Newsletter Wilmer Eye Institute – Full member of the WAEH
Dear friends and colleagues,
September is always a busy time, with students returning to classes, the days growing shorter and ophthalmology meetings taking place with increasing frequency. In this issue, we look at some of the places our faculty members have been recently and some of the exciting research and knowledge they’ve been sharing. Don’t forget to check out our list of upcoming events that may be of interest to you and yours.
Wishing you all the best,
– Peter J. McDonnell, M.D.
Features
“Life changing.” That’s how patient Don Kalil describes the care he received at Wilmer to address a complex series of eye and vision problems.
Doctors’ Day Inspires an Investment in Encouragement
Each year, Johns Hopkins Medicine gives patients the opportunity to share messages of gratitude with their physicians. When patient Karen Duvall received this communication, she immediately thought of her Wilmer retina specialist, Sophie Cai, M.D.
Catching Up with Corinne Casey
It’s been a busy year for Corinne Casey, O.D., clinic director of Wilmer–Odenton, who recently helped develop Wilmer’s optometry residency program. We caught up with Casey to see how it’s going.
In the Spotlight
On Aug. 25–26, for the second time in the history of Wilmer Eye Institute, Wilmer as an institution visited Colombia in a standalone meeting. The first time was when Dr. Edward Maumenee was the chair more than five decades ago.
J. Fernando Arevalo, M.D., Ph.D., the Edmund F. and Virginia Ball Professor of Ophthalmology, and Wilmer Director Peter McDonnell, M.D., the William Holland Wilmer Professor of Ophthalmology, were invited by the Sociedad Colombiana of Ophthalmology (SOCOFTAL) to organize the two-day symposium. Wilmer faculty demonstrated their expertise in a variety of ophthalmic diseases. In addition to Drs. Arevalo and McDonnell, presenters included Ashley Behrens, M.D.; Meghan Berkenstock, M.D.; Bryn Burkholder, M.D.; Ashley Campbell, M.D.; Yassine Daoud, M.D.; Amanda Henderson, M.D.; Albert Jun, M.D., Ph.D., the Walter J. Stark, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology; Nicholas Mahoney, M.D.; Neil Miller, M.D., the Frank B. Walsh Professor of Neuro-Ophthalmology; and Adrienne Scott, M.D.
Collins Speaks at AAO Health Summit
Megan Collins, M.D., M.P.H., the Allan and Claire Jensen Professor of Ophthalmology, was invited to speak on “Lessons Learned in School-based Vision Care – The Vision for Baltimore Experience” at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Global Health Summit, held in Atlanta, Sept. 8-10, 2023.
McDonnell Discusses Promising New Treatment for Demodex Blepharitis
What is Demodex blepharitis, and how does it affect eye health? In this podcast episode, Ophthalmology Times co-chief medical editors Peter J. McDonnell, M.D., the William Holland Wilmer Professor of Ophthalmology, and Neda Shamie, M.D., delve into the clinical nuances of this vexing condition and discuss a promising new treatment.
Solomon on Defining Anti-VEGF Response in DME
In this video clip from ASRS 2023, Sharon Solomon, M.D., the Katharine M. Graham Professor of Ophthalmology, outlines a retrospective analysis of three clinical trials that help to define the response to anti-VEGF treatment for center involving diabetic macular edema.
Women in Ophthalmology
Esen K. Akpek, M.D., the Bendann Family Professor of Ophthalmology; Jella An, M.D., M.B.A.; Courtney Kraus, M.D.; and Fasika Woreta, M.D., M.P.H., the Eugene de Juan, M.D. Professor of Ophthalmology, spoke on a range of topics of interest to women in ophthalmology at the Women in Ophthalmology 2023 Summer Symposium, held Aug. 24-27 in Marco Island, Florida. Learn more about the women of Wilmer.
Pictured from left to right:
PGY-4 Sidra Zafar, residency program director Fasika Woreta and PGY-4 Moon Jeong Lee
Research News
Effects of Solution Temperature on IOL Unfurling Time
A new study by Allen Eghrari, M.D., M.P.H. and colleagues looked at the effects of solution temperature on IOL unfurling time, with an eye on operative efficiency and clinical outcomes. The results were published in Clinical Ophthalmology.
Large Cystoid Macular Lesions and Inherited Retinal Diseases
Certain inherited retinal diseases are characterized by large cystoid macular lesions, a finding that may help to inform clinical associations, mechanistic research and trial design, says senior author Mandeep Singh, M.D., Ph.D., the Andreas C. Dracopoulos Professor of Ophthalmology, in Modern Retina.
Novel Drug Delivery Approach for RGC-Protective Eye Drop
Laura Ensign, Ph.D., the Marcella E. Woll Professor of Ophthalmology, and colleagues combined two promising delivery technologies to achieve effective and sustained therapeutic concentrations of medication to protect retinal ganglion cells in a rat model of optic nerve injury. The work was published in the Journal of Controlled Release.
The RReSTORe Consortium: Working to Solve Some of the Biggest Problems in Ophthalmology and Beyond
In Ophthalmology Science, Thomas V. Johnson, M.D., Ph.D., the Shelley and Allan Holt Rising Professor of Ophthalmology, and colleagues report on the work of the Retinal Ganglion Cell (RGC) Repopulation, Stem Cell Transplantation, and Optic Nerve Regeneration (RReSTORe) Consortium, aimed at propelling the field of regenerative medicine as applied to optic neuropathies — with implications far beyond.
Awards and Honors
Solomon Receives 2023 AAO Secretariat Award
Sharon Solomon, M.D., the Katharine M. Graham Professor of Ophthalmology, is a recipient of the 2023 American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Secretariat Award for her work on the Task Force and Sub-Task Force on Disparities in Eye Care, work that was recognized by an NIH director as “the BEST monograph on disparities in any field I have ever read…truly a brilliant piece. We need something like this for every field as a starting point.”
Upcoming Events
Virtual Grand Rounds
We invite you to join Wilmer for virtual Grand Rounds, Thursday mornings from 7:30am–8:30am EDT. CME credit is available for Johns Hopkins affiliates. Click here to join these upcoming sessions:
· Sept. 21 – General
· Sept. 28 – Retina
· Oct. 12 – Neuro-Ophthalmology
Starts Tomorrow!
Johns Hopkins Retinal Degeneration and Visual Electrophysiology Conference
Mark your calendar for the Johns Hopkins Retinal Degeneration and Visual Electrophysiology Conference Sept. 15–16, designed to provide an update on the latest developments in retinal degeneration, repair and regeneration. The program includes a refresher course on visual electrophysiology for clinicians and researchers. Click here for additional details and registration.
Wilmer’s 25th Annual Technician Course
Wilmer’s 25th Annual Technician Course will take place Oct. 21 from 8:00am – 4:30pm EDT. This is a great opportunity for ophthalmic technicians at all levels to discover new innovations and technologies in eye care from world-renowned Wilmer researchers and discuss complex cases and ocular pathologies with expert Wilmer clinicians. It also provides certified ophthalmic technicians with the opportunity to earn continuing education credits. For course registration and more information, click here.
Wilmer Science Seminar Series
The Wilmer Science Seminar Series presents Adriana Di Polo, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Neuroscience, University of Montreal. Di Polo will speak on “Neuronal and Vascular Dysfunction in Glaucoma: New Insights.” Sept. 18 at 12pm EDT. Join the virtual meeting.
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