Foundation Fighting Blindness to host PRPH2 and Associated Retinal Diseases Workshop

The Foundation Fighting Blindness, in partnership with the Nixon Visions Foundation and the Shiley Eye Institute, at the University of California, San Diego, will host the free in-person PRPH2 and Associated Retinal Diseases Workshop March 29–31 at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines in San Diego, California.

According to a news release, the PRPH2 and Associated Retinal Diseases Workshop is designed to bring together leading experts from academia and industry, to discuss openly, and in detail, what is known about PRPH2 disease pathology, disease models, clinical characteristics, and therapeutic approaches. In addition, affected individuals and their families will attend to share their experiences with PRPH2 disease and to hear the latest developments for care, treatment, and strategies for therapies.

The workshop will also serve as a launching point for the Nixon Visions Foundation sponsored funding initiative that will provide multiple annual grants to scientific teams addressing high-impact gaps in the field.

Claire M. Gelfman, PhD, chief scientific officer, Foundation Fighting Blindness, along with Radha Ayyagari, PhD, Shiley Eye Institute, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and Shyamanga Borooah, MD, PhD, Shiley Eye Institute, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), will serve as workshop co-chairs.

In addition, representatives from academia and industry who will address the research landscape and emerging therapies include:

• Steve Daiger, PhD – Director, Laboratory for Molecular Diagnosis of Inherited Eye Diseases, Professor, Human Genetics Center, School of Public Health and Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, UTHealth
• Muna Naash, PhD – John S Dunn Endowed Professor of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston
• Vadim Arshavsky, PhD – Helena Rubinstein Foundation Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology, Duke University
• Francois Paquet-Durand, PhD – Professor, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Tubingen University
• Peter Quinn, PhD – Principal Investigator and Associate Research Scientist, Columbia University
• Fred K. Chen, MBBS, PhD – Associate Professor, Lions Eye Institute, Australia
• Rachel Heath Jeffery, MChD, MPH – Resident, Lions Eye Institute, Australia
• Deepak Lamba, MBBS, PhD – Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco
• Shannon Conley, PhD – Assistant Professor of Cell Biology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences University
• Kari Branham, MS, CGC – Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Genetic Counselor, Inherited Retinal Dystrophy Clinic, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan
• Rob Collin, PhD – Principal Investigator, Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center
• David Birch, PhD – Scientific Director, Retina Foundation of the Southwest
• Daniel Chung, DO, MA – Chief Medical Officer, Sparing Vision
• Eric Daniels MD, MBA – Chief Development Officer, Kiora Pharmaceuticals
• Ash Jayagopal, PhD – Chief Science Officer, Opus Genetics

"We are privileged to be partnering with the Nixon Visions Foundation and the Shiley Eye Institute, University of California, San Diego, to bring awareness, build a community across PRPH2-related retinal disease and accelerate related research on biological and therapeutic approaches," Gelfman said in the news release. "Our hope is that through this workshop we will facilitate knowledge sharing to illuminate the current landscape and to identify key roadblocks impeding translation to therapies."

To register for the PRPH2 and Associated Retinal Diseases Workshop and get the latest updates on the event, visit www.FightingBlindness.org/PRPH2Workshop.