WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (AEVR) has announced a series of virtual events on Sept. 23 that are associated with International Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Awareness Week 2020 and AEVR’s Sixth Annual Emerging Vision Scientists (EVS) Day on Capitol Hill. The program is being held in conjunction with partners Research to Prevent Blindness, the American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF), the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) and the Macular Degeneration Partnership. Research to Prevent Blindness also is providing EVS Day support, with streaming support provided by ARVO and event management support by Novartis, according to an AEVR announcement.

The virtual sessions begin at noon (ET) Sept. 23 with a congressional briefing: “Artificial Intelligence in Retinal Diseases—Focus onAge-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Diabetic Retinopathy (DR).”

The briefing features National Eye Institute (NEI) clinician-scientist Tiarnan D. Keenan, BM, BCh, PhD and T.Y. Alvin Liu, MD (Wilmer Eye Institute/Johns Hopkins University), who will speak about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a key role in the diagnosis and treatment of retinal diseases. Jack Stewart, a representative from the American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF), will also provide an AMD patient’s perspective.

The following 30-minute session begins at 1:30 p.m. (ET) and will address: A Conversation: The Impact of COVID-19 Lab Closures on the Next Generation of Vision Scientist 

AEVR is engaging 22 early-stage vision scientists in a conversation about the impact of COVID-19 laboratory closures on their research and overall career pathway. In addition to that conversation, each of the Emerging Vision Scientists has prepared a personal video about their breakthrough eye and vision research that addresses the question “How will this research delay, reduce, and prevent the $717 billion annual cost of eye disease and vision impairment projected by year 2050?”

Anyone interested in the events can RSVP to Dina Beaumont by telephone at (202) 407-8325 or by email at dinabeau@aol.com

A link to events can be found at: https://www.arvo.org/advocacy/NAEVR-virtual-events/

AEVR, a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation, is conducting these educational programs as part of its “Decade of Vision 2010-2020 Initiative,” a sustained effort acknowledged by Congress that recognizes the benefits of federally funded vision research.