Fall 2025 Symposium

Opening Remarks & Expression of Gratitude

• Shahzad I. Mian, MD ।Chair, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan Medical Group
• S. Robert Levine, MD ।Founder and CEO, Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative (MTM Vision)

Listening to the Community

Perspective:

• Emily Coles ।MTM Vision, Volunteer, person with Type 1 diabetes
  • “Life With Diabetes: A Cliff-Hanger”
• Angela Elam, MD, MPH ।Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual
• Sciences, University of Michigan
  • “The Key Ingredient: Community Engagement”
• Q&A – Discussion/Panel:
  • Candyce Norris Jenkins ।The Diabetic Mom CoachTM, Person with Type 1 Diabetes
  • Adam Leone, MPH ।MD-MPH Class of 2026, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Translating Science to Clinical Care for Diabetic Retinal Disease (DRD)

• MTM Vision Update: Jennifer Sun, MD, MPH ।Scientific Co-Director, MTM Vision
• Perspective:
  • Kai Riecke, PhD ।Experimental Medicine, Bayer
    • What Can We Learn From “Negative” Studies? The Importance of Developing Novel Primary Endpoints for Registration Trials
• Malvina Eydelman, MD ।CEO, Collaborative Community on Ophthalmic Innovation (CCOI)
  • Role of CCOI In Facilitating Ophthalmic Innovation, Collaboration, and Development of New Regulatory Pathways to Accelerate New Drug and Device Development
• Lloyd Paul Aiello MD, PhD ।Charles Webster Downer Professorship of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School; Director, Beetham Eye Institute, Joslin Diabetes Center
  • Building an Evidence Case and Consensus Around Retinal Nonperfusion
• Chris German, PhD ।Chair, MTM Vision Lay Advisory Board
  • Patient Role in Accelerating Clinical Adoption of Advances

Q&A – Discussion/Panel

Identifying Biomarkers and New Targets Through Study of Human Samples

• MTM Vision Update: Patrice Fort, PhD ।Director, MTM Vision Ocular Biorepository & Resource Center
• Perspectives:
  • Remko Bakker, PhD ।Director of CardioMetabolic Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
    • (Redacted due to proprietary data)
  • George King, MD।Senior Investigator and Chief Scientific Officer, Joslin Diabetes Center; Thomas J. Beatson, Jr. Professor of Medicine in the Field of Diabetes, Harvard Medical School
    • Process and Resources for Target Identification and Drug Development
  • Leo Kim, MD, PhD ।Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, the Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School; RPB-Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative Physician-Scientist Awardee
    • Role of RUNX1 in Diabetic Retinopathy
• Q&A – Discussion/Panel

Building Multisource, Multimodal Large Language Foundational Models for DRD

Assessment and Risk Stratification

• MTM Vision Update: S. Robert Levine, MD ।Founder and CEO, MTM Vision
• Perspectives:
  • Ali Tafreshi।CEO & President, Topcon Healthcare
    • Democratizing Data to Accelerate Code-To-Clinic Innovation
  • Brian Athey, PhD ।Chair, Gilbert S. Omenn Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan
  • Developing Large Foundation Models for DRD
• Q&A – Discussion/Panel

https://youtu.be/kKZuTNXq6L0?si=xnjfZycj_ iVVAW8E

Fashion Funds Science

• MTM Vision Update: Eric Carlson ।Founder, The Carlson Company, Social Impact & Media, Award Winning Documentary and Film Producer
• Interviewer: Dorene Markel, MS, MHSA ।Senior Advisor, MTM Vision
  • Special Guest Interview: Elyce Arons, Co-Founder & CEO of Kate Spade and Frances Valentine
    • “Mary Collection” Supporting MTM Vision

Hot Topics:

• Moderator: Julie M. Rosenthal, MD, MS ।Clinical Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
  • Tien-En Tan, MBBS(Hons), MMed(Ophth), FRCOphth, FAMS ।Clinical Assistant Professor, SingHealth Duke-NUS Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Program
    • (Redacted due to proprietary data)
  • Jeff Goldberg, MD, PhD ।Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology at the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University
    • (Redacted due to proprietary data)
  • Henar Albertos-Arranz, PhD ।Senior Research Associate at The Bascom Palmar Eye Institute
    • Neuronal Degeneration and Glial Activation in theAbsence of Vascular Changes in Human Retinas of Patients with Diabetes

Future Directions: Restoring Vision in DRD

• Moderator: Thomas Gardner, MD, MS ।Science Co-Director, MTM Vision
• Perspectives:
  • Leonard Levin, MD, PhD ।Professor, Departments of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University
    • (Redacted due to proprietary data)
  • Stephen Tsang, MD, PhD ।Laszlo Z. Bito Professor of Ophthalmology; Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
    • Curing Dry AMD With Stem Cells
• Q&A – Discussion/Panel

Cross-Sector Collaborations & Consortia can Accelerate Path to Improved Vision Outcomes

• Moderator: Marianne Laouri, PhD ।Global Brand Head, Retina Health, Boehringer Ingelheim
  • Importance of Efforts in the Pre-Competitive Space to Better Understand the Pathophysiology and Progression of DRD and Accelerate Progress
• Perspectives:
  • Fabio Baschiera, PharmD, PhD ।Associate Head of Medicine – Eye Health, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals
    • The BRIDGE Study Group: Consensus in the Selection of a Group of Structural and Functional Endpoints with Clinical Relevance in Ischemic Eye Disease.
  • Aude Couturier, MD, PhD ।Professor, Dept of Ophthalmology, Université Paris Cité
    • EVIRED Role in Understanding the Natural History of DRD
• Q&A – Discussion/Panel: Academia, Pharma, and Device Companies Coming Together in Shared Purpose
  • Luis Lesmes, PhD ।Chief Executive Officer, Adaptive Sensory Technology
  • Dina Dubey, MS, PLD ।Chief Executive Officer, LKC Technologies
  • Ian McMillen ।VP of Sales and Marketing, Konan Medical USA, INC.

4:15 Summation and Next Steps

• Moderator: Lloyd Paul Aiello, MD, PhD ।Charles Webster Downer Professorship of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School; Director, Beetham Eye Institute, Joslin Diabetes Center
• MTM Vision Leadership Team Panel
  • S. Robert Levine, MD ।Founder and CEO, MTM Vision
  • Jennifer Sun, MD, MPH ।Scientific Co-Director, MTM Vision
  • Thomas Gardner, MD, MS ।Science Co-Director, MTM Vision
  • Patrice Fort, PhD ।Director, MTM Vision Ocular Biorepository & Resource Center