9th Military Vision Symposium

Welcome to the 9th Military Vision Symposium: Novel Technology and Vision Restoration. Our two-day event will focus on military-related eye injuries—which are some of the most common, yet less-publicized types of military trauma.

This symposium brings together military leaders, clinicians, and scientists, with the goal of propelling innovative research that will lead to improved treatment and prevention strategies for military-related eye injuries. Panel discussions, lectures, and lightning talks will encompass a variety of topics that covers diagnosis, mitigation, and regenerative medicine aspects of eye injuries in mass casualties as well as the DoD and NIH funding trend.

Here at Harvard Ophthalmology, we nurture a spirit of inquiry and open dialogue and collaboration. Join us also to learn about the missions of NEI and DoD's Vision Research Programs. Thank you in advance for your active participation, which will greatly contribute to the success of this forum and will help us identify novel avenues for future exploration.

Agenda

Thursday, February 27

7:30 AM - 8:00 AM

Breakfast

8:00 AM

Event Start

8:00 AM - 8:20 AM

Welcome & Opening Remarks

Reza Dana, MD, MSc, MPH

8:20 AM

Session 1: Military Vision Care – Epidemiology and Trends

Moderators: Reza Dana, MD, MSc, MPH and Lina Kubli, PhD

[ Registration Required ]

8:20 AM - 8:40 AM

Contrasting mechanisms of ocular injuries and treatment between military and civilian settings

Marisa Tieger, MD

8:40 AM - 9:00 AM

Ocular Trauma Characteristics in Current Warfare

Charisma Evangelista, MD

9:00 AM - 9:20 AM

Chronic Sequalae of Visual Dysfunction

Bree Powell, MD

9:20 AM - 9:40 AM

Exploring Rehabilitation for Visual Impairment

William Boules, MS and Sally H. Dang, OD, MPH

9:40 AM - 9:55 AM

Capabilities of the Medical Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Colonel Igor Khramov and Captain Andrii Kovalov

9:55 AM - 10:10 AM

Session 1 Q&A

10:10 AM - 10:30 AM

Morning Break

10:30 AM - 10:50 AM

Trainee Lightning Talks

10:50 AM

Session 2: Whole Eye Transplantation

Moderators: Leo Kim, MD and Dong Feng Chen, MD, PhD

10:50 AM - 11:10 AM

Challenges in Eye Transplantation

Vaidehi S. Dedania, MD

11:10 AM - 11:30 AM

Ocular Preservation and Neuroregeneration Strategies for Eye Transplantation

Jeff Goldberg, MD, PhD

11:30 AM - 11:50 AM

Assessment of the Vision in Animals Based on their Innate Behaviors

Gang Luo, PhD

11:50 AM - 12:00 PM

Session 2 Q&A

12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Lunch & Exhibits at the Wyndham Boston Beacon Hill Hotel

1:30 PM - 1:50 PM

Trainee Lightning Talks

1:50 PM

Session 3: Post-traumatic Ocular and Brain Inflammation

Moderator: Joseph Ciolino, MD

1:50 PM - 2:10 PM

Anterior Eye

Patrick McNutt, PhD

2:10 PM - 2:30 PM

Posterior Eye

Heuy-Ching Hetty Wang, PhD

2:30 PM - 2:50 PM

Inflammation in Post-traumatic Brain Injury

Stephanie S. Sloley, PhD

2:50 PM - 3:00 PM

Session 3 Q&A

3:00 PM - 3:20 PM

Afternoon Break

3:20 PM

Vision Injury Research Forum - Short Talks

3:20 PM - 3:25 PM

Ocular Motor Function and Related Outcomes in Military Veterans with Extended History of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Jeffrey R. Hebert, PhD, PT (University of Colorado - School of Medicine)

3:25 PM - 3:30 PM

Phase 1/2 Clinical Study of Locally Delivered Allogeneic Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for Corneal Repair

Esther Kwon, MA (University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago)

3:30 PM - 3:35 PM

Chemically Induced In Vivo Retinal Neuron Reprogramming Restores Vision

Biraj Mahato, PhD (Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California)

3:35 PM - 3:40 PM

Defense and Veterans Eye Injury and Vision Registry (DVEIVR): Epidemiology of Traumatic Ocular Injury Among US Service Members in Theater, 2001-2024

Frances M. Silva, OD, MS, PhD, FAAO (U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research)

3:40 PM

Session 4: Diagnosis and Mitigation of Eye Injury

Moderators: Jia Yin, MD, PhD and Mariia Viswanathan, MD

3:40 PM - 4:00 PM

Army’s Teleophthalmology Program

Gary L. Legault, MD

4:00 PM - 4:20 PM

General AI in Ocular Diagnosis and Treatment

CDR Peter B. Walker, PhD

4:20 PM - 4:40 PM

New Directions for the Treatment of Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy

Leo Kim, MD

4:40 PM - 4:50 PM

Session 4 Q&A

4:50 PM

Keynote Lecture - Day 1

4:50 PM - 4:55 PM

Introduction to Day 1 Keynote Lecture

Leo Kim, MD

4:55 PM - 5:25 PM

Keynote Lecture - Photoreceptor Cell Death: Life Hanging in the Balance

David Zacks, MD, PhD

5:25 PM - 5:30 PM

Closing Remarks

Dong Feng Chen, MD, PhD

5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Networking Reception at the Wyndham Boston Beacon Hill Hotel

[ Registration Required ]

Friday, February 28

7:30 AM - 8:00 AM

Check In & Breakfast

8:00 AM - 8:05 AM

Welcome Back

Jia Yin, MD, PhD

8:05 AM

Session 5: Vision Restoration through Regeneration

Moderators: Eletherios Paschalis, PhD and Petr Baranov, MD, PhD

8:05 AM - 8:25 AM

Ocular Surface Treatment with Autologous Stem Cells

Ula Jurkunas, MD

8:25 AM - 8:45 AM

Axonal Mitochondria Motility In Optic Nerve Regeneration

Yang Hu, MD, PhD

8:45 AM - 9:05 AM

Stem-cell Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelium for Advanced Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Amir Kashani, MD, PhD

9:05 AM - 9:15 AM

Session 5 Q&A

9:15 AM

Keynote Lecture - Day 2

9:15 AM - 9:20 AM

Introduction to Day 2 Keynote Lecture

Michael S. Gilmore, PhD

9:20 AM - 9:50 AM

Keynote Lecture - A Hitchhiker’s and Backpacker’s Approach to Drug Delivery

Samir Mitragotri, PhD

9:50 AM - 10:20 AM

Morning Break

10:20 AM

Session 6: Panel Discussion: Initiatives to Advance Vision Research

Moderators: Michael S. Gilmore, PhD and Jia Yin, MD, PhD

10:20 AM - 11:30 AM

Panel Discussion

Tian Wang, PhD, Dan Ignaszewski, and Lina Kubli, MD

11:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Closing Remarks, Travel Award Presentations and Trainee Lightning Talk Award Presentation

Leo Kim, MD, Dong Feng Chen, MD, PhD, Jia Yin, MD, PhD

11:45 AM

Adjourn

12:00 PM

Event End