Newsletter Wilmer Eye – Johns Hopkins
Dear friends and colleagues,
A multi-center effort harnesses AI to develop a model for sustained drug delivery in the eye. A team of talented clinicians pools their expertise to address a particularly complex case. An intrepid optometrist partners with a community-based organization to provide care to our neighbors in need.
Applied thought leadership has been an integral part of Wilmer since its founding nearly a century ago, and – as the stories in this issue demonstrate – it remains one of the hallmarks of this great institution today.
– Peter J. McDonnell, M.D.
Features
A team approach helped address ‘a perfect storm’ of problems for Howard Freedman, who established a fellowship at Wilmer aimed at helping more patients like him.
Working with CASA, a nonprofit that provides services to immigrant and working-class families, and the Maryland Optometric Association, Bryce St. Clair, O.D. has created a single point of service for immigrants and refugees in the area to receive essential eye care.
A Look Inside Wilmer’s Low Vision Fellowship
The Jones Fellowship at Lions Vision Research and Rehabilitation Center is the only low vision fellowship in the country. We got the inside scoop on the fellowship experience from Dominic Brown, O.D.
In the Spotlight
Andoh on the Inherent Bias of Family History
“How do we remedy generational inequities and foster preventive health care within families, communities and generations?” asks PGY-1 resident Joana Andoh, M.D. in this thoughtful essay in JAMA Network.
Singh Takes a Long View of AI
At a time when the presses are abuzz with the possibilities of AI, Mandeep Singh, M.B.B.S., M.D., Ph.D., the Andreas C. Dracopoulos Professor of Ophthalmology, provides a vision for what may be possible if we wait to combine the technology with diagnostics and platforms now under development. Read the commentary in JAMA Ophthalmology. In addition, Singh discusses the future of therapies for retinitis pigmentosa, in HCPLive.
Soiberman Shares Key Insights on Keratoconus
Uri Soiberman, M.D. presented at the first symposium of the International Keratoconus Academy on April 26. Soiberman spoke to Ophthalmology Times about his presentation, which included key insights into the disease. View the video clip.
Research News
Chamling and Colleagues ID Promising Targets for Remyelination
Xitiz Chamling, Ph.D. and colleagues have identified promising targets for the possible development of remyelination-based therapy for MS and other demyelinating disorders, including glaucoma. The team’s research was published in iScience.
Ensign Team Employs AI in Design of Longer-Acting Drugs
Laura Ensign, Ph.D., the Marcella E. Woll Professor of Ophthalmology, and colleagues used machine learning to design peptide adapters that prolong the action of drugs in the eye without the need for an implant or traditional delivery system. The work was published in Nature Communications.
Awards and Honors
Elisseeff Elected to National Academy of Sciences
Congratulations to Jennifer Elisseeff, Ph.D., the Morton F. Goldberg Endowed Professor of Ophthalmology, is one of three Johns Hopkins researchers recently elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
Henderson Receives Ivy Dreizen Grant
Amanda Henderson, M.D. was the recipient of the 2023 Dr. Ivy Dreizen Leadership Development Grant, which was presented at the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL.
Sopeyin Honored with AAO Copeland Advocacy Education Award
Congratulations to PGY-3 resident Anuoluwapo Sopeyin, M.D. on receiving the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s (AAO) Copeland Advocacy Education Award. The award, presented during the AAO Mid-Year Forum, honors the spirit of Robert A. Copeland, Jr., M.D., who believed that being a steward for patient care required not only clinical excellence, but playing an active role in shaping how health care is managed in the United States.
Upcoming Events
Virtual Grand Rounds
We invite you to join Wilmer for virtual Grand Rounds, Thursday mornings from 7:30am – 8:30am. CME credit is available for Johns Hopkins affiliates. Click here to join these upcoming sessions:
· May 25 – Retina
· June 1 – General
· June 8 – Cornea
· June 15 – Optics
· June 22 – Neuro-ophthalmology
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