2025 EVENT SITE
WMIF MAIN SITEMonday, September 15, 2025
03:55 PM - 04:35 PM
Watch Panel HereAccording to the World Health Organization, over 2.2 billion people globally experience vision impairment. Among the leading causes of blindness are age related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, cataract, glaucoma, and inherited retinal diseases. In recent years, emerging treatments—from pharmacologic agents and genetic or cell-based therapies to advanced imaging, surgical innovations, and AI—have begun to transform how these conditions are diagnosed and managed. This panel will explore the current landscape of vision science innovation, examine barriers to implementation, and identify the most promising therapeutic pathways poised to reduce global blindness over the next decade.
Moderator
Rishi Singh, MD,
Chair, Ophthalmology, Mass General Brigham
Speakers
Petr Baranov, MD, PhD,
Assistant Scientist, Mass Eye and Ear;
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School
Reza Dana, MD,
Director, Cornea and Refractive Surgery Service, Mass Eye and Ear;
Claes H. Dohlman Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School
Erin Kimbrel, PhD,
Head of Cell and Gene Therapy Research, Astellas Pharma
Nazlee Zebardast, MD,
Medical Director, Glaucoma Imaging, Mass Eye and Ear;
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School