Why is Glaucoma an Age-Related Disease
May 21, 2026 — 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm ET
Steven L. Bernstein, MD, PhD
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Dr. Steven Bernstein and his laboratory interests center on age-related and genetically associated optic nerve diseases, in particular nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), which is a stroke of the optic nerve, and the most common cause of sudden optic nerve-related vision loss. During the last five years, his laboratory has developed new ways to identify stem cells that may both contribute to normal nerve function, and aid in repair of optic nerve injury.
What do Reactive Astrocytes (really) Do
June 4, 2026 — 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm ET
Shane Liddelow, PhD
Associate Professor
NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Dr. Shane Liddelow's primary research focus is on understanding the complex roles of astrocytes in the brain. Astrocytes are a type of glial cell that play crucial roles in maintaining brain homeostasis, supporting neuron function, and responding to injury. His work has particularly centered on a subtype of reactive astrocytes that we discovered, which release toxic factors capable of killing specific neurons.
The Neural Basis of Tear Secretion
June 18, 2026 — 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm ET
Qin Liu, PhD
Full Professor
Washington University in St. Louis
Dr. Qin Liu’s research focuses on the neural components of allergic and infectious diseases. Her group aims to dissect the neuronal populations and circuits that drive allergic and infectious symptoms, including itchy, watery eyes, excessive sneezing, rhinorrhea, and coughing.
The Division of Intramural Research Seminar Series
A public lecture series, hosted by the NEI Intramural Research Program on the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Maryland. Learn more
Retinal Disease Interest Group Research Seminars
The goal of RDIG is to promote interactions among scientists interested in biology, pathogenesis and treatments of syndromic diseases involving visual dysfunction or diseases of the neuronal tissue. Everyone is welcome to join and participate in lively discussions. Learn more
Sayer Vision Research Lecture and Award Series
In 2006, Dr. Jane Sayer, a National Institute of Health (NIH) research scientist in National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), established the Sayer Vision Research Lecture and Award at the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), in partnership with the National Eye Institute (NEI) at NIH, to honor her family and the memory of her parents, Winthrop and Laura Sayer.
The lecture and award series provides an opportunity for honorees to explore areas of interdisciplinary collaboration, such as angiogenesis, that may lead to advances in diverse medical specialties with relevance to vision research. A number of factors place vision science in a position for major advances in the near future-including the large number of identified genes relevant to eye disease and the relative ease with which pathology can be visualized and documented in the eye. Learn more
Joram Piatigorsky Basic Science Lecture
Made possible by the generous philanthropic support of Lona and Joram Piatigorsky, this series brings attention to notable basic sciences contributions by eye and vision scientists to a diverse general scientific audience, such as experts in molecular biology, genetics, developmental biology, neuroscience, and computer science. With special consideration for basic eye and vision scientists who take risks exploring little-studied species and imaginative ideas, the Lecture and Award promotes and communicates basic discoveries in eye and vision research that result in far-reaching observations that may inform widespread areas of science—from the eye to the world as it were—rather than the other way around. Learn more