Retina International

In this special joint episode of Canal Retina and Perspectives Podcast, recorded in Dublin, we talk about the global fight against inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs) and age-related retinal diseases – and invite you to United in Vision - the Retina International World Congress 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. Host David Sanchez is joined by:Avril Daly – CEO, Retina InternationalJason Menzo – Preside...

Act4RED is a joint initiative  of  Retina International ,   ERN-EYE ,  Foundation Fighting Blindness and the  Ocular Diseases Foru,m  which brings together patients, clinicians, and researchers to improves diagnosis, care, and innovation for people living with Rare Eye Disease (RED). We are calling to  Stop the Loss of Vision  by  improving outcomes  for people affected by inherited retinal degene...

On this week’s episode of the RI In-Focus podcast, Dr. Orla Galvin welcomes Professor Jose Carlos Pastor from the Institute for Applied Ophthalmology (IOBA) in Valladolid, Spain, who is Director of the IOBA retina group. Jose is also an ophthalmologist and joins Orla to discuss his experience of COVID-19 and its impact on ophthalmology which he believes is not being considered a priority health di...

This week, Avril welcomes Brian Mansfield, PhD from Foundation Fighting Blindness to the RI In-Focus podcast. Brian is Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of Research with FFB and joins Avril to discuss the  MyRetina tracker registry ; a research database of people and families affected by rare inherited retinal degenerative diseases (IRDs), which is provided by FFB. Brian explai...

This week, Avril welcomes Russell Wheeler to the Retina International In-Focus podcast. Since the diagnosis of his son with Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, a rare and inherited retinal condition, Russell has been a long-standing patient advocate within the retina community, working at a European level and as a patient representative on the board of the ERN-EYE. In this episode, Russell explains...

This week, RI Science Communications Executive, Seán Heagney welcomes Petia Stratieva, MD, PhD to the In-Focus podcast. Petia is a medical doctor and passionate patient advocate as a person living with Retinitis Pigmentosa who also has significant experience working in industry and thus understands the perspective of many stakeholders within the retina community. In this episode, Petia explains to...

In episode 9 of the In-Focus podcast, Avril is joined by Chad Andrews from Fighting Blindness Canada (FBC). Chad works at FBC as Senior Advisor on Policy, Equity and Access. In their discussion, Avril and Chad discuss the multifarious projects and educational initiatives he has been involved in with FBC, including Vision Class and the  Young Leaders Program  as well as other newly established proj...

In episode 8 of the In-Focus podcast, Avril welcomes Carol Brill to speak about her life and experience as a person living with Usher Syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to being on the Board of Directors for Fighting Blindness Ireland and CureUsher, Carol is very involved with the Retina International Usher Syndrome Special Interest Group and leads a very active lifestyle, as a mem...

This week, Avril welcomes Professor John Flannery to the Retina International In-Focus podcast. John is Professor of Vision Science and Neuroscience in the Department of Molecular Biology in University of California, Berkeley. In this episode, John’s explains the concept of optogenetics; a technique which involves light and genetic engineering (editing the genetic information) to control neuronal...

This week, Dr. Orla Galvin Director of Research Policy at Retina International hosts and welcomes  Marina Sutter, Interim Chair of the Retina International Youth Council to our latest episode in a series of In-Focus podcasts. At the age of 12, Marina was diagnosed with an inherited retinal disease (IRD) called Stargardt Disease, a form of Juvenile Macular Degeneration. Although a challenging time...

In episode 5 of the In-Focus podcast, Avril is joined by Michael Griffith. Michael was a founder of Fighting Blindness Ireland in 1983 and has been a central figure in the retina community, advocating for the progression of retinal research and the establishment of policies which will support people living with retinal conditions, for over 20 years. Michael lives with Retinitis Pigmentosa and is a...

In this week’s episode of the Retina International In-Focus podcast series, Avril welcomes Professor Joe Carroll to speak about adaptive optics and how it is revolutionising retinal imaging techniques, to produce more detailed and accurate images. Joe is a Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Medical College of Wisconsin and is the head of their Advanced Ocular Imaging Program (AO...

In this episode of “In-Focus”, Avril welcomes Professor Juliana Sallum to the podcast. Juliana is an ophthalmologist who specialises in inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs) and genetics and is a professor at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. In this podcast, Juliana takes us through the unprecedented challenges that she and her colleagues face as ophthalmologists during COVID-19. She explains...

In episode two of In Focus, Avril is joined by Claudette Medefindt and Karen Denton from Retina South Africa. Claudette has been involved with Retina South Africa for 40 years and is currently Head of Science at Retina South Africa, as well as Deputy President of Retina International, while Karen holds the position of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Ambassador, bringing with her a wealth of...

In the first episode of our new podcast series, Avril speaks with Retina International President Christina Fasser about the effect COVID-19 has on her life as a person living with Retinitis Pigmentosa, specifically the severe consequences of social distancing on her active lifestyle and the adjustments she has made to keep physically active. Christina also explains how she is using this extra time...

Fiona Waters begins series 2 of Retina International’s In Focus podcast by welcoming Laura Whelan. Laura Whelan is a third-year PhD candidate in Prof. Jane Farrar’s lab in Trinity College Dublin. Laura’s work is carried out as part of the Target 5000 study, which aims to provide clinical and genotyping services for people living in Ireland with an inherited retinal disease. Laura has a particular...

The latest episode of the  Perspectives Podcast  by Retina International, co-hosted by  David Sanchez  and  Avril Daly , focuses on the  importance of mental health  in the rare eye disease community. Featuring guest  Matt Bolz-Johnson , a mental health lead at EURORDIS-Rare Diseases Europe, the discussion explores: Why mental health matters : Beyond just medical treatment, quality of life and emo...

David Sanchez from Farpe, speaks with  Bart Leroy ,  David Keegan ,  Frans Cremers ,  Isabella Audo,   Jean Bennett  and  Franz Badura  about: Their feelings about the Retina International World Congress What’s their perception on research in the near future A message to the Retina Patient Community

Canal Retina conversamos con Pablo Palazón Riquelme, inmunólogo, divulgador científico y autor del libro Ciencia Idiota, sobre ensayos clínicos. Exploramos qué son y su funcionamiento en la búsqueda de tratamientos para distrofias de retina, destacando fases, riesgos y ventajas para pacientes.   Canal Retina spoke with Pablo Palazón Riquelme, immunologist, science communicator and author of the bo...

Meet our hosts, David Sanchez and Avril Daly. Each month, we feature powerful personal stories from our members, offering a unique window into their experiences, challenges, and triumphs. In addition to these firsthand accounts, we’ll engage with leading researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and industry innovators to explore the latest advancements in retina research, cutting-edge care solutions...