Highlighting diversity, equity, and inclusion at Retina World Congress

(Image credit: AdobeStock/Gennady Danilkin)

The Retina World Congress 2024 program has a wealth of presentations, many of them focused on clinical trials data and new therapeutic treatments. Another area of research that will be presented on is diversity, equity, and inclusion.

On the afternoon of May 9, 2024, Jay Chhablani, MD, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh and director of clinical research at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, will give a presentation on “Racial Diversity Among US Clinical Trials.”

Following the presentation by Chhablani, Judy E. Kim, MD, FAVRO, FASRS, professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the graduate school of biomedical sciences and director of teleophthalmology and research at the Medical College of Wisconsin, will give a presentation titled “Diversity, equity, and inclusion aspects of retinal diseases.”

In the evening of May 9, 2024, Nirojini Sivachaandran, MD, PhD, FRCSC, vitreoretinal surgeon at the Toronto Retina Institute, will present “Gender trends in Canadian surgery: A 30-year update.”

These presentations are just a part of a larger conversation happening in the medical space, as well as around the globe. Through intentional work to ensure that all groups are represented in medical research and clinical trials, as well as longer-term data, the space is better able to develop therapeutics that benefit more patients. These types of research also help to identify gaps in treatment, additional barriers to treatment related to demographics, and allow for systems to be created to overcome those barriers.