"Concepts and Breakthroughs in Glaucoma" Conference

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Summary This proposal seeks support for students and junior investigators (travel awardees) to attend the 2021 Inter- national Society for Eye Research (ISER)-BrightFocus Foundation (BFF) glaucoma meeting titled "Concepts and Breakthroughs in Glaucoma" to be held October 6th-9th, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia at the Emory Conference Center and Hotel. As was the case for the 2017 and 2019 meetings, our goal is to bring together basic scientists, clinician-scientists, students and fellows for presentations and in-depth discussions on recent excit- ing research advances and developments in molecular mechanisms underlying glaucomatous pathology, in both the conventional outflow tract and the optic nerve head. Additionally, novel technologies developed: (i) to diagnose and monitor disease progression, (ii) to modify/restore glaucomatous dysfunction, and (iii) to regen- erate damaged cells/tissues will be presented. We have already recruited 5 thought leaders in glaucoma to give keynote lectures at the conference. As with the 2017 and 2019 meetings, the platform sessions will be selected exclusively from submitted abstracts. We have reserved one platform session for travel awardees and we are again putting on a one-day "crash course" in glaucoma for people new to glaucoma and stu- dents/junior investigators, consistent with our goal of increasing participation of young scientists. ISER and BFF have an established history of promoting diversity, and the selected speakers (from abstracts) will repre- sent a diverse group of scientists that includes women and members of historically underrepresented groups. The Specific Aims of the conference are to: 1. Enhance the emerging careers of at least 30 young investigators working in glaucoma research, including women and members of underrepresented groups, by providing travel awards. 2. Provide a forum for the dissemination of the most recent advances in glaucoma research. 3. Create an environment that will facilitate the exchange of novel ideas among basic and clinician scientists, and which will generate the opportunity for vision scientists with diverse personal and scientific back- grounds to meet and establish research collaborations. 4. Bring together scientists working in disparate areas of glaucoma research. We anticipate that this meeting will provide state-of-the-art information on recent advances in glaucoma and will serve as an important resource for those involved in the translation of these findings into novel therapeu- tics. This conference will also provide new opportunities, avenues for new discovery, and a forum to develop potential collaborations among the attendees. The requested funds will support the travel, accommodation and registration of 18 students (pre- and postdoctoral) and 12 junior investigators who otherwise would not have the resources to attend this focused meeting.