RIWC24 Programme & Agenda

 

Programme Overview:

Please note that the agenda, timings, and speakers are subject to change.

A graphic of the agenda for RIWC24 - Wednesday, June 5: Meeting - Retina International Youth Council (invitation only). Evening event - Youth Council social event. Thursday, June 6: Meeting - Retina International Continuous Education Programme (invitation only). Evening event - Congress welcome reception. Friday, June 7: Meeting - RIWC Scientific Conference (ticketed event, 400+ delegates). Evening event - Speakers' Dinner. Saturday, June 8: Meeting - RIWC Public & Patient Engagement Day (ticketed event, 400+ delegates). Evening event - Gala Dinner.

Wednesday, June 5:

Meeting – Retina International Youth Council (invitation only). Evening event – Youth Council social event.

Thursday, June 6:

Meeting – Retina International Continuous Education Programme (invitation only). Evening event – Congress Welcome Reception.

Friday, June 7:

Meeting – Targeting the cure: the future of vision research (ticketed event, 400+ delegates). Evening event – Speakers’ Dinner.

Saturday, June 8:

Meeting – The cure is waiting: making it happen (ticketed event, 400+ delegates). Evening event – Gala Dinner.

Agenda Overview:

Please note that the agenda, timings, and speakers are subject to change.

Download a Word version of the agenda here.

Wednesday, June 5: Retina International Youth Council (invitation only)

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM Coffee & Tea, Introductions

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM Mindfulness Exercises

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Mental Health Open Discussions

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM Coffee & Tea Break

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Meet Researchers / Genetic Counselling / Navigation of Daily Life with Assistive Technology

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Lunch

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Viking Splash Tour

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Dance 4 All – Experience how inclusive dance expands all our horizons, learning and perspectives! Learn more here.

6:00 PM Dinner

Thursday, June 6: Retina International Youth Council (invitation only)

Retina International Continuous Education Programme (invitation only). Agenda to be forwarded directly to invitees.

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM – Welcome Reception – Higgins Suite. Ticketed Event.

Please contact riwc@fightingblindness.ie for further information relating to the Welcome Reception event.

Friday, June 7: Targeting the cure; the future of vision research

Location: Douglas Hyde Suite, Dublin Royal Convention Centre.

8:00 AM Registration opens at 8am with tea/coffee on arrival. Poster drop-off opens.

8:30 AM – 8:45 AM Opening Address: Targeting the Cure: Professor Jane Farrar & Mr. Franz Badura.

8:45 AM – 9:15 AM Keynote: Shared Vision: Academic-Patient Partnerships in Gene Therapy Research: Professor Jean Bennett.

9:15 AM – 11:00 AM Morning Session Theme: Therapeutic Development. Chair: Professor Jane Farrar.

9:15 AM – 9:30 AM Clinical trials for IRDs, Prof. Isabelle Audo.

9:30 AM – 9:45 AM Gene Editing for CEP290-related Retinal Dystrophy – Prof. Mark Pennesi, M.D., Ph.D.

9:45 AM – 10:00 AM CRISPR/Cas models for PRPF31-related IRDs – Dr. Leah Byrne.

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM Development of Patient care pathways of IRDs in Ireland. Opening door to Trials and Therapies. Professor David Keegan, on behalf of the Target 5000 team.

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM Retinal degenerations – elucidating genetics architecture and exploring gene therapies. Dr. Sophia Millington-Ward. Prof. Jane Farrar laboratory.

10:45 AM – 11:00 AM Retinal Dystrophy in Ciliopathies: using Animal Models to interpret Patient Mutations – Prof. Oliver Blacque laboratory.

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM Morning Coffee Break and Posters

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Mid-morning Session Theme Continued: Therapeutic Development – Chair: Prof. Oliver Blacque.

11:30 AM – 11:50 AM Gene Agnostic Therapeutic Approaches – Dr. Daniel C. Chung.

11:50 AM – 12:10 PM Pre-clinical drug screening for IRD and AMD using zebrafish – Prof. Breandán Kennedy laboratory.

12:10 PM – 12:30 PM Therapeutic target identification for degenerative eye disease – Prof. Sarah Doyle laboratory.

12:30 PM – 12:50 PM Gene therapy in children with severe retinal dystrophy associated with AIPL1 gene defects – Prof. Robin Ali.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Lunch, Exhibition and Posters

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Afternoon Session (A): IRD Genetic Architecture – Session Chair: Professor David Keegan.

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Genetic Architecture of Retinal Degenerations & Diagnostic Methods – Prof. Hélène Dollfus, Professor Bart Leroy & Professor Frans Cremers.

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Afternoon Session (B): Age-Related Macular Degeneration – Session Chair: Prof. Julie Silvestri.

3:00 PM – 3:20 PM Age-Related Macular Degeneration & A.I. – Dr. Tiarnán Keenan.

3:20 PM – 3:40 PM Outcome measures in retinal disease clinical trials – Dr. David Birch, Ph.D. – Retina Foundation of the Southwest

3:40 PM – 4:00 PM The inner retina in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – Dr. Jeffrey O’Callaghan,  Professor Matt Campbell laboratory.

4:00 PM – 4:15 PM Selected Oral Presentations.

  • Human retinal organoids as a testbed for assessment of AAV transduction efficiency and functionality – Teresa Rogler
  • Disrupted CSF-1R signalling: a potential mechanism for reticular pseudodrusen formation and increased inner retinal vascular permeability? – Avril Reddy
  • The Economic Impact of Inherited Retinal Diseases in the Netherlands; a Cost-of-Illness Study – Tom Denee

4:15 PM – 4:30 PM Evidence-based advocacy in Retinal degenerative Diseases – Dr Nabin Paudel.

4:30 PM – 4:45 PM Afternoon Coffee Break and Posters

4:45 PM – 5:45 PM Panel: High unmet medical needs in retinal degenerations. Opening remarks, Prof. Jean Bennett. Session Chair: Professor Bart Leroy. Panellists: Avril Daly, Todd Durham, PhD., Darrin Morrisey, Prof. Mark Pennesi, M.D., Ph.D., Dr. Daniel C. Chung.

5:45 PM – 6:00 PM Closing remarks

6:00 PM – 7:30 PM Emilie Conway Jazz Performance. For attendees of the Speakers Dinner Ticketed Event.

8:00 PM — 10:00 PM Speakers’ Dinner – Goldsmith Halls 1&2. Ticketed Event.

Please contact riwc@fightingblindness.ie for further information relating to the Speakers’ Dinner event.

Saturday, June 8: The cure is waiting – making it happen

Registration opens at 9am with tea/coffee on arrival. Location: Douglas Hyde Suite, Dublin Royal Convention Centre.

10:00 AM – 10:20 AM Opening address Mr. Franz Badura & Fighting Blindness Visionaries Choir performance

10:20 AM – 1:00 PM – Morning Session

10:20 AM – 10:40 AM Mental Health and Vision Loss, Dr. Paul Boskind.

10:40 AM – 11:40 AM Challenges & measuring value: What is valuable to patients (diagnosis and therapies). Chair: Dr. Elise Heon. Panel: Professor David Keegan, Prof. Julie Silvestri. with Russell Wheeler, Sylvia Cerolini and Daniela Brohlburg.

11:40 AM – 11:50 PM Selected Oral Presentations

  • Test-retest variability of mean sensitivity and volume sensitivity on microperimetry in patients with retinitis pigmentosa – Jessica S. Karuntu
  • Eyes on Education: Exploring the Impact of Visual Impairment on Academic Achievement in School Children – Dr Síofra Harrington

11:50 AM – 12:20 PM Morning Coffee Break and Posters

12:00 PM – 2:00 PM Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) Workshop, funded by the Health Research Board. Location – Goldsmith Hall 1.

Facilitators: Michael Foley & Dr. Cassandra Dinius. Panellists: Dr. Laurence Fitzhenry, Gillian Stafford & H Eric Hartman. The room location for this breakout session is Goldsmith Hall 1. Please note that spaces are limited. If you would be interested in attending this workshop, please email riwc@fightingblindness.ie.

12:20 PM – 12:40 PM Assistive Technologies – Blind Guys Chat Podcast: Live

12:40 PM – 1:00 PM Artificial Intelligence and the Retina – William Woof, PhD.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Lunch, Exhibition and Posters

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM 3 Parallel Sessions, Select 1:

Option 1) IRDs. Location – Douglas Hyde

Option 2) AMD. Location – Goldsmith Hall 2

Option 3) Spanish language session – Sesión de lengua española – Goldsmith Hall 1

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Afternoon Parallel Session Option 1: IRDs. Session Chair: Dr. James O’Byrne. Location – Douglas Hyde.

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Afternoon Parallel Session Option 2: AMD. Session Chair: Prof. Sarah Doyle. (Location – Goldsmith Hall 2).

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Afternoon Parallel Session Option 3: Spanish language session – Sesión de lengua española Chair: David Sanchez. Location: Goldsmith Hall 1.

  • 2:00 PM – 2:20 PM El diagnóstico genético en las Distrofias Hereditarias de Retina, cómo implementarlo Prof Carmen Ayuso García – Gene testing in Inherited Retinal Dystrophies, how to implement it.
  • 2:20 PM – 2:40 PM Distrofia hereditaria de la retina por mutaciones del gen IMPG2, Prof Isabel Pinilla Lozano – Inherited Retinal Dystrophy due to IMPG2 gene mutations
  • 2:20 PM – 2:40 PM Distrofias Retinianas en Panamá: Camino a seguir, Dr Juan Manuel Muñoz – Retinal Dystrophies in Panama: The way forward.

3:00 PM – 3:45 PM Afternoon Coffee Break and Posters

3:45 PM – 4:15 PM Closing Address, Professor Bart Leroy.

 

8:00 PM — 11:00 PM End of Conference Gala Dinner – Douglas Hyde Suites 1&2. Ticketed event.

If you have any queries concerning the Retina International World Congress, please contact us by emailing riwc@fightingblindness.ie.

We look forward to welcoming you to Dublin!