Advance Conference Program

All times shown are Eastern Standard Time (EST)

By attending this Conference, you will benefit from access to:

• Keynote speakers: Thought leaders sharing their learned experiences
• Lightning talks: Snippets of advice to develop your professional skills
• Educational sessions: In-depth discussions of specific competencies and skills
• Expert sessions: One-hour small group discussions on timely topics
• Résumé review sessions: Private one-on-one sessions with ARVO member experts to help improve your CV or résumé

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Wednesday, January 31

Opening Keynote: Leadership, Reinvented

9 - 10:15am

“Leadership, Reinvented goes beyond changing yourself and your organization — it calls for you and the people you lead to change the world, for good.” – Hamza Khan

To reinvent your organization, you must reinvent yourself as a leader. It's a complex and demanding process which requires operationalizing and maximizing the values of servitude, innovation, diversity and empathy. This Keynote will review these principles of Leadership, Reinvented and teach you how to incorporate these values in your journey to become a leader of the future.

• Welcome to the conference and Overview (Ngozi Chidi-Egboka, OD, MPH, PhD, The University of Sydney, Australia)
• Keynote (Hamza Khan, Award-winning keynote speaker and best selling author)

Lightning talks: Establishing yourself as a leader

Moderator: Jonathan Lin, BS, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
10:25 - 11:25am

Join us for an engaging session featuring a series of dynamic lightning talks that delve into crucial aspects of career development and leadership skills for researchers. This session is designed to provide valuable insights and practical tips for navigating the journey from mentee to mentor, honing your non-science or "soft" skills through peer feedback, building your personal brand as a leader both within and outside of the lab, effectively promoting your research group, and exploring the benefits of volunteering while learning how to find opportunities aligned with your interests.

• From mentee to mentor: resources to help with the transition (Abdelrahman "Adbel" Fouda, B.Pharm, PhD, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences)
• Creating your 'brand' as a leader in and outside of your lab (Kevin C. Chan, PhD, New York University)
• Promoting your lab: Creating and maintaining a public image (Ashok Kumar, PhD, Wayne State University) 
• Benefits of volunteering and how to find volunteer opportunities suited to you (Yanhui Ma, PhD, The Ohio State University)

Symposium: Leading a team

Moderator: Maria Vittoria Cicinelli, MD, San Raffaele Scientific Institute
11:35am - 12:35pm

This symposium aims to equip leaders with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate the complexities of team management, foster inclusivity and champion their teams to success. We will delve into critical aspects of leadership and team management. This session provides leaders with actionable insights and strategies to enhance team dynamics, implement Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) principles, and addresses challenges such as poor performance and conflict resolution. Whether you are an experienced leader or aspiring to take on a leadership role, this session will provide valuable insights to enhance your leadership journey.

• Implementing DEIA principles (Eisuke Shimizu, MD, PhD, Keio University)
• Managing poor performance (Raghu Krishnamoorthy, PhD, UNT Health Science Center)
• Mentoring and developing your team (Wolfgang Fink, PhD, University of Arizona
• Managing conflict (Zia Chaudhuri, MBBS, MS, FRCS, PhD, Lady Hardinge Medical College, University of Delhi)
• Championing your team members' accomplishments (R.V. Paul Chan, MD, MSc, FACS, University of Illinois)

Panel: Leading through difficult times

Moderator: Abdelrahman "Abdel" Fouda, B.Pharm, PhD, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
12:45 - 1:45pm

A distinguished panel of experts will share their experiences and strategies for leading through difficult times in the realm of academia and research. This panel discussion will address key challenges faced by researchers and leaders, offering valuable insights and practical advice on overcoming setbacks and maintaining momentum in the face of adversity. This panel discussion is an opportunity for researchers, academics and leaders to gain valuable insights into overcoming setbacks, adapting to change and thriving in the face of challenges.

• Overcoming a rejected grant application (Neeraj Agarwal, PhD, National Eye Institute/NIH)
• Pivoting when your study results are not as expected (Kaustabh Ghosh, PhD, UCLA and Doheny Eye Institute)
• Overcoming a rejected manuscript (Himal Kandel, PhD, The University of Sydney)
• Midlife researcher crisis: maintaining momentum, and coming up with new ideas (Alex Hui, OD, PhD, University of Waterloo)

Sessions with an Expert

1:55 - 2:55pm (Choose from the following sessions)

1. Diversifying your funding sources (Tonia Rex, PhD, Vanderbilt Eye Institute)
2. Joining a research consortium (session canceled)
3. Maintaining your team’s confidence when bad things happen (John S. Penn, PhD, FARVO, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine)

Résumé Review Sessions

3 - 4pm (Sign-up closed on Friday, Jan. 12)

Thursday, February 1

Résumé Review Sessions

9 - 10am (Sign-up closed on Friday, Jan. 12)

Sessions with an Expert

10:10 - 11:10am (Choose from the following sessions)

1. Transitioning from academia to industry (Ravi Metlapally, PhD, Director, Clinical Development Science, Apellis Pharmaceuticals)
2. Transitioning to policy making (Shefa D. Gordon, Associate Director for Science Policy and Legislation, National Eye Institute)
3. Transitioning to funding organizations (Diane Bovenkamp, PhD, Bright Focus Foundation)

Closing Keynote: Scientific leadership - Now and in the future

11:20am - 12:20pm

As we stand at the intersection of cutting-edge discoveries and technological advancements, this keynote aims to illuminate the crucial role that effective leadership plays in shaping the present and future landscape of ophthalmic research.

• Introduction of Keynote (Neha Sharma, BA, MPH, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine)
• Scientific leadership: Now and in the future (Francine Behar-Cohen, MD, PhD, FARVO, Hôpital Cochin, Inserm UMR1138)

Lightning Talks: Unlocking research success through innovation and collaboration

Moderator: Jonathan Lin, BS, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
12:40 - 1:40pm

This session is designed to provide a quick yet impactful exploration of diverse topics, ranging from the benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration to practical tips for introverted researchers to network effectively. Join us for a dynamic session where experts will share their experiences on leveraging AI for literature reviews, creating diagrams and figures using AI and making informed decisions about pursuing new funding opportunities.

• Networking for introverts (Misha Syed, MD, MEHP, UTMB Health)
• Using AI for literature reviews and summarizing research" (Ahmed Samir Alfaar, MBBCh, MD, MSc, Royal Liverpool University Hospital)
• Building diagrams and figures using AI (Ahmed Samir Alfaar, MBBCh, MD, MSc, Royal Liverpool University Hospital)
• New funding opportunities: Deciding whether it is worth the time to apply (Rajashekhar Gangaraju, PhD, FARVO, University of Tennessee, Health Science Center)

Workshop: Science Communications

Moderator: Stephanie L. Watson, MBBS, FRANZCO, PhD, FARVO, Save Sight Institute, University of Sydney
1:50 - 3:30pm

This workshop is a unique opportunity to enhance your communication skills across a spectrum of audiences. The communication landscape is changing in ways that offer unprecedented opportunities to communicate and connect with others, particularly those in the lay community. Whether you're sharing your work with the public, engaging with lawmakers, or seeking investor support, this workshop will equip you with practical tools and strategies to effectively communicate the value and significance of your scientific endeavors. Join us to cheer on your colleagues as they put these principles into action through sample presentations. 

• Communicating with the lawmakers [US] (Dan Ignaszewski, Executive Director, NAEVR/AEVR)
• Communicating with the public (Rebecca Hussain, RHMM INC)
• Communicating with investors: what to share and when (Grace C. Chang, MD, PhD, USC Roski Eye Institute, ClinEye Consulting LLC)
• Example presentations [scientific vs. public audiences] (Burak Mergen, MD; Maria Paulina Cabrera-Aguas, MBBS, MIPH, PhD)