BroadEye: An Ophthalmology Podcast

Mastering Blindness, Mindset, and Reaching the Summit of Mount Kilimanjaro - Randy Pierce

Randy Pierce, President of 2020 Vision Quest, shares his journey of vision loss and how he focused on his abilities rather than his disabilities to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and other notable peaks, train for and compete in the Boston marathon as a blind athlete, pen a book to inspire the masses, and become a motivational speaker giving keynote addresses across a range of industries and geographies.

Retinal Disease: Treatment with CRISPR, Gene Therapy and Partial Proteins – Dr. Hemant Khanna

Dr. Hemant Khanna discusses how a powerful gene editing tool called CRISPR has the potential to treat blinding diseases such as Leber Congenital Amaurosis and Retinitis Pigmentosa. Dr. Khanna further provides an overview of gene therapy for retinal disease, as well as a description of a novel approach to treating retinal degeneration using partial length proteins.

Stories from a Guide Dog Mobility Instructor - Rob Cramer

Rob Cramer, Guide dog mobility instructor for CNIB, discusses his lifelong dream to work with guide dogs for people with low vision. Rob’s journey began at the age of 10 when his mother, diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, received her first guide dog. His path took him to Australia and eventually back to Canada, accumulating experience and powerful stories along the way that he shares with the audience in this interview.

 

Leading the Charge for Accessibility and Employment For the Blind and Visually Impaired – David Demers

David Demers, Executive Director of CNIB Quebec and Executive Lead for Frontier Accessibility, discusses accessibility and employment for people who are blind or visually impaired. Other topics covered include David’s own story of sudden vision loss due to Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy and the history and stigmatization of blindness.

 

Why Patients Can (and Should) Become Researchers, Discussion With Dr. Helen Dimaras

Dr. Helen Dimaras discusses how empowering Retinoblastoma survivors and their families to have a greater role in the decision-making process of research projects has led to more inclusive, high-quality, and translatable results. The Canadian Retinoblastoma Research Advisory Board (CRRAB) is co-directed by patients, clinicians, allied healthcare providers, researchers, patient engagement experts, and policymakers.

Retinitis Pigmentosa, Rowing For Gold and Olympic Dreams - Victoria Nolan

Victoria Nolan shares her story of vision loss due to Retinitis Pigmentosa and how she was drawn to start rowing at age 30, eventually earning a spot on the Canadian national adaptive rowing team. Victoria further shares stories of her experience as a guide dog handler and her current training for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

 

 

 

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) - Dr. Stephen McIntosh

Dr. Stephen McIntosh provides a high-level overview of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), including modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors, basic treatment approaches, a scientific explanation for the cause of the disease, and thoughts on why the disease etiology is complicated and not completely understood.

Artificial Intelligence Meets Ophthalmology With DIAGNOS

Andre Larente, President of DIAGNOS, explains how artificial intelligence is impacting the field of ophthalmology, enabling for early detection of diabetic retinopathy and other blinding eye diseases. Mr. Larente further explains how his companies technology can detect early signs of non-ocular conditions, including stroke.

Retinitis Pigmentosa: The Arrival of Gene Therapy and What Comes Next - Dr. Cynthia X. Qian

Dr. Cynthia X. Qian shares an in-depth overview of Retinitis Pigmentosa, highlighting potential treatment approaches at various stages of disease progression. Dr. Qian
further describes the first approved gene therapy for a specific type of Retinitis Pigmentosa and how this therapy sets the stage for targeted gene therapies for various inherited retinal dystrophies in the near future.

Retinal Implants, Ocular Gene Therapy, and the Importance of Genetic Testing for Inherited Retinal Dystrophies - Dr. Flavio Rezende

In this episode, Dr. Flavio Rezende explores the current state of affairs for retinal implants in Canada and worldwide, highlighting some of the benefits and limitations of the technology.

Dr. Rezende further provides an overview of gene therapy for inherited retinal dystrophies, explaining why such treatments seem to advance slowly and how the recent pandemic and improved access to genetic testing may accelerate the development of additional sight-saving ocular gene therapies.