Sylvan M. Cohen Annual Retreat with Poster Session on Aging 2011
New Prospects for Healthy Vision Across the Lifespan
The 2011 Sylvan M. Cohen Annual Retreat with Poster Session on Aging was held on May 17, 2011, in Houston Hall (3417 Spruce Street) here on Penn's campus.
The IOA partnered with the Penn Medicine Scheie Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology to present the 2011 retreat, with its focus on "New Prospects for Healthy Vision Across the Lifespan" and the annual poster session.
Video from the Day
Video and audio of two of the presentations are available by clicking on the presentation titles below. Files are .mp4 format.
Dr. Sieving presented "Ophthalmic Genetics and Translational Opportunities." Dr. Stambolian presented "From Hype to Hope?: A Journey Through the Genetics of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Past, Present and Future." A glimpse of the poster session can be viewed here.
Podcasts (audio only) of select presentations will be available through your subscription to the IOA's lectures on iTunes, by clicking here, or by connecting with Penn's section on iTunesU. Video and audio are available on the Penn's iTunesU.
The Speakers at the 2011 Annual Retreat
Dr. John Trojanowski, Director of the Institute on Aging, opened the retreat portion of the day with some general comments. Dr. Joan O'Brien, Director of the Scheie Eye Institute, introduced the afternoon's speakers.
The Sylvan M. Cohen Visiting Scholar for the 2011 Annual Retreat will be Paul A. Sieving, MD, PhD, Director of the National Eye Institute, an agency of the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Sieving presented "Ophthalmic Genetics and Translational Opportunities."
Dr. Sieving is known internationally for studies of human progressive blinding genetic retinal neurodegenerations, including retinitis pigmentosa, and rodent models of these conditions. His laboratory study of pharmacological approaches to slowing degeneration in transgenic animal models led to the first human clinical trial of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) for retinitis pigmentosa, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2006. He also developed a mouse model of X-linked retinoschisis and successfully treated this using gene therapy which restored retinal function. He maintains a clinical practice at NEI for patients with these and other genetic retinal diseases, including Stargardt juvenile macular degeneration.
2011 Penn Presenters
Dwight E. Stambolian, MD, PhD,
Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Human Genetics and
Attending Physician at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, presented "From Hype to Hope?: A Journey Through the Genetics of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Past, Present and Future."
Dr. Stambolian's laboratory focuses on gene discovery of complex and monogenic disorders, such as myopia, age related macula degeneration(AMD), Nance Horan Syndrome and Tcm.
Jean Bennett, MD, PhD,
Professor of Ophthalmology and Cell and Developmental Biology, discussed "Seeing is Believing: A Gene Therapy Success."
Dr. Bennett studies the molecular genetics of inherited retinal degenerations with the idea of using this knowledge to develop rational approaches for treatment of these diseases; target diseases include retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration.
The Poster Session on Aging
The annual Poster Sesson on Aging followed the lectures and was open to all who wish to participate. Posters on aging and aging-related disease research in basic science, clinical science, education and outreach and other areas were welcome. A glimpse of the poster session can be viewed here. Prizes were awarded to the top posters in each category.
Poster Session on Aging Winners
Winners for the 2011 Poster Session were announced at the event and are as follows:
- Basic Science
- First Place: Dosage Thresholds and Vector Serotype Define AAV Targeting of Rod and Cone Photoreceptors in Non-Human Primates, Luk Vandenberghe and Jean Bennett, Perelman School of Medicine.
- Second Place: Rap1 Drives Gene Expression Through Altered tRNA Methylation, Jay Johnson, Perelman School of Medicine.
- First Place: Dosage Thresholds and Vector Serotype Define AAV Targeting of Rod and Cone Photoreceptors in Non-Human Primates, Luk Vandenberghe and Jean Bennett, Perelman School of Medicine.
- Clinical Research
- First Place: Fostering Fluency: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Improves Fluency in Subjects with Chronic Nonfluent Aphasia, Jared Medina and Roy Hamilton, Perelman School of Medicine.
- Second Place: Evaluation of a Central Visual Function Using a Foveo-Papillary Profile in Macular/Retinal Degenerations Caused by ABCA4 (ABCR) Mutations, Artur V. Cideciyan, Perelman School of Medicine.
- Education/Social Sciences
- First Place; Measuring Social Networks and Health Among Older Adults Living in Assisted Living: A Pilot Study, Katherine Abbott, School of Nursing
- Second Place: Promoting Brain Health to a Diverse Group of Older Adults in Philadelphia, Julie Stutzbach, Perelman School of Medicine
- First Place; Measuring Social Networks and Health Among Older Adults Living in Assisted Living: A Pilot Study, Katherine Abbott, School of Nursing
Registration
Registration is required to attend and/or present a poster. Lunch will be provided to those who register.
Register to attend the Retreat Lectures by clicking here.
To attend or present at the Poster Session, please register here.
Agenda
The day's events began at 11:30am with lunch for those registered and concluded at 5:00pm.
Where can I park?
Parking is available at the Palestra lot, entered off of 33rd Street (one way North). Please note that due to reconstruction of the South Street Bridge, the Schuylkill Expressway exit at South Street is closed. The parking fee is $12. For a map of where the Palestra lot is located and for special travel instructions due to the South Street Bridget closure, visit http://www.business-services.upenn.edu/parking/map.html.
It is highly recommended that visitors to campus take Septa as parking is limited.
Find us on