Glaucoma Research Foundation kicks off global virtual series
On Saturday, January 23, the Glaucoma Research Foundation kicked off Glaucoma 360, a series of events focused on glaucoma research and development, with the Glaucoma Symposia CME.
This year, the Glaucoma 360 programs switched to a virtual platform in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although a highlight of the meeting in past years was the face-to-face interactions it facilitated, this year’s virtual program provides the opportunity for ophthalmologists to witness the meeting, who may not have been able to travel to an in-person event.
“We’re thrilled to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Glaucoma 360 and the New Horizons Forum,” said Dr Adrienne Graves, Glaucoma 360 Co-founder. “This will be our first virtual program, an opportunity to reach a truly global audience. Attendees will see that innovation in glaucoma has flourished in 2020, some of it spurred and accelerated by the changing environment. We’ll hear about innovation from entrepreneurs, scientists, industry, FDA, and investors. We’re excited to showcase promising advances and technologies in a number of areas, including vision restoration, virtual reality, AI, telemedicine, and genetics.”
After attending many virtual meetings this past year, many ophthalmologists are left wondering what the future of in-person medical meetings will look like in a post-COVID world. For the co-founders of Glaucoma 360, the goal is to give their attendees options.
“We hope that in 2022 we will be able to hold an in-person meeting,” said Dr Andrew Iwach, Glaucoma 360 Co-founder. “However, we also plan to maintain a virtual component going forward building on our work and lessons learned preparing for the 2021 Glaucoma 360 meeting. This will apply not only to the New Horizons meeting but to the Glaucoma 360 CME and CE programs as well.”
The Glaucoma 360 Virtual Annual Gala will be held Friday, January 29, and the New Horizons Forum is scheduled for Saturday, January 30.
