Hydrogel For Battle Wounds And Plextalk Pocket On Christmas Eve Show

Dr. John Whalen (University of Southern California Roski Eye Institute - Los Angeles)

Plextalk Linio Pocket (Plextalk - Culver City, CA)

Dr. John Whalen of the University of Southern California Roski Eye Institute discusses a hydrogel that can be used to treat eye injuries on the battlefield.

Then, Bob Smith explains the functions of both the Plextalk Pocket and the Plextalk Linio Pocket, which are both portable DAISY mp3 player and voice recorders.


12/24/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

Sunu Band and Focus 40 Blue Braille Display On December 9-10 Show

Sunu Band

Freedom Scientific Focus 40 Blue Braille Display

Fernando Albertorio explains the Sunu band, which uses a sonar sensor and haptic feedback to let the wearer know where things are.

Then, Jonathan Mosen discusses the fifth generation of Freedom Scientific's Focus 40 Blue Braille Display.

12/9/2017 Podcast (Click Link Below)

Viewfinders For The Colorblind and 3-D Retinal Organoid Challenge On Nov. 12 Show

Kevin Triplett (Tennessee Department of Tourist Development - Nashville, TN)

Dr. Erin Lavik (University of Maryland - Baltimore County - Baltimore, MD)

Commissioner Kevin Triplett of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development discusses special viewfinders that allow those who are colorblind to experience the amazing beauty of three different sites located in east Tennessee.

 Then, Dr. Erin Lavik of the University of Maryland - Baltimore County talks about her winning proposal in the National Eye Institute's 3-D Retinal Organoid Challenge, which is an initiative that seeks to design human retinas from stem cells.

 11/11/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

Jordy and Myopia On October 28 - 29 Show

Jordy (Enhanced Vision - Huntington Beach, CA)

Dr. Jeffrey Walline (Ohio State University - Columbus)

Marc Stenzel of Enhanced Vision discusses the Jordy, which is a battery operated fully portable magnification system that can be worn like a pair of glasses.  

Then, Ohio State University College of Optometry's Dr. Jeffrey Walline talks about myopia and the increasing rate of it in recent decades.

10/28/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

Dr. Henry Kaplan and Dr. Subba Gollamudi On Oct. 21-22 Show

Dr. Henry Kaplan (University of Louisville - Louisville, KY)

Dr. Subba Gollamudi (Eye Specialty Group - Memphis, TN)

The University of Louisville's Dr. Henry Kaplan discusses how restoring glucose to dormant cone photoreceptors could be a key in treating retinitis pigmentosa.

Then, Dr. Subba Gollamudi of Eye Specialty Group in Memphis talks about age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and the Centrasight implantable miniature telescope treatment.

10/21/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

Dr. Ines Lains and Dr. Iqbal Ahmad On Sept.23-24 Show

Dr. Ines Lains (Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary - Boston, MA)

Dr. Iqbal Ahmad (University of Nebraska Medical Center - Omaha, NE)

Dr. Ines Lains of Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston explains how a technique known as metabolomics involving lipid biomarkers in the blood, can lead to earlier diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration.

Dr. Iqbal Ahmad of the University of Nebraska Medical Center talks about how retinal ganglion cells derived from stem cells look different from donors that have glaucoma versus those that do not have glaucoma.

9/23/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

Childhood Solid Tumor Network and Sony 7 HD Video Magnifier on First September Show

Dr. Michael Dyer (St. Jude Children's Research Institute - Memphis, TN)

Sony 7 HD Plus Handheld Plus Video Magnifier (Baum USA - Methuen, MA)

Dr. Michael Dyer of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital discusses the Childhood Solid Tumor Network, which helps with pediatric cancers including retinoblastoma.

 Then, David Bradburn of Baum USA in Methuen, Massachusetts, explains the workings of the Sony 7 HD Plus Handheld Plus Video Magnifier, with integrated optical character recognition and text-to-speech software 9/9/2017 Podcast (Click Below)

New Guidelines for Eye Exams and Zebrafish Gene for Retinal Regeneration on August 12-13 Show

Dr. Andrea Thau

Dr. Tom Reh (University of Washington - Seattle)

Dr. Andrea Thau, former president of the American Optometric Association, explains the importance of new guidelines for comprehensive eye exams. Maria Garcia talks about how those new guidelines for such exams were responsible for the diagnosis for her daughter's brain tumor.

Then, Dr. Tom Reh, of the University of Washington discusses how the gene, ASCl1, natively found in zebrafish, can lead to retinal regeneration in mice.  Dr. Reh also talks about ways to stop the regeneration process from being inhibited.

8/12/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

Greyhound Web Site Lawsuit and Dr. Steve Charles On August 5-6 Show

Dr. Steve Charles (Charles Retina Institute - Memphis, TN)

The National Federation of the Blind's Chris Danielsen's discusses a lawsuit filed by the NFB of California against Greyhound over the lack of accessibility of the bus company's website.

Dr. Steve Charles of Memphis's Charles Retina Institute explains five rare eye disorders:  sickle cell retinopathy, radiation retinopathy, optic neuritis, macular telangiectasia, and familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR).


8/5/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

SMILE Procedure and Arrestin-1 Gene Involvement in RP on July 22-23 Show

Dr. Richard Norden (Norden Laser Eye Associates - Ridgewood, NJ)

Dr. Stephen Daiger (University of Texas Health Science Center - Houston, TX)

Dr. Richard Norden of Norden Laser Eye Associates in Ridgewood, New Jersey discusses the minimally invasive laser vision correction procedure called SMILE.

Then, Dr. Stephen Daiger, a professor in the Human Genetics Center at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, discusses the gene, arrestin-1, that has been linked to retinitis pigmentosa in many Hispanic families in the Southwest.

7/22/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

Memphis Paralympics and L-Dopa To Fight AMD On July 8-9 Show

Dr. Brian McKay (University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson)

Curtis Tillman of the Tennessee Association of Blind Athletes tells us about events such as goalball and beep baseball coming up in the Paralympics in Memphis on July 29.

Then, Dr. Brian McKay of the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science explains how l-dopa, a drug used to treat Parkinson's disease, could be vital in the fight against macular degeneration.

7/8/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum and VarioUltra, VisioDesk on June 17-18 Show

Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum

VarioUltra 20/40 Braille Display/Notetaker (Baum USA - Methuen, MA)

VisioDesk Portable HD Video Magnifier (Baum USA - Methuen, MA)

Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, certified board internist and creator of the "Cures A-Z" app, tells us about natural therapies.  Some of them can help with eye diseases.

Then, David Bradburn of Baum USA in Methuen, Massachusetts, talks about the VarioUltra Braille display/notetaker and VisioDesk HD portable video magnifier.

6/17/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

Getting A Feel for Eclipses Book And SAS Graphics Accelerator On June 10 - 11 Show

Dr. Cassandra Runyon (College of Charleston - Charleston, SC)

Dr. David Hurd (Edinboro University - Edinboro, PA)

Joseph Minafra (NASA SSERVI - Moffett Park, CA)

We hear about the tactile book, "Getting A Feel For Eclipses", from a host of people.  That includes Dr. Cassandra Runyon of the College of Charleston in South Carolina and the South Carolina Space Grant Consortium, Dr. David Hurd of Edinboro University in Pennsylvania, Joseph Minafra of NASA Solar System Exploration Research Institute (SSERVI), and Mariah Williams, a graduate of the College of Charleston.

Ed Summers of SAS in Cary, North Carolina, discusses the Graphics Accelerator, which makes graphs and charts accessible using sonification, screen reading, and tabular data.

6/10/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

Hamilton Eye Institute's Dr. Aaron Waite and WUSTL's Dr. Rajendra Apte on Memorial Day Show

Dr. Aaron Waite (University of Tennessee Hamilton Eye Institute - Memphis, TN)

Dr. Rajendra Apte (Washington University School of Medicine - St. Louis, MO)

Dr. Aaron Waite of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Hamilton Eye Institute discusses the rates of microbial keratitis between contact lens wearer and patients that have undergone LASIK.

Then, Dr. Rajendra Apte of Washington University in St. Louis goes over how a protein called, GDF15, might determine the rate of vision loss, in those afflicted with glaucoma.

5/27/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

Dr. Michael Dyer and Memphis Center For Independent Living On First May Show

Dr. Michael Dyer (St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - Memphis, TN)

The Memphis Center for Independent Living (Memphis, TN)

Dr. Michael Dyer of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute explains how different types of stem cells show different levels of effectiveness in treating retinal degeneration.

Then, the Memphis Center for Independent Living's Christina Clift goes over the programs and activities offered by the center.

5/13/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

Fuchs Dystrophy and Clovernook On April 29-30 Show

Dr. George McKie (National Eye Institute)

Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired (Memphis, TN)

Dr. George McKie of the National Eye Institute talks about Fuchs Corneal Dystrophy, which results in corneal swelling in the eye.

Then, Lynn Tune of Memphis's Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired explains the programs, activities, and opportunities provided by the center.

4/29/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

Secondary Cataract and TN Association of Blind Athletes On April 22 - 23 Show

Dr. Houmam Araj (National Eye Institute)

Dr. Houmam Araj of the National Eye Institute talks about the significance of molecular growth factor TGF-beta in secondary cataract, which can be a complication of cataract surgery.

Then, Curtis Tillman discusses the activities and programs provided by the Tennessee Association of Blind Athletes including bowling and goalball.

4/22/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

Preserving Photoreceptors in Mice, Diabetic Retinopathy, and Women's Eye Health On March 25-26 Show

Dr. Anand Swaroop (National Eye Institute -Bethesda, MD)

Dr. Suber Huang (National Eye Institute - Bethesda, MD & Retina Center of Ohio - South Euclid, OH)

Drs. Anand Swaroop and Zhijian Wu of the National Eye Institute explain how silencing the gene, Nrl, can save certain photoreceptors in mice.

Then, Dr. Suber Huang of the NEI discusses diabetic retinopathy and women's eye health.

3/25/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

Low Vision and KNFB Reader For Windows 10 On March 11 - 12 Show

Dr. Mark Wilkinson (University of Iowa - Iowa City, IA)

KNFB Reader

The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine's Dr. Mark Wilkinson discusses low vision and vision rehabilitation services.

Then, the National Federation of the Blind's Chris Danielsen explains the KNFB Reader, a text recognition app, which is available for Windows 10.

3/11/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

Prism Glasses and NFB BELL Academy on Feb. 25-26 Show

Dr. Eli Peli (Harvard Medical School - Boston, MA)

Dr. Eli Peli of Harvard Medical School explains how multiplexing prism glasses could help those afflicted with tunnel vision.

The Memphis Center for Independent Living's Christina Clift previews the Memphis NFB Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL) Academy for children coming up in June.

2/25/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

Dangers of Laundry Detergent Pods and AMD Drug, AXT107, On 1st February Show

Dr. R. Sterling Haring (Johns Hopkins University - Baltimore, MD)

Dr. Peter Campochiaro (Johns Hopkins University - Baltimore, MD)

Two guests from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore are featured on this week's show.  Dr. R. Sterling Haring explains the dangers of ocular burns that laundry detergent pods pose to toddlers.

Then, Dr. Peter Campochiaro talks about the experimental drug, AXT107, whose increased times between necessary injection might improve the treatment of age-related macular degeneration.

2/18/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

Dr. Ethan Rossi and Melissa Balbach on Jan. 28-29 Show

Dr. Ethan Rossi, Ph. D. - University of Pittsburgh,  Pittsburgh, PA)

The University of Pittsburgh's Dr. Ethan Rossi discusses how a new imaging technique that can better identify troublesome retinal ganglion cells that can cause glaucoma.

Then, Independent Living's Melissa Balbach goes over low vision keyboards and large print stickers that can be placed on keys.

1/28/2017 Podcast (Click Image Below)

Dr. S.S. Iyengar and Dr. James Tsai On First 2017 Show

Dr. S.S. Iyengar (Florida International University, Miami, FL)

Dr. James Tsai (New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, New York, NY)

On our first 2017 show, Dr. S.S. Iyengar of Florida International University in Miami discusses an implantable device that patients could use to monitor their own intraocular pressure.  

Then, Dr. James Tsai of New York Eye and Ear Infirmary talks about glaucoma, new treatments, an lifestyle changes that could help prevent the disease.

1/21/2016 Podcast (Click Image Below)