Concepts and Breakthroughs in Glaucoma - This proposal seeks support for students and junior investigators (travel awardees) to attend the 2025 International Society for Eye Research (ISER)/BrightFocus Foundation (BFF) glaucoma meeting titled Concepts and Breakthroughs in Glaucoma to be held October 8th-11th, 2025 at the Emory Conference Center and Hotel in in Atlanta, Georgia. As in past meetings, our goal is to bring together basic scientists, clinician-scientists, students and fellows for presentations and in-depth discussions on recent exciting research advances and developments in the molecular mechanisms underlying glaucomatous pathology, both in the conventional outflow tract and the optic nerve head. We have already recruited three thought leaders in glaucoma to deliver keynote lectures. As in past meetings, platform sessions will be selected exclusively from submitted abstracts, with one session reserved for travel awardees. We are also organizing again a one-day crash course in glaucoma for people newcomers to the field and students/junior investigators, consistent with our goal of increasing young scientist participation. The Specific Aims of the conference are to: 1. Enhance the emerging careers of at least 30 young investigators working in glaucoma research by providing travel awards. 2. Provide a forum for the dissemination of the most recent advances in glaucoma research. 3. Create an environment that facilitates the exchange of novel ideas among basic and clinician-scientists, fostering opportunities for collaboration among vision scientists with multiple scientific expertise. 4. Bring together scientists working in disparate areas of glaucoma research. We anticipate that this meeting will provide state-of-the-art information on recent advances in glaucoma and serve as an important resource for those involved in the translation of these findings into novel therapeutics. The conference will also provide new opportunities, avenues for new discovery, and a forum to develop potential collaborations among the attendees. The requested funds will support the travel, accommodation and registration of at least 30 trainees to attend this focused meeting.
