BroadEye: An Ophthalmology Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In the exciting launch of Season 2 of the Broad Eye podcast, we explore the latest developments in eye care and share our personal journeys over the past couple of years. This season will focus on highlighting inspiring individuals and organizations that are making significant strides in ophthalmology, aiming to bridge knowledge gaps and enhance access to eye health.   Bruno discusses his innovative project, "Eye Station," a free eye screening initiative located in a busy mall in Brazil, designed to provide easier access to eye care screenings and education for the public. This social project aims to bridge the gap in eye care accessibility that the public sector struggles to meet, allowing individuals to receive essential screenings without the barriers of cost or inconvenience.    Meanwhile, Shawn shares his involvement with several non-profit organizations, including the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) and the Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB), as well as his exciting new book project co-authored with Paralympic athlete and educator Victoria Nolan. This book aims to serve as a comprehensive resource for individuals newly diagnosed with vision loss, filling a crucial gap in available information.   Together, we reflect on our experiences and the challenges we've faced, setting the stage for a season filled with compelling stories and expert insights that underscore the transformative power of accessible eye health.

In this episode our guest is Dagmar Jamieson, a mentor and life coach at CNIB. We discuss the challenges in everyday life as a visually impaired person, how that affects our social skills, are there any professional limitations and how does Dagmar cope with all those challenges.

In this episode, Dr. Bill Stell gives a comprehensive overview of the most promising clinical research and potential treatments for inherited retinal diseases, including Retinitis Pigmentosa. Dr. Stell further explores avenues for retired researchers and clinicians to continue helping patients and mentoring young professionals. 

In this episode, Dr. Dennis Levi provides an in-depth overview of the causes and treatment options for patients with Amblyopia. Dr. Levi highlights how virtual reality and perceptual learning are becoming increasingly important in optimizing stereovision. 

In this episode, Dr. Mark Pennesi provides an overview of inherited retinal dystrophies and how CRISPR is being used to edit DNA in the eyes of patients. Dr. Pennesi further shares recent research findings from a clinical trial using CRISPR to treat patients with Leber Congenital Amaurosis. 

In this episode, Anthony Ferraro shares the story of his journey from being diagnosed with Leber Congenital Amaurosis — a rare and blinding eye disease — to training for the 2024 Paralympic Games. In recent years, Anthony has gained an incredible following on social media as an inspiring athlete, amateur musician, and overall beacon of positivity.

In this episode, Dr. Jacque Duncan provides an overview of how The Foundation Fighting Blindness is funding critical research that could impact millions of patients with inherited and degenerative retinal diseases. Dr. Duncan further describes her research focus which aims to preserve vision and stimulate visual function. 

In this episode, Ophthalmologist Dr. Allen Roth gives an overview of corneal disease management and how these practices have changed in recent years. Dr. Roth also discusses his role as President of The Cleveland Eye Bank Foundation, highlighting cutting-edge research supported by the Foundation and explaining how the community can get involved. 

Uncorrected refractive errors (i.e. myopia) represents almost half of the 2.2 billion people who are visually impaired worldwide. Dr. Cummings believes one of the best ways to address the problem is through refractive surgery. He founded The College of Refractive Surgery with the goal of helping more doctors, and bring the benefits of refractive surgery to more people.

Mr. Stenvers works as a Director at the Eye Care Foundation while also working for the International Council of Museums, advising at UNESCO World Heritage and teaching at the Amsterdam University of the Arts and the Presidential program for Ministers of RANEPA in Russia. In this episode, we discuss how those seemingly distant roles are actually somehow related, and the skills he acquired during the years are being used to help the +200 million people with visual disabilities in developing countries.