33rd Biennial Cornea Conference - Abstract Funds are requested to support trainee participation at the 33rd Biennial Cornea Conference to be held at the Champalimaud Foundation in Lisbon, Portugal on October 4-5, 2024. The program for the conference was developed by the co-chairs Dr. Ula Jurkunas, MD, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Reza Dana, MD, MPH, Claes H. Dohlman Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, and an organizing committee of 27 experts in the field of Cornea from around the world. The program builds on the success of the previous 32 conferences, first started in the 1960s, but moves the conference to Europe for the first time in its history. Though there are large conferences that US trainees attend in the states, this conference is focused on the subspecialty of Cornea and its European location will expose them to even more experts from around Europe and Asia. Despite advancements in the field, corneal disease and blindness remain common causes of vision loss and impairment worldwide and across all age groups. It is imperative to better understand the mechanisms behind corneal disease development and to develop new methods of diagnosis and treatment. The goals of this conference are to create an opportunity for discussion and for the formation of collaborations aimed at elucidating the mechanisms that underlie the development of various ocular surface and corneal diseases, and to provide trainees in the field an opportunity to present their research and meet leaders in the field. Sessions on the ocular surface, the endothelium & Fuchs dystrophy, stroma/regenerative therapies, transplantation & eye banking, and innovation and new technologies are planned. Though panelists are still being determined by the committee, panel discussions on controversies in corneal pathobiology, and innovation & new technologies have been planned. We anticipate at least 70 poster presentations that will allow trainees the opportunity to present their research to all conference attendees, receive immediate feedback, and engage leading experts in cornea in conversation over their work. As is tradition, the conference honors an accomplished physician scientist and a scientist with the two named lectures. Dr. Carlos Belmonte, MD, PhD will give the Claes H. Dohlman Lecture and Dr. Victor Perez, MD, will give the J. Wayne Streilein Lecture. The anticipated attendance for the conference is 250 physicians, scientists, and trainees. We intend to provide travel awards to attract graduate students and fellows and will make every attempt to make the conference free of charge for all trainees.
