ARVO flying high in Seattle

(Image Credit: AdobeStock/Oleksandr Dibrova)

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) will commence the ARVO 2024 Annual Meeting May 5 to 9 at the Seattle Convention Center in Washington.

The 2024 meeting will focus on vision research and how it is endlessly being transformed by new innovations, information, and technology—for instance, the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence over the course of the last year.

ARVO is the largest community of eye and vision researchers in the world, with more than 10,000 members from over 75 countries. Approximately 10,000 vision researchers, clinicians, and scientists from around the world attend the ARVO meeting annually for scientific sessions, poster presentations, and invited speaker sessions.

The meeting kicks off with the symposia, cohesive programs focused on cross-disciplinary topics that are of interest to the entire ARVO membership, on Monday, May 5. Topics discussed during the symposia include the following:

• Advancing therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative blindness
• Imaging cellular dynamics: current trends in ophthalmic research
• Vision for the future: exploring the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in ophthalmology

Following the symposia, the opening keynote speaker will be Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author. The keynote will cover his recent book, An Immense World, which takes audiences through the hidden realms of animal senses with a special focus on the extraordinarily varied ways in which other creatures see the world. Attendees will have an opportunity to get a personally signed copy of Young’s book immediately following the session.

Bookending the meeting, the closing keynote speaker will be Sheril Kirshenbaum, Emmy Award-winning scientist and author, on Thursday, May 9. During the keynote, Kirshenbaum will address best practices to connect with different audiences, counter the rise of misinformation, promote evidence-based thinking, and inform the decision-making process.

Apart from keynote lectures, achievement award lectures will take place over the course of the meeting as well, including the following:

• Proctor Medal Lecture: Emily Y. Chew, MD, FARVO
• Friedenwald Award Lecture: Anand Swaroop, PhD, FARVO
• Weisenfeld Award Lecture: Martine J. Jager, MD, PhD, FARVO
• Cogan Award Lecture: Daniel R. Saban, PhD, FARVO

Members-in-Training Outstanding Poster Awards will be given to the first authors of the top 5 scored abstracts scheduled as poster presentations from each Scientific Section and Cross-Sectional Group. Award recipients are announced at the closing keynote session during the meeting.

Minisymposia, cohesive programs that include an introduction with presentations that pull together the overall topic, will take place throughout the meeting and cover a wide range of topics.

The meeting is also home to social and networking events outside of the lectures and presentations. Capping off the end of the first night, the ARVO Sunday Social event will take place at the Museum of Flight and allow colleagues to view over 175 aircraft and spacecraft, countless artifacts, historical photographs, and fun interactive exhibits. Tickets are required to attend.

Taking place on Tuesday, May 7, Breakfast With the Experts will allow attendees to meet with subject experts for in-depth conversations in a small group setting. Registration is required for the event.

The ARVO Karaoke Night will take place on Wednesday, May 8, at the Museum of Pop Culture. Attendees can join in with music, cocktails, dancing, and singing and will also have access to the Museum of Pop Culture’s galleries.

Women in Eye and Vision Research will also be holding a luncheon at the event as well as a drop-in mentoring program where mid- and senior-level female ARVO members will be available to meet with individuals who may be looking for professional guidance from a female perspective.

Closing out the meeting, ARVO will look to the future and set its sights on the 2025 annual meeting being held in Salt Lake City, Utah.