Out of the Blindspot

In the last episode of the podcast, we heard from several attendees of the 2025 NANOS meeting in Tucson, Arizona. One meeting session in particular resonated with many attendees, sparking, deep, personal reflections on their approach to this important topic. Co-created and co-led by Drs. Melissa Ko and Guy Jirawuthiworavong,  the sessions was titled The Science and Clinical Practice of Supporting...

The NANOS 2025 annual meeting in Tucson Arizona was as informative, exciting, fun, and impactful as ever.  In this episode, I bring you a unique taste of the meeting through a conversation with a wonderful neuro-ophthalmologist and through reflections of meeting attendees from Tucson during the event. In the first part, I speak with Dr. Susan Mollan who is a world-renowned Neuro-ophthalmologist pr...

In the last episode, we began a conversation with Dr. Howard Krauss, founding partner of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Southern California and a pioneering surgical Neuro-ophthalmologist. In this episode, we continue our conversation, learning more about his experience training to become a surgical Neuro-ophthalmologist, his experience as a co-founder of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute,...

Dr. Krauss is a pioneering surgical Neuro-ophthalmologist specializing in minimally invasive orbital and oculoplastic surgery and adult strabismus.  A leader in ophthalmology and medicine,  he has blazed the trail for many of us who followed his footsteps into this specialty as surgeons. In this episode, we’ll learn about his formative years including his journey from rocket scientist to Neuro-oph...

In this episode, I’m honored to bring you my conversation with Dr. Lenworth Johnson, a true pioneer in neuro-ophthalmology. As one of the first African American neuro-ophthalmologists, Dr. Johnson paved the way for future generations, breaking barriers and making an indelible mark on our field.  Beyond his significant clinical expertise and technical contributions to ophthalmology, Dr. Johnson is...

Today on the podcast, I have Drs. Alexandra "Ola" Pietraskiewicz and Amy Durand, two young physicians who are at the cusp of beginning what will hopefully be long and fulfilling careers in neuro-ophthalmology. We’ll hear what motivated them to pursue careers in our field, help break some of the common myths that dissuade many trainees from considering neuro-ophthalmology as a viable care...

With overall relatively low exposure to and recruitment of trainees to the field of neuro-ophthalmology, I feel that we as a specialty must be able address the misconceptions about who we are and what we do by telling our own stories. We need to spread the message more widely about how great our specialty is and how much of a positive impact we can have on our patients, colleagues, and communities...

In the previous episode, I began a conversation with Drs. John Chen, Fiona Costello, and Heather Moss, about the 50th anniversary NANOS meeting.  In this episode, we continue our conversation about what’s new and exciting in NO and how to take the momentum from the meeting and use it to grow more practical interest in our specialty. NANOS 2024 John J. Chen M.D., PH.D Fiona Costello, M.D, FRCPC Hea...

The 50th Anniversary NANOS Annual Meeting was held in Honolulu, HI from March 2 through March 7 2024. it was a wonderful meeting that has been claimed  by many to be of the best annual meetings ever with respect to location, venue, content, organization, and atmosphere. It was one of the the largest NANOS meetings ever, drawing a diverse, international audience from all over the globe. The meeting...

The young Neuro-ophthalmologists committee of NANOS or YONO was established in 2012 in an effort to meet the needs of trainees and neuro-ophthalmologists in their formative years of training and practice. The YONO committee is currently co-chaired by Drs. Nailyn Rasool and Andrew Melson who are passionate about the support and mentorship of those early in their neuro-ophthalmology journeys. In thi...

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Dr. Stephen McLeod, the CEO of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, addressing the importance of creating spaces where diversity can thrive, the Supreme Court's decision on affirmative action and how it affects AAO, and what the academy is doing to support the cognitive specialties of ophthalmology, including my field of Neuro-ophthalmology...

Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to bring important and hopefully thought provoking conversations through the sight for site eyes podcast highlighting the world of DEI in ophthalmology. I’ve also been able to highlight the unique field of Neuro-ophthalmology through the out of the Blindspot podcast. I’m particularly excited for the conversation that will be featured in the next couple...

In our last episode, we began a series on the North American Neuro-ophthalmology society or NANOS, the largest organization in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the field of Neuro-ophthalmology. In this episode, we speak with Drs. Kathleen Digre and Larry Frohman about the history of NANOS and how its legacy has been intimately intertwined with the development of the field of Neuro-o...

Today, we begin a series featuring the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (NANOS), the largest organization in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the field of neuro-ophthalmology. In the first episode of the series we’ll speak to Drs. Prem Subramanian and Peter Quiros, the current and immediate future presidents of NANOS to learn about what NANOS is, what it does, and their vi...

In the last episode we began a conversation with Dr. Jane Edmond, a unicorn of sorts with unique life experiences and achievements at the crossroads of neuro-ophthalmology and leadership that set her apart. These include being a super specialized pediatric neuro-ophthalmologist and the inaugural and current chair of the Mitchell and Shannon Wong Eye Institute at UT Austin’s Dell Medical school and...

What is a Unicorn? Do you think of a horse-like mythical beast with magical powers and a single ribbon-like horn protruding from its forehead? While true mytholoigcal unicorns likely don't exist, a unicorn is that rare individual with a unique set of skills, abilities, characteristics, and achievements that sets them apart from the rest. Joining me today is one such individual. Dr. Jane Edmon...

In the first part of this episode we began a conversation with Drs. Larry Frohman and Prem Subramanian, who are neuro-ophthalmologists with unique and substantial leadership backgrounds and experience with NANOS and the AAO that make them uniquely poised to speak about about the pipeline, work force, and compensation issues that Neuro-ophthalmology has been facing for some time.  In this episode w...

In this episode of OOTBS we begin a 2 part series asking  "What is the value of neuro-ophthalmology?" To answer this question, I speak with Drs. Larry Frohman and Prem Subramanian. Both are world renowned and accomplished neuro-ophthalmologists who have also been on the front lines at both the societal and national levels, championing the value of Neuro-ophthalmology through their leader...

In this episode, I speak to Drs. Courtney Francis and Aimee Szewka. Together, they are the co-chairs of the Pipeline committee of the North American Neuro-ophthalmology society or NANOS, the professional organization of neuro-ophthalmology on this continent. Together, they lead a committee tasked with determining and addressing many of the reasons young trainees choose not to pursue a career in ne...

In this first episode of OOTBS, we will be getting right at the heart of the matter. Exploring the specialty of  neuro-ophthalmology and why it is such a unique and wonderful field of medicine.