Lowy Symposium: Frontiers in Vision Research and Vascular Diseases
Event Information
About this event
The Lowy Medical Research Institute is hosting a public scientific symposium with a focus on vision research and vascular disease. Distinguished speakers include experts in the field of vision and cardiac research, with an emphasis diseases with a vascular component.
The symposium is free, but registration is required. A reception with complimentary drinks and hors d'oeuvres will immediately follow the symposium.
Symposium location: Committee Lecture Hall at The Scripps Research Institute. Skaggs Institute (Molecular Biology Building), 2nd floor.
Speakers:
Martin Friedlander, MD, PhD
President; Lowy Medical Research Institute
Professor, Department of Molecular Medicine; The Scripps Research Institute
Chief, Retina Services, Department of Ophthalmology; Scripps Clinic
John Dowling, PhD
Gordon and Llura Gund Research Professor of Neurosciences
Harvard University
Kevin Eade, PhD
Staff Scientist
Lowy Medical Research Institute
Lois Smith, MD, PhD
Professor of Ophthalmology
Harvard Medical School
Boston Children’s Hospital
Marin Gantner, PhD
Staff Scientist
Lowy Medical Research Institute
Robert Graham, AO, FAA, MD
Executive Director, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (VCCRI)
Sydney Des Renford Professor of Medicine, University of New South Wales
Organizer Lowy Medical Research Institute
Organizer of Lowy Symposium: Frontiers in Vision Research and Vascular Diseases
Lowy Medical Research Institute (LMRI) is committed to understanding causes of the rare retinal disease, macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel), and translating discoveries to novel treatments. Clinicians, geneticists, vision scientists, and retinal imaging specialists from more than 40 centers across North America, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East are involved in LMRI-supported MacTel research.
Lowy Medical Research Institute opened a dedicated laboratory and office space in 2013, which serves as its headquarters. The facility is located on the Torrey Pines Mesa in La Jolla, California, home to the region’s vibrant and innovative life sciences community.
LMRI research encompasses laboratory work, a genetics program, and clinical research. This includes the MacTel Project, an international registry that connects patients with clinicians and researchers to speed the pace of discovery and keep patients informed of opportunities to participate in clinical trials. In partnership with Neurotech Pharmaceuticals, LMRI is testing encapsulated cell-based delivery of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) in MacTel patients in a Phase 3 clinical trial.
MacTel was once thought to be a disease of blood vessels in the retina. Work done by LMRI-affiliated researchers has reshaped how clinicians and researchers think about the disease. MacTel is now understood to be, first and foremost, a disease that affects the neurons in the eye. Many other cells in the retina are also affected by MacTel. It was recently discovered that the disease has a metabolic component as well. LMRI scientists continue to work towards an understanding of the factors that lead to vision loss in MacTel.
