Saving Vision and Treating Ocular Disease - World Medical Innovation Forum

According to the World Health Organization, over 2.2 billion people globally experience vision impairment. Among the leading causes of blindness are age related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, cataract, glaucoma, and inherited retinal diseases. In recent years, emerging treatments—from pharmacologic agents and genetic or cell-based therapies to advanced imaging, surgical innovations, and AI—have begun to transform how these conditions are diagnosed and managed. This panel will explore the current landscape of vision science innovation, examine barriers to implementation, and identify the most promising therapeutic pathways poised to reduce global blindness over the next decade.

Moderator

Rishi Singh MD

Chair of Ophthalmology Mass General Brigham

Speakers

Petr Baranov, MD, PhD,

Assistant Scientist, Mass Eye and Ear;

Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School

Reza Dana MD

Director, Innovation Programs Mass Eye and Ear

Claes H. Dohlman Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School

Erin Kimbrel, PhD

Executive Director, Regenerative Medicine, Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine

Nazlee Zebardast, MD,

Medical Director, Glaucoma Imaging, Mass Eye and Ear;

Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School