was perhaps most encouraged to see how many of the more senior scientists in the room are seeing their decades of work realized in therapeutic trials.
Alan D. Marmorstein, Ph. D.
Associate Professor
Dept. Ophthalmology and Vision Science
University of Arizona
Medical Neuroscience

...I wish all scientific meetings were so informative and conducive to new ideas as this was. My deepest gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Lotman for their generosity and philanthropy in sponsoring such a wonderful workshop.
Professor John Greenwood PhD FRCPath
Head of Division
Division of Cellular Therapy
Institute of Ophthalmology
University College London

...I want to thank you for the delightful and most productive MVRF Conference in Miami. The research presented by the retinal group was outstanding.
Matthew M. LaVail, Ph.D., Director
Kearn Famly Research Center, for the Study of Retinal Degenerations
Beckman Vision Cetner
University of California, San Francisco

...the scientific interchange was exhilarating. I have come away with some specific research ideas and approaches about which I am very excited. Thank you for making progress in this frustrating field possible.
Matthew A. Thomas, M.D.
Barnes Retina Institute
St. Louis, Missouri

...I can't think of another instance where attending a scientific conference has had an immediate impact on my research plans. The value of the meetings sponsored by your Foundation, with their small size and specific focus on age-related macular degeneration, cannot be overestimated. It is a unique opportunity for basic scientists and clinicians to interact intensely on a specific topic, a luxury we rarely experience.
Steven Fisher, Ph.D.
Neuroscience Research Institute
U CA Santa Barbara

It was especially good for me to hear about the clinical aspects of the disease and the problems that physicians face. I learned a lot and came away with ideas about how I could improve the work that I was doing. If part of your intention for the meeting was to incite excitement and forward movement, you've helped to light a fire here.
Patsy Nishina, Ph.D.
The Jackson Laboratory
Bar Harbor, Maine

...I thought the meeting was highly constructive. We have already initiated two small co-operative projects with others at the meeting.
Alan C. Bird, M.D.
Moorfields Eye Hospital
London

It is always a pleasure to come together with colleagues who are concentrating their efforts toward making a difference in the lives of patients, friends and family members who suffer from macular degeneration. The networking and informal interaction that took place is extremely valuable to all of our research programs.
Gregory H. Hageman, Ph.D.
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics