All CE, All the Time® means that Academy 2010 San Francisco attendees can get CE credit by attending any Academy session: lectures, workshops, papers, posters, special events and symposia. The Academy's continuing education is submitted to both COPE and CE Broker (Florida).

Plenary Session:Today's Research, Tomorrow's Practice® – Policy, Advocacy and Science in Women's Health

Wednesday, November 17, 12:00-2:00 PM

This year's Plenary Session will be of interest to men and women alike, whether they are vision scientists, clinical optometrists, patients, or patient advocates. In keeping with the tradition of presenting big ideas in health care that affect our patients and our research, you will hear a dynamic dialogue between two vital players in the field of women’s health.

Susan Wood, PhD, is an Associate Professor at George Washington University's School of Public Health and Health Services. Dr. Wood served as Assistant Commissioner for Women’s Health and Director of the Office of Women’s Health at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (2000 – 2005); Director of the Division of Policy and Program Development at the Office of Women’s Health, U.S Department of Health & Human Services (1995 – 2000); and as Deputy Director/Science Advisor for the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues (1990 – 1995). She also carried out basic research at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (1989-1990).  She has a background in biology and specializes in women’s health policy issues.

Barbara A. Brenner, JD, is a tireless activist who believes that everyone can make a difference and that everyone’s contribution is important to end the breast cancer epidemic. Her passion is contagious, and her effectiveness as a leader of the breast cancer movement is demonstrated in the growth and achievements of Breast Cancer Action (BCA) since she became its executive director in 1995.

You will hear about:

• Connections between breast cancer therapeutic treatment and vision
• How tragedies in women’s health care have led to regulation and changes in health care delivery
• The patient advocacy role in research and treatment options
• How researchers and clinicians can affect the research agenda and, ultimately, health care delivery
• Working with government regulatory and health care agencies, such as the FDA and National Institutes of Health, on comparative effectiveness research
• How to get and use better data on health issues in a primary care setting
• Why cancer news appears on the business page

Join us at this compelling conversation about what you can do to help your patients and further the cause of effective research and health care!

Monroe J. Hirsch Research Symposium:

Ocular Genetics: From Laboratory to Clinical Practice and Back Again

Thursday, November 18, 8:00-10:00 AM

Do you know enough about genetics? Most members of the EyeGene^® network would answer “No, but we’re learning.” Over the past 15 years, more than 400 genes have been identified that contribute to inherited eye diseases. But many practicing clinicians feel they are “out of the loop” and fear their patients might be missing opportunities to benefit from new gene-based research and therapies.

The National Ophthalmic Disease Genotyping Network (eyeGENE^®) was created by the National Eye Institute to stimulate grassroots patient and clinical interest and involvement in genetic-based clinical care.  Benefits of eyeGENE® for patients include: availability of molecular diagnostic genotyping and a choice to be contacted for future studies if desired. Providers can access a secure, centralized system for genetic testing and web based information. With the combined participation of patients and clinicians, researchers hope to develop a future repository of linked phenotype-genotype data, with potential to identify patients for future clinical treatment trials.

This Hirsch Symposium includes leaders in molecular genetics, network development, and gene therapy.

The symposium will address a variety of topics including:

• Molecular diagnosis—what is it and why should I care?
• Using molecular diagnosis in practice—how eyeGENE^® can help
• A review of future therapeutic options for inherited eye disease

Speakers include Brian Brooks, MD, PhD, former Chair of the eyeGENE^® steering committee and Chief of the Unit on Pediatric, Developmental and Genetic Eye Disease at the National Eye Institute, Richard Lewis, MD, MS, Professor, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor School of Medicine, and Rodney Nowakowski, OD, PhD, FAAO, Interim Dean at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry.

This symposium will equip the practicing clinician to use the network’s web-based tools to explore its potential, to find or become a referring clinician, and to master the steps to identify, examine and enroll patients.