Accelerate Vision Health Series
Join us for Accelerate Vision Health, a dynamic three-part web series that will spotlight the future of vision health and how, together, we can accelerate progress toward cures. We will examine the importance of vision health and our investments in scientific peer-reviewed research.
Stay informed as we explore some of the newest scientific insights driving progress in vision health.
You can also help accelerate vision health by donating today.
Episode 2: The State of Vision Health—Navigating Eye Care
Thursday, Nov. 21, 7:30 p.m. ET
Today more than 1.2 million Canadians are living with vision loss, and it’s estimated that eight million have an eye disease that could cause vision loss. Over the past 50 years, Fighting Blindness Canada has played a pivotal role by investing in vision research and bringing information to Canadians. Join us as we have a discussion on the state of vision health and explore navigating an eye disease diagnosis and the health care system. From negotiating the tests and appointments to get a diagnosis, to accessing trusted support and resources once you’ve been diagnosed to taking the steps to ensure you get the best available care, we will explore various aspects of the patient journey.
Living with a blinding eye disease can impact all areas of your life, including your mental health. Learn how to advocate for yourself, and take care of your mental health, while ensuring family members around you also receive the support they need. Episode 2 will feature retired clinical psychologist, Dr. Ed Glassman, who has a rare eye disease, low vision optometrist Dr. Ana Juricic, and retinal specialist Dr. Nirojini Sivachandran.
Meet the Speakers
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Ed Glassman is a retired clinical psychologist living in Toronto since 1979. He worked for 25 years at North York General Hospital in the Adult Mental Health Program as well as seeing clients privately, and then wound down his career teaching in the York University Graduate Clinical Psychology Program. It was approximately 25 years ago that Ed first noticed changes in his vision and was eventually diagnosed with a Cone Dystrophy, a type of inherited retinal disease characterized by a slow deterioration in central vision. Ed’s connection to FBC began when his spouse heard an interview on CBC radio about Cycle for Sight. For both Ed and his spouse, the opportunity to support vision research and ride a bicycle was an irresistible combination. On an ongoing basis, keeping physically active and educated about vision research has helped him to cope with his vision loss and remain positive about the future.
Fighting Blindness Canada
For the past 30 years, Jennifer Jones has worked across diverse industries including advertising, financial services, retail, and not for profit. She has devoted the past 20 years to social impact, advocacy and fundraising across the public, private and not for profit sectors. Jennifer is a leader with a people-first philosophy who builds high-performance teams to bring sustainable culture and structural change, unlocking long-term sustainable, financial success. Jennifer is known for scaling and transforming organizations including the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation and Toronto Public Library Foundation where she delivered more than $50 million through traditional fundraising and contemporary cause marketing models to educational programming, community spaces and poverty reduction. She has an MBA from The Ivey Business School at University of Western Ontario.
Low Vision Clinic
Dr. Ana M. Juricic, a Low Vision Optometrist and creator of the Vision Enhancing Method, is a leader in the field of vision rehabilitation services for individuals living with vision loss. She has put more than 28 years of experience to create the Vision Enhancing Method for individuals living with vision loss which focuses on vision health and vision solutions beyond the traditional and the Vision Enhancing Method Blueprint Mentorship program for Eyecare professionals.
Dr. Juricic takes great pride in the work she does, listening to her patients’ needs and goals with an open heart so that she can create the best vision enhancing solutions. She was the proud recipient of the Canadian Croatian Chamber of Commerce “Professional of the Year Award” in 2008. Dr Juricic enjoys educating the general public and eye care professionals on the help that is available for people living with vision loss.
Toronto Retina Institute
Dr. Nirojini Sivachandran is a trained retina specialist. She completed a 2-year Vitreoretinal fellowship at the University of Ottawa. Dr Sivachandran obtained her PhD and her medical degree at the University of Toronto and completed her residency training at McMaster University in Hamilton. While at McMaster, Dr. Sivachandran was the recipient of the International Surgery Desk (ISD) Resident Scholarship as well as the Dr Henry C. Witelson prize in Ophthalmology. Dr. Sivachandran practices the full breadth of medical and surgical retinal diseases with experience in complicated cataracts and currently she practices in the community with Toronto Retina Institute.
Episode 3: Vision Health—Innovation & Discovery
Stay tuned for information on Episode 3.
- Thursday, Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m. ET
Episode 1: Celebrating the Past & Building the Future of Vision Research
Thursday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m. ET
In this episode we reflected on the key breakthroughs in vision research and discussed exciting new directions and innovations for the future.
Leading retinal clinician-scientists, Dr. Ian MacDonald (University of Montreal) and Dr. Matthew Benson (University of Alberta), shared the real-world impact of past research and discussed the future of the field and emerging technologies that will shape the next decade of discovery.
This first episode also offered viewers a behind-the-scenes look at what research and mentorship means and how it influences success.
Watch Episode 1: Celebrating the Past & Building the Future of Vision Research
Meet the Speakers
University of Alberta
Dr. Matthew Benson is a clinician-scientist in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Alberta. He currently holds a Bayer Professorship in Translational Research in Ophthalmology appointment. Dr. Benson completed his graduate studies and ophthalmology residency training at the University of Alberta. He then completed fellowship training in ocular genetics at the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health. His clinical interests include inherited eye diseases and strabismus. He also runs a fundamental research lab that investigates disease mechanisms of inherited retinal disorders.
University of Montreal
Dr. Ian MacDonald completed his medical degree at McGill University and trained in medical genetics and ophthalmology at the University of Ottawa. He later became an associate professor in the Departments of Ophthalmology and Biochemistry at the University of Ottawa and served as chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Alberta.
Dr. MacDonald’s career in clinical genetics began with a project funded by Fighting Blindness Canada (FBC), where he introduced a genetic focus to inherited retinal disease (IRD) research, particularly choroideremia—an X-linked condition that leads to severe vision loss by mid-life. His first FBC grant in 1985 helped identify the location of the choroideremia gene on the X chromosome. In collaboration with Dr. Miguel Seabra, they developed a diagnostic test that became the global standard for the disease.
In recognition of his contributions to academic ophthalmology, Dr. MacDonald was elected a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2009. In 2015, he led Canada’s first IRD gene therapy trial.
Effective September 1, 2024, Dr. MacDonald assumed the role of Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Montreal.
Fighting Blindness Canada
Dr. Larissa Moniz joined Fighting Blindness Canada in December 2019. She has a PhD in molecular biology from the University of Toronto and continued her research in the UK at UCL. Dr. Moniz has worked in research and knowledge translation in at a number of health charities both in the UK and Canada, most recently at Prostate Cancer Canada. At Fighting Blindness Canada Dr. Moniz’s team works to deliver on the mission of the organization which is to fund research towards treatments to preserve and restore vision, ensure that all Canadians have access to appropriate vision care and to provide support and information to individuals living with vision loss.
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