Retina International

This week, Avril welcomes Brian Mansfield, PhD from Foundation Fighting Blindness to the RI In-Focus podcast.

Brian is Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of Research with FFB and joins Avril to discuss the MyRetina tracker registry; a research database of people and families affected by rare inherited retinal degenerative diseases (IRDs), which is provided by FFB.

Brian explains the importance of knowing your genet...

This week, Avril welcomes Russell Wheeler to the Retina International In-Focus podcast. Since the diagnosis of his son with Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, a rare and inherited retinal condition, Russell has been a long-standing patient advocate within the retina community, working at a European level and as a patient representative on the board of the ERN-EYE.

In this episode, Russell explains in great detail the Health Technolo...

This week, RI Science Communications Executive, Seán Heagney welcomes Petia Stratieva, MD, PhD to the In-Focus podcast. Petia is a medical doctor and passionate patient advocate as a person living with Retinitis Pigmentosa who also has significant experience working in industry and thus understands the perspective of many stakeholders within the retina community.

In this episode, Petia explains to Seán the challenges she and many ot...

In episode 9 of the In-Focus podcast, Avril is joined by Chad Andrews from Fighting Blindness Canada (FBC). Chad works at FBC as Senior Advisor on Policy, Equity and Access. In their discussion, Avril and Chad discuss the multifarious projects and educational initiatives he has been involved in with FBC, including Vision Class and the Young Leaders Program as well as other newly established projects to support FBC’s members during ...

In episode 8 of the In-Focus podcast, Avril welcomes Carol Brill to speak about her life and experience as a person living with Usher Syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to being on the Board of Directors for Fighting Blindness Ireland and CureUsher, Carol is very involved with the Retina International Usher Syndrome Special Interest Group and leads a very active lifestyle, as a member of her local Stackstown golf clu...

This week, Avril welcomes Professor John Flannery to the Retina International In-Focus podcast. John is Professor of Vision Science and Neuroscience in the Department of Molecular Biology in University of California, Berkeley.

In this episode, John’s explains the concept of optogenetics; a technique which involves light and genetic engineering (editing the genetic information) to control neuronal cells, and how he is applying it in ...

This week, Dr. Orla Galvin Director of Research Policy at Retina International hosts and welcomes  Marina Sutter, Interim Chair of the Retina International Youth Council to our latest episode in a series of In-Focus podcasts.

At the age of 12, Marina was diagnosed with an inherited retinal disease (IRD) called Stargardt Disease, a form of Juvenile Macular Degeneration. Although a challenging time for her, Marina remembers fondly the...

In episode 5 of the In-Focus podcast, Avril is joined by Michael Griffith. Michael was a founder of Fighting Blindness Ireland in 1983 and has been a central figure in the retina community, advocating for the progression of retinal research and the establishment of policies which will support people living with retinal conditions, for over 20 years.

Michael lives with Retinitis Pigmentosa and is a firm believer in the power of mindf...

In this week’s episode of the Retina International In-Focus podcast series, Avril welcomes Professor Joe Carroll to speak about adaptive optics and how it is revolutionising retinal imaging techniques, to produce more detailed and accurate images. Joe is a Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Medical College of Wisconsin and is the head of their Advanced Ocular Imaging Program (AOIP).

Adaptive optics is a form of te...

In this episode of “In-Focus”, Avril welcomes Professor Juliana Sallum to the podcast. Juliana is an ophthalmologist who specialises in inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs) and genetics and is a professor at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

In this podcast, Juliana takes us through the unprecedented challenges that she and her colleagues face as ophthalmologists during COVID-19. She explains that although the current circumsta...

In episode two of In Focus, Avril is joined by Claudette Medefindt and Karen Denton from Retina South Africa. Claudette has been involved with Retina South Africa for 40 years and is currently Head of Science at Retina South Africa, as well as Deputy President of Retina International, while Karen holds the position of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Ambassador, bringing with her a wealth of experience in patient counselling ...

In the first episode of our new podcast series, Avril speaks with Retina International President Christina Fasser about the effect COVID-19 has on her life as a person living with Retinitis Pigmentosa, specifically the severe consequences of social distancing on her active lifestyle and the adjustments she has made to keep physically active. Christina also explains how she is using this extra time at home in a positive way, to reco...

Fiona Waters begins series 2 of Retina International’s In Focus podcast by welcoming Laura Whelan.

Laura Whelan is a third-year PhD candidate in Prof. Jane Farrar’s lab in Trinity College Dublin. Laura’s work is carried out as part of the Target 5000 study, which aims to provide clinical and genotyping services for people living in Ireland with an inherited retinal disease. Laura has a particular interest in non-coding DNA variants ...

The latest episode of the Perspectives Podcast by Retina International, co-hosted by David Sanchez and Avril Daly, focuses on the importance of mental health in the rare eye disease community. Featuring guest Matt Bolz-Johnson, a mental health lead at EURORDIS-Rare Diseases Europe, the discussion explores:

• Why mental health matters: Beyond just medical treatment, quality of life and emotional well-being are crucial for individua...

Canal Retina conversamos con Pablo Palazón Riquelme, inmunólogo, divulgador científico y autor del libro Ciencia Idiota, sobre ensayos clínicos. Exploramos qué son y su funcionamiento en la búsqueda de tratamientos para distrofias de retina, destacando fases, riesgos y ventajas para pacientes.

Canal Retina spoke with Pablo Palazón Riquelme, immunologist, science communicator and author of the book Ciencia Idiota, about clinical tri...

Meet our hosts, David Sanchez and Avril Daly. Each month, we feature powerful personal stories from our members, offering a unique window into their experiences, challenges, and triumphs. In addition to these firsthand accounts, we’ll engage with leading researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and industry innovators to explore the latest advancements in retina research, cutting-edge care solutions, and the evolving landscape of sup...