(PRESS RELEASE) The American Academy of Optometry announces highlights of the education program taking place at Academy 2018 San Antonio, Nov. 7-10, 2018. The annual meeting offers a wide array of clinically relevant CE courses and research in the clinical and vision sciences. Attendees can choose from over 250 hours of lectures and workshops, Section and Special Interest Group (SIG) symposia, hundreds of scientific papers and posters, an expansive exhibit hall and several memorable social events.
This year’s Plenary Session from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Nov. 7, is titled “Today’s Research, Tomorrow’s Practice: The Future of Health Care Delivery,” and will discuss the trends and concepts that will shape your future practice. What is the future of healthcare delivery? How will governments deliver healthcare to their citizens? Let’s ask Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, vice provost for global initiatives, University of Pennsylvania. How will you deliver healthcare to your patients one on one? Let’s ask Dr. Gordon Guyatt, Distinguished Professor at McMaster University and the man who coined the term “evidence based medicine.” How will telemedicine be use by you and others to enhance patient care? Let’s ask Dr. Anthony Cavallerano, executive director, clinical training and patient care and adjunct professor at New England College of Optometry.
The Monroe J. Hirsch Research Symposium is titled “Vision Restoration for Retinal Degenerative Disease.” The goal of restoring vision in patients with retinal degenerative disease is within reach. The 2018 Hirsch Symposium will bring together three leading researchers to highlight different approaches to save or restore sight in patients with degenerative disease: gene replacement therapy, stem cell repair, and optogenetics to restore vision in severely damaged retinas. Speakers will include Drs. Sheila Nirenburg, Tom Reh and Byron Lam.
Another not-to-be-missed event is the fourth joint symposium of the Academy and the American Academy of Ophthalmology titled “Advances in Ocular Imaging.” Ocular imaging has become a major part of eyecare. Practitioners must learn the interpretation of ever-changing images and decide how much weight to put into these findings as they diagnose and treat disease. This symposium will update you on the anterior segment, retinal and glaucoma applications of ocular imaging and their clinical implications. Speakers will include Drs. Austin Roorda, Joel Schuman, Don Miller, David Huang, Adrian Glasser, Hiroshi Ishikawa, Susana Chung and Phillip Rosenfield. This symposium is a continuation of the effort by the two Academy organizations to work together to better prepare and support their members in delivering the highest quality eyecare.
Ezell Fellows Present is a symposium where three investigators at different stages of their careers supported early on through the Foundation’s Ezell Fellowships present their research. The symposium this year is titled “Contact Lens Discomfort: More Than (Where the Lens) Meets the Eye.” Contact lens discomfort (CLD) is a common cause for cessation of lens wear, and accordingly not only a struggle for patients, but also care providers, researchers, and lens manufacturers. This session will discuss factors related to the contact lens material and overall design, the ocular surface, and attributes and characteristics other than the contact lens and ocular surface which impact patient-reported CLD. Updates on new research, as well as treatments, and possible future directions will be provided. Speakers are Drs. Maria Markoulli, Lakshman Subbaraman and Pete Kollbaum.
Academy 2018 San Antonio will take place at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio, TX. Registration and housing open on May 21, 2018. For more information, visit http://www.aaopt.org/2018.