Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology preview: Courses aim to help ensure state-of-the-art clinical trials

Key Points

Places still may be available for an advanced 3-day course that takes place Sept. 3 to 6 in Florham Park, NJ, near Newark International Airport and only an hour from New York City. The registration deadline is Aug. 22; visit http://www.arvo.org/CTES/.

"Principles and Concepts in Clinical Trials for Eye Researchers" will bring together expert faculty to cover trial methodology, analysis, and management. The course is aimed at clinicians, scientists, regulators, students, and others who work in clinical trials in eye research.

ARVO and the ARVO Foundation for Eye Research (AFER) have developed the Clinical Trials Education Series through a donation from Allergan.

Registration for the 3-day course is $1,400 and includes 3 nights' accommodation; daily breakfast, coffee breaks, lunch, and dinner; course materials; and use of the fitness center and pool at the Hamilton Park Hotel & Conference Center.

In addition, a series of 1-day courses-"Designing and Managing Clinical Trials in Eye Research"-will run through the rest of 2008 and into 2009. These courses will be held in conjunction with major events on the ophthalmic meeting calendar, including:

Learn more about the AFER Clinical Trials Education Series at http://www.arvo.org/CTES/.

Call for abstracts

ARVO's call for abstracts for the 2009 annual meeting (May 3 to 7 in Fort Lauderdale, FL) is coming fast. Abstract submission opens Oct. 15 and closes Dec. 5. Look for an insert with details in your Summer-Fall issue of ARVONews, or visit http://www.arvo.org/am/ in early September for more information.

The theme of next year's meeting will be Reducing Disparities in Eye Disease and Treatment. The meeting will be a major forum for vision researchers and practitioners to close the knowledge gap about eye diseases and treatment. The program will address disparities across racial, ethnic, gender, age, geographic, and socioeconomic groups, taking into account contributing factors such as lifestyle, culture, language, and religious beliefs.

Key dates for the ARVO 2009 annual meeting

Asia-ARVO 2009

The biennial Asia-ARVO meeting will take place Jan. 15 to 18 at thte International Convention Center in Hyderabad, India. The event will bring together researchers and practitioners from the field of ophthalmic research to explore the vast and varied efforts under way to unlock the mysteries surrounding eye diseases.

Registration and the hotel reservation process are now open at http://www.arvo.org/asiaarvo/, along with details about the scientific program.

Key dates for Asia-ARVO 2009
• Early-bird registration:Ends Aug. 31.
• Late registration:Ends Dec. 31.

Joanne Olson is assistant director of communications for the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. Readers may contact her at 240/221-2923 or jolson@arvo.org.