Virtual Discussion Series

VIRTUAL DISCUSSIONS

About the Discussion Series

The RReSTORe Consortium sponsors periodic virtual discussions aimed at maintaining collaborative dialogues surrounding our collective work on vision restoration for optic neuropathies.

The discussions feature groundbreaking work from various disciplines related to neuronal transplantation throughout the central nervous system, stem cell biology, bioengineering of implantable materials, computational electrophysiology of the visual system, and advanced model systems for studying optic nerve disease, among other topics. Discussions take place approximately 3 to 4 times per year.

Upcoming Virtual Discussion

“Charting the course: Regulatory issues pertaining to

translating optic nerve therapies from bench to bedside”

Thursday, May 29, 2025

1:30-3:00pm (Eastern Time)

Zoom link:

https://unmc.zoom.us/j/94009143303?pwd=qRn926IokX7vJaN928e8f6IXMUhbJ0.1

Meeting ID: 940 0914 3303

Passcode: 864868

Discussion facilitators:

Aakriti G. Shukla, MD, MSc, Columbia University Irving Medical Center

C. Gustavo De Moraes, MD, PhD, MPH, FARVO, Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Barbara Wirostko MD, FARVO. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah

A conversation between patients living with optic neuropathy and the scientists working on vision preservation and restoration therapies

August 18th, 2026

Patient discussants: Dan Zenkel, who suffers from non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), and Bernie Roebuck, who suffers from glaucoma.

Axonal growth and synaptogenesis in the retina and retinal projections in the brain

November 18th, 2025

Moderated by: Dr. Matt Van Hook (University of Nebraska)

Commentary by: Elizabeth Zuniga-Sanchez, Ph.D., (Baylor College of Medicine); Supraja Varadarajan, Ph.D, (UT Southwestern Medical Center); Greg Schwartz, Ph.D., (Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine)

Charting the course: Regulatory issues pertaining to translating optic nerve therapies from bench to bedside

May 29th, 2025

Moderated by: Dr. Matt Van Hook (University of Nebraska)

Commentary by: Aakriti G. Shukla, MD, MSc (Columbia University Irving Medical Center); C. Gustavo De Moraes, MD, PhD, MPH, FARVO, (Columbia University Irving Medical Center); Barbara Wirostko MD, FARVO (Moran Eye Center, University of Utah)

The optimal host environment for retinal ganglion cell transplantation

December 2nd, 2024

Moderated by: Dr. Matt Van Hook (University of Nebraska)

Commentary by: Dr. Petr Baranov (Harvard University); Dr. Brad Fortune (Devers Eye Institute); Dr. Jeff Goldberg (Stanford University); Dr Thomas Johnson (Johns Hopkins University); and Dr. Derek Welsbie (University of California San Diego)

Neural stem cell transplantation for Parkinson's disease: What can vision scientists learn from this translational story?

November 6th, 2023

Discussion led by Roger Barker, MBBS, PhD (University of Cambridge)

Transsynaptic Degeneration at Visual centers in Optic Neuropathy: Implications for Regeneration

June 6th, 2023

Discussion led by Phillip R. Williams, PhD and Joshua L. Morgan, PhD (Washington University in St. Louis)

RGC Repopulation from Endogenous Sources

January 4th, 2023

Discussion was led by Levi Todd, PhD (University of Washington)

Lessons Learned from Photoreceptor and RPE Transplantation

September 22nd, 2022

Discussion led by Ed Stone, MD, PhD, Budd Tucker, PhD, and Ian Han, MD (University of Iowa) and Kapil Bharti, PhD (National Eye Institute)