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| Dr. Richard Normann (University of Utah - Salt Lake City, UT) |
Dr. Richard Normann, distinguished professor emeritus of biomechanical engineering and ophthalmology at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, explains the Utah Electrode Array, which uses eyeglasses, a miniature video camera, and a microelectrode array inserted into the visual cortex to provide functional vision enabling users to make out simple shapes.
12/26/2021 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| Braille Institute of America (Los Angeles, CA) |
Maribel Spell, an instructor at Braille Institute of America, in Los Angeles, California, goes over an assortment of gift ideas including large print keyboards, large print and Braille measuring cups and spoons, large print playing cards, low vision and Braille versions of Bingo, Scrabble, and Uno, talking watches, talking clocks, Wikki Stix, and a beeping foam ball. For more information, visit BIA's Vistas Store page.
12/12/2021 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| Augmented White Cane (Stanford University - Palo Alto, CA) |
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| Dr. Susan Quaggin (Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine - Chicago, IL) |
Arjun Tambe, symbolic systems graduate, at Stanford University, in Palo Alto, California, explains, the relatively lightweight and inexpensive Augmented White Cane, which uses many sensors to detect and identify objects and obstacles and guide users around those obstacles.
Dr. Susan Quaggin, chief of nephrology and hypertension at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, discusses how a non-toxic protein, Hepta-ANGPT1, tested in mice, could potentially be used a treatment for primary congenital glaucoma and open angle glaucoma.
12/5/2021 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| Dr. Bradley Gelfand (University of Virginia Center for Advanced Vision Science - Charlottesville, VA) |
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| Vision Buddy (Dublin, CA) |
Dr. Bradley Gelfand, assistant professor in the department of ophthalmology at the Center for Advanced Vision Science at the University of Virginia, explains how fluoxetine (Prozac) could possibly be repurposed to treat dry form of age-related macular degeneration.
Then, Zack Afridi, co-CEO and CSO of Vision Buddy, discusses how the electronic wearable goggles can be used to enhance the television watching experience, used as a magnifier, and used as an optical character recognition device.
11/14/2021 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| VP Rogue (ViewPlus Technologies - Corvallis, OR) |
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| Dr. Mark Pennesi (Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR) |
Dan Gardner, CEO of ViewPlus Technologies, in Corvallis, Oregon, discusses the VP Rogue Sheet and Trac, which are braille embossers, capable of producing high resolution tactile graphics.
Then, Dr. Mark Pennesi, professor of ophthalmology, at Casey Eye Institute, at Oregon Health and Science University, in Portland, explains how a gene editing technique called, CRISPR, can be used to treat Leber Congenital Amaurosis.
10/31/2021 (Click Image Below)
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| Dr. Megan Collins (Johns Hopkins University Wilmer Eye Institute - Baltimore, MD) |
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| Dr. Hiranmoy Das (Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy - Amarillo, TX) |
Dr. Megan Collins, an assistant professor of ophthalmology, at Johns Hopkins University Wilmer Eye Institute, discusses Vision for Baltimore, a city-wide program to expand school-based vision services for all students in grades pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in Baltimore City public schools.
Then, Dr. Hiranmoy Das, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences, at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy in Amarillo, explains how eye drops can be derived from corneal epithelial stem cells to treat severe dry eye disease.
10/24/2021 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| Dr. Mark Bear (Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Cambridge, MA) |
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| Image courtesy of Cang Ye (Virginia Commonwealth University - Richmond, VA) |
Dr. Mark Bear, Picower Professor of Neuroscience in the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, explains how anesthetizing the "good" eye in amblyopia for a short period of time in different species of mammals can help treat strengthen the amblyopic eye.
Dr. Cang Ye, professor of computer science, in the Virginia Commonwealth University College of Engineering, discusses how a robotic cane uses a 3D color camera, on-board computer, and inertial measurement sensor to guide users.
09/19/2021 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| Dr. David Rein (National Opinion Research Center - NORC - Chicago, IL) |
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| Image courtesy of University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences |
Dr. David Rein, Director of the Public Health Analytics Program, with the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago goes over a study showing by age, sex, ethnicity, and region those, who are the most vulnerable for developing visual impairment.
Then, Dr. Christine Curcio, White-McKee Endowed Professor in Ophthalmology with the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, explains how the "five dimensions" of age-related macular degeneration can lead to new therapeutic strategies.
9/12/2021 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| Dr. Brandi Williams (University of Utah John A. Moran Eye Center - Salt Lake City, UT) |
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| Dr. Michael Manookin (University of Washington School of Medicine - Seattle, WA) |
Dr. Brandi Williams, director of research and science at Sharon Eccles Steele Center for Translational Medicine at the John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah, explains how a variation of the HtrA1 protein plays a role in the development of age-related macular degeneration.
Then, Dr. Michael Manookin, an assistant professor of ophthalmology, at the University of Washington School of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology, discusses how the cones, bipolar cells, and ganglion cells work together with the brain to predict the path of moving objects.
8/22/2021 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| Dr. Mark Draelos (Duke University Department of Biomedical Engineering - Durham, NC) |
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| American Printing House - Louisville, KY |
Dr. Mark Draelos, a postdoctoral associate in the Duke University Department of Biomedical Engineering, discusses a robotic optical coherence tomography scanner that automates diagnostic imaging in the eye.
Then, Jayma Hawkins, American Printing House National Prison Braille Senior Director, and Deb Krise, Tennessee Rehabilitative Initiative in Correction (TRICOR) Braille Transcription Instructor, talk about prison braille programs nationwide and one at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville.
August 15 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| Dr. Saumil Sethna (Retinal Discovery Group - South San Francisco, CA) |
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| Sylvia Stinson-Perez (OIB-TAC at the NRTC - Mississippi State University - Starkville, MS) |
Scientist, Dr. Saumil Sethna, of the Retinal Discovery Group, in South San Francisco, California, discusses how the CIB2 protein and a group of proteins collectively called mTORC1 are factors in mice in the photoreceptor recycling process. If that process is faulty, blindness can result.
Then, Sylvia Stinson-Perez, director of the Older Individuals Who Are Blind Technical Assistance Center at the NRTC at Mississippi State University goes over the purpose and activities of the center and the "Time To Be Bold" campaign, which is designed to make those, who are blind and visually impaired, aware of free services available in their respective states.
8/8/2021 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| American Printing House For The Blind (Louisville, KY) |
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| Dr. Bryan Shaw (Baylor University - Waco, TX) |
Jayma Hawkins , American Printing House For The Blind National Prison Braille Senior Director and Christine Genovely, Prison Braille Coordinator, discuss a collaboration between APH and Dolly Parton Imagination Library called Braille Tales, which provides free print/Braille books to children, who are blind or visually impaired.
Then, Dr. Bryan Shaw, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Baylor University, talks about the CRADLE White Eye Detector App, which identifies leukocoria that can lead to retinoblastoma and other eye disorders.
July 18 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| Dr. Bryan Shaw (Baylor University - Waco, TX) |
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| Dr. Calvin Roberts (Lighthouse Guild - New York, NY) |
Dr. Bryan Shaw, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Baylor University, explains how the tongue is an excellent tactile sensor and gelatin and resin protein molecule models, which blind chemistry students use to conceptualize images.
Then, Dr. Calvin Roberts of New York's Lighthouse Guild discusses cataracts, how they form, and the surgery to replace cataracts.
6/20/2021 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| Dr. Raymond Stein (Bochner Eye Institute - Toronto, ON) |
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| Dr. Ruchira Singh (University of Rochester Flaum Eye Institute - Rochester, NY) |
Dr. Raymond Stein, medical director at Toronto's Bochner Eye Institute, discusses a new corneal laser used to treat those afflicted with late stage dry and wet age-related macular degeneration.
Then, Dr. Ruchira Stein, assistant professor of ophthalmology at University of Rochester's Flaum Eye Institute, explains the findings from a 3D human retina lab model that mimics the effects of macular degeneration.
6/6/2021 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| Dr. Cynthia Owsley (University of Alabama at Birmingham - Birmingham, AL) |
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| Dr. Bartosz Chmielowski (University of California at Los Angeles - Los Angeles, CA) |
Dr. Cynthia Owsley, Nathan E. Miles Chair of Ophthalmology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, discusses the Alabama VIP Older Driver Study, which used unobtrusive sensors and cameras in vehicles to link older drivers' visual impairment to at-fault traffic accidents.
Then, Dr. Bartosz Chmielowski, an assistant clinical professor of hematology and medical oncology at UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, explains a drug, tebentafusp, that could be used to be treat uveal melanoma, a form of eye cancer.
5/23/2021 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| Dr. Kevin Chan (NYU Langone Health - New York, NY) |
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| Dr. Michael Kass (Washington University School of Medicine - St. Louis, MO) |
Dr. Kevin Chan, an assistant professor of ophthalmology and radiology, at NYU Langone Health in New York, discusses a compound called citicoline, which contains choline, that has proven to assist rats to regain nerve connection between the brain and the eye in treating glaucoma.
Then, Dr. Michael Kass, the Bernard Becker Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, goes over the results of the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study, which purpose was to determine how necessary treatment for elevated eye pressure was to prevent vision loss from glaucoma.
5/9/2021 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| Dr. Gina Wesley (Complete Eye Care of Medina - Medina, MN) |
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| Dr. Jerry Legerton (Innovega, Inc. - Bellevue, WA/San Diego, CA) |
Dr. Gina Wesley, an optometrist, at Minnesota's Complete Eye Care of Medina discusses presbyopia, its traditional treatments, and new eye drops used to treat it.
Then, Dr. Jerry Legerton, Chief Clinical and Regulatory Officer and Co-Founder of Innovega, Inc., explains three new patent applications for novel extended reality eyewear with features for those with sensory impairment.
4/25/2021 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| Audra Muslow (Louisiana Association for the Blind - Shreveport, LA) |
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| Dr. Arsham Sheybani (Washington University - St. Louis, MO) |
Audra Muslow , Vice President of Community Services, of Louisiana Association for the Blind in Shreveport, explains the Sunu Band, which is a smart band that protects the head and upper body by giving warnings through vibrations, when objects get too close. Muslow also explains L.A.B.'s partnership to distribute the Sunu band throughout five states, including Tennessee and Mississippi.
Then, Dr. Arsham Sheybani, an associate professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at Washington University in St. Louis discusses treating glaucoma during the COVID-19 pandemic, the selective laser trabeculectomy (SLT) procedure, and the XEN.
4/11/2021 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| Dr. Dimitrios Karamichos (University of North Texas Health Science Center - Fort Worth, TX) |
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| Dr. Amir Kashani (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine - Baltimore, MD) |
Dr. Dimitrios Karamichos of the University of North Texas Eye Research Institute discusses keratoconus and its prevalence among those afflicted with Down Syndrome.
Dr. Amir Kashani of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine explains how abnormal blood flow in retinal capillaries can be an early indicator of a genetic form of Alzheimer's disease.
4/4/2021 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| Dr. Derrick Smith (University of Alabama in Huntsville - Huntsville, AL) |
Dr. Derrick Smith of the University of Alabama in Huntsville's STEM-VI Research Laboratory discusses the purpose of the lab, which is to focus on STEM education for those with visual impairment. He also goes into detail about UAH's research and development in the Accessible Graphics Corsortium (AGC), which deals with tactile graphics.
March 21 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| Mike May (GoodMaps - Louisville, KY) |
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| Dr. Stephen Strittmatter (Yale School of Medicine - New Haven, CT) |
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| Dr. Jose-Alain Sahel (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine - Pittsburgh, PA) |
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| STRAP Device (STRAP Technologies - Austin, TX) |
Dr. Jose-Alain Sahel, chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, discusses a collaboration between the FDA and Pitt to come up with scientific innovations to stop the spread of visual impairment.
Then, Diego Roel, CEO of STRAP Technologies, explains the STRAP device, which is a hands-free devices strapped to the chest using audio signals to alert users to obstacles and dangers.
2/7/2021 Podcast (Click Image Below)
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| Megan Aragon (American Foundation for the Blind - Dallas, TX) |
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| Dr. George King (Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical Center - Boston, MA) |
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| Dr. Penny Asbell (University of Tennessee Health Science Center - Memphis, TN) |
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| Zeiss UVClean (Zeiss Vision Care) |