AMD Researcher Showcases Work at ARVO 2025 with Fighting Blindness Award
Fighting Blindness recognises the vital role of supporting the next generation of researchers and clinicians working to prevent and treat conditions of sight loss.
Through our Career Development Awards, launched in 2022, Fighting Blindness provides early to mid-career researchers with opportunities for attending networking events, training, and international collaborations. A key feature of this funding scheme is its strong focus on Public and Patient Involvement (PPI). People living with sight loss play an active role in the review process through the Fighting Blindness PPI Review Panel, assisting in the selection of successful applications.
Dr Sarah Palko, a Post-Doctoral Researcher at Trinity College Dublin, was a recipient of a 2024 Career Development Award to attend the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Meeting 2025 from 4 – 8 May in Salt Lake City, Utah. With around 11,000 participants this year, ARVO is the largest global gathering of vision researchers, offering a unique opportunity for collaboration and exchange of knowledge.
Dr Palko told Fighting Blindness how the award has proven to be beneficial to both her professional development and the advancement of her research. “Attending ARVO was a pivotal experience in my development as a researcher,” she explained. Presenting her work during a poster session allowed her to share findings with an international audience, gain valuable feedback, and spark new research ideas.
Dr Palko presented her current research focusing on neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), also known as Wet AMD, a leading cause of progressive blindness. While current treatments for nAMD have been revolutionary in slowing disease progression, they do not cure vision loss.
Current available treatments often work by blocking a protein called VEGF, which plays a role in the growth of leaky blood vessels in the back of the eye. Scarring is a complication that affects around 45% of patients with nAMD and is a key reason why these treatments can be less effective. Her work aims to investigate if blocking VEGF together with another protein involved in blood vessel growth, known as Ang2, can reduce scarring in nAMD, and what the mechanism behind this improvement could be.
The ARVO meeting provided the perfect platform to deepen this work. Dr Palko noted that the chance to connect with peers and senior researchers was invaluable:
These conversations not only deepened my understanding of the field but also sparked new ideas and potential directions for future research.
She also highlighted the empowering impact of representation at the conference:
As a woman in science, participating in ARVO was especially empowering. Seeing diverse representation among speakers and attendees and engaging in sessions on gender equity and leadership reinforced the importance of inclusivity in research.
Overall, her participation in ARVO 2025 has helped to expand her network, strengthen her research, and boost her confidence in communicating science on a global stage. Dr Palko reflected:
ARVO 2025 significantly enriched my scientific knowledge, expanded my professional network, and affirmed my role within the broader research community. It was a meaningful step forward in both my career development and my journey as a woman in science.
By supporting researchers like Dr Palko with Career Development Awards, Fighting Blindness aim to advance cutting-edge research with real potential to improve outcomes for patients living with sight loss, while also building research capacity in Ireland.
Once again, Fighting Blindness want to congratulate Dr Sarah Palko for receiving this award and highlight the importance of her research for the vision loss community. We look forward to learning more about her exciting research!
You can find out more about the Career Development Award 2024 recipients here.
Fighting Blindness are currently accepting applications for the Career Development Awards 2025!
To learn more and apply please click here.
Deadline for submissions: 5pm, 6th October 2025!