What Is Geographic Atrophy?
Produced in collaboration with the American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF)
Supported by an educational grant from Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Join Matthew Levine, the Grants, Advocacy, and Partnerships Director for the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, along with an ophthalmologist, a research scientist, and a patient for a free 1-hour interactive presentation: “Living with Geographic Atrophy: What Can I Do for My Vision?” These expert panelists will help you understand the pathophysiology of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and geographic atrophy (GA) and the importance of monitoring your vision at home. The panel will also discuss ways to reduce the initial risk of both these conditions, slow progression, and, importantly, maintain quality of life. The panelists also review different treatment options, strategies to discuss treatment with your care team, and the potential benefits of joining a clinical trial.
Other topics explored:
- Symptoms of early AMD and progression
- Why early detection is important
- Who is at risk of AMD?
- Wet vs dry AMD and GA
- Progression of GA secondary to AMD
- Systemic disease management, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, depression
- Mobility and independence
- Home safety
- Addressing modifiable risk factors
Click here for a transcript of the program.
Chapters
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Hope for the Future: Emerging Treatments for GA
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Working with My Eye Doctor Toward the Best Possible Outcome
Speakers
Rishi Singh, MD
Matthew Levine
Preeti Subramanian, PhD
Liz
Jill
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Joseph
Rishi Singh, MD
Staff Physician, Cleveland Clinic Florida
President, Cleveland Clinic Martin Health
Rishi Singh, MD, is a staff surgeon at the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic and Professor of Ophthalmology at the Lerner College of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. Also, he serves as the medical director of informatics at the Cleveland Clinic. He specializes in the treatment of medical and surgical retinal disease such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Dr. Singh has authored more than 200 peer reviewed publications and serves as the principal investigator of numerous clinical trials advancing the treatment of retinal disease. Dr. Singh is the former president on the Retina World Congress and is on the board of the American Society of Retina Specialists. Dr. Singh has been honored with several research recognitions such as the Alpha Omega Alpha Research Award.
Matthew Levine
Grants, Advocacy and Partnerships Director, American Macular Degeneration Foundation
Matthew Levine is the grants, advocacy, and partnerships director of the American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF) in Northampton, Massachusetts. For the past 18 years, his professional career has been in the nonprofit, vision research grantmaking community, working with thought leaders and researchers to advance solutions for those affected by vision loss and blindness. Previously, at Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., Matthew directed marketing and communications activities accompanying the distribution of more than $120 million to vision researchers. He has worked with chairs of departments of ophthalmology, research directors, scientists, and colleagues at other foundations to develop programs that empower those affected by loss-of-sight to lead fulfilling lives.
Preeti Subramanian, PhD
Director of Scientific Programs, Vision Science
BrightFocus Foundation
Preeti Subramanian, PhD, is the Director of Scientific Programs for Vision Science, overseeing the macular degeneration and glaucoma research programs at BrightFocus Foundation. She received her PhD in Biochemistry, identifying a novel role for bioactive sphingolipid ceramide 1 phosphate (C1P) in mediating inflammation. Before joining BrightFocus, Dr. Subramanian was a research scientist at the National Eye Institute (NEI) of the NIH for ten plus years, where she was identifying and studying potential therapeutic agents for diseases involving RPE oxidative stress (e.g., age-related macular degeneration). She has published more than 15 peer-reviewed articles in prestigious archival journals including Journal of Biological Chemistry and Investigative Ophthalmology of Visual Science.
Liz
Retiree with Advanced AMD
Liz always was – and to some extent, still is – an active, independent person who enjoys life. She has lived with AMD for the past eighteen years, having been diagnosed with early AMD in her early 60’s. For the first 12 years, the only real difficulty she experienced was sometimes reading smaller print. Six years ago, that began to change when she started developing advanced AMD. Now, she has both forms, geographic atrophy and wet AMD, and can no longer do some of the things she used to do. Still, she can continue many activities, although sometimes differently or with a bit of help. Her eyesight may not be the same and her life has changed, but both are vastly better than they would have been even a few years ago thanks to all the amazing research that is being done on AMD.
Jill
Patient with AMD/GA
Joseph
Support Person/Husband
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Rishi Singh, MD
Staff Physician, Cleveland Clinic Florida
Rishi Singh, MD, is a staff surgeon at the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic and Professor of Ophthalmology at the Lerner College of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. Also, he serves as the medical director of informatics at the Cleveland Clinic. He specializes in the treatment of medical and surgical retinal disease such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Dr. Singh has authored more than 200 peer reviewed publications and serves as the principal investigator of numerous clinical trials advancing the treatment of retinal disease. Dr. Singh is the former president on the Retina World Congress and is on the board of the American Society of Retina Specialists. Dr. Singh has been honored with several research recognitions such as the Alpha Omega Alpha Research Award.
President, Cleveland Clinic Martin Health -
Matthew Levine
Grants, Advocacy and Partnerships Director, American Macular Degeneration Foundation
Matthew Levine is the grants, advocacy, and partnerships director of the American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF) in Northampton, Massachusetts. For the past 18 years, his professional career has been in the nonprofit, vision research grantmaking community, working with thought leaders and researchers to advance solutions for those affected by vision loss and blindness. Previously, at Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., Matthew directed marketing and communications activities accompanying the distribution of more than $120 million to vision researchers. He has worked with chairs of departments of ophthalmology, research directors, scientists, and colleagues at other foundations to develop programs that empower those affected by loss-of-sight to lead fulfilling lives. -
Preeti Subramanian, PhDM
Director of Scientific Programs, Vision Science
Preeti Subramanian, PhD, is the Director of Scientific Programs for Vision Science, overseeing the macular degeneration and glaucoma research programs at BrightFocus Foundation. She received her PhD in Biochemistry, identifying a novel role for bioactive sphingolipid ceramide 1 phosphate (C1P) in mediating inflammation. Before joining BrightFocus, Dr. Subramanian was a research scientist at the National Eye Institute (NEI) of the NIH for ten plus years, where she was identifying and studying potential therapeutic agents for diseases involving RPE oxidative stress (e.g., age-related macular degeneration). She has published more than 15 peer-reviewed articles in prestigious archival journals including Journal of Biological Chemistry and Investigative Ophthalmology of Visual Science.
BrightFocus Foundation -
Liz
Retiree with Advanced AMD
Liz always was – and to some extent, still is – an active, independent person who enjoys life. She has lived with AMD for the past eighteen years, having been diagnosed with early AMD in her early 60’s. For the first 12 years, the only real difficulty she experienced was sometimes reading smaller print. Six years ago, that began to change when she started developing advanced AMD. Now, she has both forms, geographic atrophy and wet AMD, and can no longer do some of the things she used to do. Still, she can continue many activities, although sometimes differently or with a bit of help. Her eyesight may not be the same and her life has changed, but both are vastly better than they would have been even a few years ago thanks to all the amazing research that is being done on AMD. -
Jill
Patient with AMD/GA
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Joseph
Support Person/Husband
