All CE, All the Time® means that Academy 2011 Boston 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).

Special Events

Plenary Session: Today's Research, Tomorrow's Practice®
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI)

Wednesday, October 12, 12:00 - 2:00 PM
In the tradition of bringing the latest on an important general health issue, the topic for the Boston Plenary Session is Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI). You will gain an overview of this major health problem during this session.

Douglas Smith, MD, Director, Center for Brain Injury and Repair, University of Pennsylvania, will provide an overview of the condition of mTBI, including the clinical presentation, evaluation, and insights about the clinical complications. This will be followed by a presentation by William Milberg, PhD, and Regina McGlinchey, PhD, of Harvard Medical School, on the effects of mTBI as they exist in a complex matrix of biological, psychological and social issues.

Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are suffering from the effects of highly traumatizing events and exposure to high energy blasts that often leave them with cognitive and emotional problems that make readjustment to civilian life very difficult. Their studies of this population can provide insights into the mechanisms of symptom development and recovery in mTBI in the non-military population.

You will learn more about how this health issue is affecting the nation. You won?t want to miss this exciting presentation! 

Monroe J. Hirsch Research Symposium
"Omics" 

Thursday, October 13, 8:00 - 10:00 AM
The study of biological "omics" has been exponentially increasing the last decade, particularly as it relates to new scientific technologies that have revolutionized these fields of study. The "omics" fields extend beyond genomics and into areas such as lipidomics, glycomics, and proteomics in addition to many other areas, although proteomics is often considered the next logical sequential step beyond genomics studies. Proteomics is the large-scale study of proteins, which includes the entire body of proteins expressed by a cell or system in terms of structure and function. While these "omics" fields are extensions of genomics, they are often considered more challenging fields of study as a system's genome is usually fairly constant, while its proteome, for example, can differ from cell to cell.

You will hear discussions about the scientific "omics" fields of study, with particular emphasis on proteomics, in addition to discussing their applications to ophthalmic research and ultimately clinical practice. Featured speakers will be

• Steven A. Carr, PhD, a senior scientific leader in protein biochemistry and proteomics, leads the Proteomics Platform at the Broad Institute.
• Pablo Argueso, PhD, of the Schepens Eye Research Institute, whose research focuses on one of the last frontiers of molecular biology-glycobiology-analyzes the sugars that coat the surface of the eye and deciphers their role in protecting the eye against dehydration and pathogen invasion.
• Tom Norton, PhD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, studies the neurobiological mechanism that operates in the juvenile eye.
• Richard Lee, MD, PhD, a researcher at the McKnight Vision Research Center, focuses on the molecular, cellular, proteomic, and neurophysiologic basis of glaucoma in experimental and human models.

This presentation will make you think about genetics and how it relates to you as a health care practitioner.

Awards Program & Lectures

Friday, October 14, 8:00-10:00 AM
You are cordially invited to help us celebrate this year's highly respected award recipients by attending the annual Academy Awards Program. Join us in the excitement and camaraderie as the finest in the profession are honored by their colleagues.

The American Academy of Optometry's prestigious Glenn A. Fry and Charles F. Prentice Award recipients will give lecture presentations on their research findings. Continental breakfast will be provided. One hour of CE credit is provided by attending two hours of the program.