Out of the Blindspot

In this episode, I’m honored to bring you my conversation with Dr. Lenworth Johnson, a true pioneer in neuro-ophthalmology. As one of the first African American neuro-ophthalmologists, Dr. Johnson paved the way for future generations, breaking barriers and making an indelible mark on our field. 

Beyond his significant clinical expertise and technical contributions to ophthalmology, Dr. Johnson is also a historian of our profession. ...

Today on the podcast, I have Drs. Alexandra "Ola" Pietraskiewicz and Amy Durand, two young physicians who are at the cusp of beginning what will hopefully be long and fulfilling careers in neuro-ophthalmology. We’ll hear what motivated them to pursue careers in our field, help break some of the common myths that dissuade many trainees from considering neuro-ophthalmology as a viable career choice, and we’ll hear some sage...

With overall relatively low exposure to and recruitment of trainees to the field of neuro-ophthalmology, I feel that we as a specialty must be able address the misconceptions about who we are and what we do by telling our own stories. We need to spread the message more widely about how great our specialty is and how much of a positive impact we can have on our patients, colleagues, and communities by the specialized care and expert...

In the previous episode, I began a conversation with Drs. John Chen, Fiona Costello, and Heather Moss, about the 50th anniversary NANOS meeting.  In this episode, we continue our conversation about what’s new and exciting in NO and how to take the momentum from the meeting and use it to grow more practical interest in our specialty.

NANOS 2024

John J. Chen M.D., PH.D

Fiona Costello, M.D, FRCPC

He...

The 50th Anniversary NANOS Annual Meeting was held in Honolulu, HI from March 2 through March 7 2024. it was a wonderful meeting that has been claimed  by many to be of the best annual meetings ever with respect to location, venue, content, organization, and atmosphere. It was one of the the largest NANOS meetings ever, drawing a diverse, international audience from all over the globe. The meeting covered a wide range of neuro-opht...

The young Neuro-ophthalmologists committee of NANOS or YONO was established in 2012 in an effort to meet the needs of trainees and neuro-ophthalmologists in their formative years of training and practice. The YONO committee is currently co-chaired by Drs. Nailyn Rasool and Andrew Melson who are passionate about the support and mentorship of those early in their neuro-ophthalmology journeys. In this episode of OOTBS I'll speak ...

Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to bring important and hopefully thought provoking conversations through the sight for site eyes podcast highlighting the world of DEI in ophthalmology. I’ve also been able to highlight the unique field of Neuro-ophthalmology through the out of the Blindspot podcast. I’m particularly excited for the conversation that will be featured in the next couple of episodes in the first of its kin...

In our last episode, we began a series on the North American Neuro-ophthalmology society or NANOS, the largest organization in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the field of Neuro-ophthalmology. In this episode, we speak with Drs. Kathleen Digre and Larry Frohman about the history of NANOS and how its legacy has been intimately intertwined with the development of the field of Neuro-ophthalmology as we approach the 50t...

Today, we begin a series featuring the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (NANOS), the largest organization in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the field of neuro-ophthalmology.

In the first episode of the series we’ll speak to Drs. Prem Subramanian and Peter Quiros, the current and immediate future presidents of NANOS to learn about what NANOS is, what it does, and their vision for the organization moving for...

In the last episode we began a conversation with Dr. Jane Edmond, a unicorn of sorts with unique life experiences and achievements at the crossroads of neuro-ophthalmology and leadership that set her apart. These include being a super specialized pediatric neuro-ophthalmologist and the inaugural and current chair of the Mitchell and Shannon Wong Eye Institute at UT Austin’s Dell Medical school and  the president elect of the Americ...

What is a Unicorn? Do you think of a horse-like mythical beast with magical powers and a single ribbon-like horn protruding from its forehead? While true mytholoigcal unicorns likely don't exist, a unicorn is that rare individual with a unique set of skills, abilities, characteristics, and achievements that sets them apart from the rest. Joining me today is one such individual. Dr. Jane Edmond. She is a pediatric neuro-ophthal...

In the first part of this episode we began a conversation with Drs. Larry Frohman and Prem Subramanian, who are neuro-ophthalmologists with unique and substantial leadership backgrounds and experience with NANOS and the AAO that make them uniquely poised to speak about about the pipeline, work force, and compensation issues that Neuro-ophthalmology has been facing for some time.  In this episode we continue our conversation, taking...

In this episode of OOTBS we begin a 2 part series asking  "What is the value of neuro-ophthalmology?" To answer this question, I speak with Drs. Larry Frohman and Prem Subramanian. Both are world renowned and accomplished neuro-ophthalmologists who have also been on the front lines at both the societal and national levels, championing the value of Neuro-ophthalmology through their leadership and advocacy efforts. I learn ...

In this episode, I speak to Drs. Courtney Francis and Aimee Szewka. Together, they are the co-chairs of the Pipeline committee of the North American Neuro-ophthalmology society or NANOS, the professional organization of neuro-ophthalmology on this continent. Together, they lead a committee tasked with determining and addressing many of the reasons young trainees choose not to pursue a career in neuro-ophthalmology and dispel myths ...