The USC Roski Eye Institute celebrates 47 years of excellence in ophthalmic care at USC.

By Eric Weintraub

Dr. Dean Eliott (center) receives the Narsing A. Rao, MD, Endowed Lecture Award from Drs. J. Martin Heur (left) and Narsing Rao (right). (Photo/Filgraphix)

USC Roski Eye Institute faculty, alumni, and guests gathered On Saturday, June 24th, 2023, to celebrate 47 years of excellence in ophthalmic care at USC. The symposium offered attendees the latest updates on ophthalmic best practices across the field, research updates for recently approved therapies for ophthalmic diseases, and updated research regarding pipeline therapies that may be available soon.

Taking place at the Aresty Conference Center on the Health Science Campus, the annual symposium provided opportunity for face-to-face interactions among colleagues and friends. “It was great to see friends and colleagues during our 47^th Annual Symposium.  We had a fabulous group of speakers who made the meeting a success,” said J. Martin Heur, MD, PhD, Interim Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology.

During the symposium, the USC Roski Eye Institute presented three awards:

• Dean Eliott, MD, received the 2023 Narsing A. Rao M.D. Endowed Lecture Award for his groundbreaking clinical research in treating retinal detachment, diabetic retinopathy, non-diabetic retinal vascular disease, trauma, infections, and complex retinal surgical procedures.
• Malvina B. Eydelman, MD, received the 2023 Laureate Award for her groundbreaking life-long commitment to preserving and saving sight through guiding and overseeing the approval of ophthalmic products. The Laureate Award represents the highest honor bestowed on an individual in recognition of their academic achievements in the preservation, protection, and restoration of vision.
• Roy S. Chuck, MD, PhD, was recognized with the Distinguished Alumni Lecture and presented a lecture titled, “A New Device for Corneal Crosslinking: From Bench to Bedside.”

Highlighted topics included: Genetic Testing for Optic Neuropathies; New Research for the Treatment of Optic Neuropathies; Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Detecting Papilledema; Optical Coherence Tomography and Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy; Telemedicine, Devices, Robotics, and AI in the Ophthalmology Landscape; Emerging Therapeutic Opportunities for Retinal Diseases; Restoring Sight Using Retinal Implants; Update on the Management of Persistent Corneal Epithelial Defects and Neurotrophic Keratopathy; Unique Applications of Scleral Contact Lenses; Updates in Corneal Crosslinking; Updates on Presbyopia-Correcting IOLs; Ocular Adhesive Therapy for Treatment of Corneal Lacerations; Phototherapeutic Intravitreal Chandelier for Retinal Ischemia; Stem Cell Based Therapies for Outer Retinal Degeneration; and Gene Therapy Clinical Trials in Ophthalmology.

This year’s speakers included guest faculty from across the country including Anthony C. Arnold, MD; Roy S. Chuck, MD, PhD; Dean Eliott, MD; and Malvina B. Eydelman, MD. USC Roski Eye Institute and CHLA faculty who presented included Hossein Ameri, MD, PhD; Rodrigo Antonio Brant Fernandes, MD, PhD; Melinda Chang, MD; Gloria Chiu, OD; Charles Flowers, Jr., MD; Jeffrey Gluckstein, MD; Kimberly Gokoffski, MD, PhD; J. Martin Heur, MD, PhD; Mark Humayun, MD, PhD; Linda Lam, MD, MBA; Sun Young Lee, MD, PhD; Juan Carlos Martinez Camarillo, MD; Annie Nguyen, MD; Kristina Voss, MD; and John Whalen, MD.