Therapeutics London 2018

Vision and visual-motor problems are commonly caused by neurologic disease. These two lectures provide an anatomically-guided and case-based approach to disorders of the pre-chiasmal, chiasmal and retro-chiasmal visual pathways. Included within the lecture is an overview of the neuroimaging techniques required to address these problems. Included within the lecture are neurologic and neuro-ophthalmic findings associated with inflammatory, neoplastic, demyelinating and ischemic vascular disease.

What can tissue engineering tell us about the biology of the cornea?
Professor Che Connon
Professor Connon will introduce the cornea from a biochemical and structural view. He will speak about how to engineer this tissue, comparing different approaches and their benefits. Professor Connon will give a cutting-edge insight into new findings in corneal biology and how these may result in new treatment regimes

IP Optoms – armed and dangerous?
Dr David Lockington
Those attending will be both challenged and encouraged in their role as an optometrist using their extended skills in today’s pressurised primary and secondary care climate. Clinical examples will be given to demonstrate safe and effective use of IP, with particular emphasis on the good, the bad and the ugly of topical steroids. 

Towards understanding cell-cell adhesion in ocular cell health and disease 
Prof Maria Balda

No more tears! Lacrimal syringing – clinical skills workshop (optional workshop)
Declan Hovenden
The CET workshop session will include an overview of the anatomy of the human lacrimal drainage system, signs and symptoms of blockage of this system, and the indications for performing the procedure of lacrimal syringing. A detailed description of how to safely perform the lacrimal syringing technique and the equipment required to do so (as well as the maintenance and disinfection of this equipment) will be presented. Handouts and a sample patient consent form will be issued. Delegates will then have the opportunity to carry out the technique on each other under the guidance and supervision of the presenter. The workshop will include interactive group discussion and Q&A.

Lacrimal Syringing is a clinical skill within the capabilities of trained optometrists and within the profession’s scope of practice. As a procedure it has a clear diagnostic function in assessing the patency of the lacrimal system and may, in some cases, be therapeutic by flushing debris from the system and thereby improve symptomatic and bothersome chronic epihora.

Non-glaucomatous optic neuropathies, papilloedema and idiopathic intracranial hypertension
Dr Leonard Messner
Papilledema is defined as optic disc swelling and elevation owing to elevated intracranial pressure. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension IIH is a common cause of papilledema in young, obese women. This course discusses the clinical findings and staging of papilledema along with common causes of elevated intracranial pressure. In addition, papilledema in the setting of IIH is discussed as well as the noteworthy neuro-radiologic and OCT findings associated with IIH and papilledema. Special attention is paid to the management of IIH and the value of visual field testing in the long-term surveillance of these patients.

Tear fluid proteins: Will they be used to diagnose eye disease in the future?
Dr Suzanne Hagan
Dr Suzanne Hagan will address the area of future biological markers (biomarkers) in the identification and understanding of ocular disease. She has developed the highly-sensitive Multiplex assay which is a much less invasive technique of assessing biomarkers in tear fluid and allows detection in samples as small as 1ul. This technique is at the cutting edge of ocular surface disease research and is being investigated with the aim of inventing new diagnostic tests for dry eye disease and other eye conditions (i.e. Sjogren’s syndrome, keratoconus, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and Grave`s disease). Tear fluid biomarkers could also be used for identifying susceptibility and onset of other systemic diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, Multiple sclerosis and cancer. 

Dr Leonard Messner
Leonard V. Messner is the Vice President for Patient Care Services for the Illinois College of Optometry and Executive Director of the Illinois Eye Institute. He holds the rank of Professor of Optometry at ICO.  Dr. Messner is the immediate past Chair of the Neuro-ophthalmic Disorders Special Interest Group of the American Academy of Optometry. He is a member of the advisory board of the Concussion Legacy Foundation and serves on the Concussion Research Committee of the North American Academy of Neuro-ophthalmology.  His predominant research interests include vision, ocular structure and visual motor abnormalities with concussion, the eye movements associated with the physical act of reading, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, optic neuritis and diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. He is the author of numerous peer-reviewed publications and textbook chapters in the areas of vitreoretinal disease and neuro-ophthalmic disorders. He is a 23-time recipient of the “Teacher of the Year” award at the Illinois College of Optometry.

Professor Che Connon
Che Connon obtained his PhD in Biophysics on corneal wound healing and transparency in 2000. Following a JSPS fellowship in Kyoto, Japan studying corneal stem cell transplantation he was awarded a Royal Society Fellowship to investigate the use of biomaterials in stem cell therapies at Reading University. Since 2014 he has held the position of Professor of Tissue Engineering at Newcastle University. Prof Connon has recently focussed on translating his findings from the lab to the clinic

Dr David Lockington
David Lockington MB BCh BAO (Hons) FRCOphth is a Consultant Ophthalmologist in Glasgow, Scotland, following a Cornea and Anterior Segment fellowship in Auckland, New Zealand where he remains an honorary clinical senior lecturer. He has an active interest in research and teaching, with 60 peer-reviewed publications and multiple oral presentations. He teaches at WOSCOTT (a purpose-built “Teach and Treat” facility for Optometrists), and recently obtained a postgraduate diploma in Clinical Education. He is a member of The Corneal Society, UKISCRS, ESCRS, and is a Fellow of RCOphth.

Prof Maria Balda
Maria S. Balda’s fascination has been to understand how cell-cell junctional complexes regulate epithelial and endothelial cell functions. She has identified several novel protein complexes and performed functional analyses of the molecular mechanisms by which tight junctions regulate paracellular permeability, gene expression, cell proliferation and differentiation. Now, she is working on how to manipulate tight junction proteins as potential targets for the development of novel therapies for proliferative and degenerative eye diseases

Declan Hovenden
Declan Hovenden is Head Clinical Optometrist & Clinical Manager at the National optometry Centre, Dublin Institute of Technology, the clinical training facility for optometrists studying at the Dublin Institute of Technology. He has a background in refractive surgery practice which engendered an interest and gave him significant experience in the management of dry eye. He regularly delivers CPD training to practising optometrists

Dr Suzanne Hagan
Dr Hagan has a PhD in retinal cell biology, with over 20 years’ experience in protein research. Dr Hagan has taught at GCU since 2010, with expertise in biomarkers of eye disease and has published numerous recent papers on this topic.  Dr Hagan is a member of various professional organisations (British Society for Cell Biology, Biochemical Society and ARVO) and is Director of Innovative Technologies, at the European Association for Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine (http://www.epmanet.eu/), as well as Associate Editor of the Biomarkers Section.