Celebrating 48 Years of Preserving, Protecting & Restoring Sight

Faculty, alumni and guests of the USC Roski Eye Institute gathered Saturday, June 15, 2024, to celebrate 48 years of excellence in ophthalmic care. The symposium offered attendees the latest updates on ophthalmic best practices, recently approved therapies for eye diseases and research on potential future treatments.

The annual symposium at the Aresty Conference Center on the USC Health Sciences Campus provided opportunities for in-person interactions among colleagues and friends.

“The Annual Symposium is a great venue for us to showcase the innovative work being done at the USC Roski Eye Institute,” said J. Martin Heur, MD, PhD, Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology.

• Paul P. Lee, MD, JD, received the 2024 Narsing A. Rao MD Endowed Lecture Award for his groundbreaking research in surgical management of glaucoma-related health economics and patient education and its impact on quality of care, health policy, and utilization.
• Stephen D. McLeod, MD, received the 2024 Laureate Award for his groundbreaking clinical research in the study of improved strategies for diagnosis and management of eye infections, as well as the development of advanced cataract and refractive surgery technology.
• Dale K. Heuer, MD, received the Distinguished Alumnus Award in recognition of his dedicated service and commitment to excellence in resident and fellow education.

Highlighted topics included: Health Care Delivery in the Safety Net; Telehealth and Its Role for Screening; an Ophthalmology Advocacy Update; an Update on Neovascular AMD Management; Novel Strategies for the Treatment of Atrophic AMD; Gene Therapy for Reginal Disease; Macular Telangiectasia; Artificial Intelligence and Implications for Glaucoma Care; Alternative Biomarkers for Glaucoma Detection; Neuroprotection in Glaucoma; and Disparities in Glaucoma Care in the U.S.

This year’s speakers included guest faculty from across the country including: David Boyer, MD; Jiun Do, MD, PhD; Lauren Daskivich, MD, MSHS; Firas Rahhal, MD; and Brandon Wong, MD. USC Roski Eye Institute and CHLA faculty who presented included Angela Buffenn, MD, MPH; Sun Young Lee, MD, PhD; Andrew Moshfeghi, MD, MBA; Aaron Nagiel, MD, PhD; Angeline Nguyen, MD; Van Nguyen, MD, Brian Song, MD, MPH; Brian Toy, MD; and Benjamin Xu, MD, PhD.