Practice Tip: Learn about gut dysbiosis and the associated gut-eye axis
Gut dysbiosis is an imbalance among healthy bacteria and unhealthy bacteria that may create a negative gut-eye relationship, or axis. An awareness of this relationship is particularly important in relation to glaucoma, as the gut-glaucoma axis may involve three main factors: (1) systemic bacterial dissemination, (2) neuroinflammation, and (3) obesity, writes Austin Lifferth, OD, FAAO, in his September “Glaucoma” column. For recommendations on how to keep the gut-glaucoma axis at bay, see his column at https://www.optometricmanagement.com/issues/2023/august-2023/clinical-glaucoma.
ABB Optical Group announces leadership changes
ABB Optical Group announced six leadership changes to support its strategic goals within the Office of Customer Experience: Erika Jurens, chief customer officer; Andrew Watt, customer experience director; James Gilchrist, general manager and senior vice president for business solutions; Jordan Burke, vice president of Digital E-Commerce; and Mark Parisi, chief revenue officer.
American Academy of Optometry names award winners
The American Academy of Optometry announced the recipients of the 2023 Garland W. Clay award: Donald O. Mutti, OD, PhD, FAAO 1; Loraine T. Sinnott, PhD 1; G. Lynn Mitchell, MAS, FAAO1; Lisa A. Jordan, PhD, FAAO 1; Nina E. Friedman, OD, MS 2; Sara L. Frane, OD2; and Wendy K. Lin, OD2. The award is given to the authors of an Optometry and Vision Science (OVS) manuscript that is among the top OVS papers cited in the world research literature in the preceding five years and receives the majority vote of the OVS editorial board. This award is for their paper: “Ocular Component Development during Infancy and Early Childhood,” accessible at
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30339640/.
1College of Optometry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
2School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
American Optometric Association designates September Paraoptometric Appreciation Month
The American Optometric Association (AOA) has named September Paraoptometric Appreciation Month. This is, “an opportunity to recognize paraoptometric staff contributions by sharing appreciation on social media using #AOAParaMonth, planning recognition events and gifting AOA associate membership to encourage professional development and staff retention,” according to an AOA press release.
BrillenEyes partners with Cherry Optical Lab
BrillenEyes joined forces with Cherry Optical Lab (COL), an independent optical lab based in Green Bay, Wisc. As an independent distributor and manufacturer, BrillenEyes offers high-fashion, and top-quality products to support the needs of the independent practitioner, according to a press release.
EnChroma announces commitment of organizations and influencers to support International Color Blindness Awareness Month
EnChroma announced that over 160 organizations and influencers have committed to support International Color Blindness Awareness Month 2023 in September. During the month, Enchroma major museums, universities, businesses, libraries, school districts, state and federal parks, tourism agencies, influencers, and Lions and Kiwanis Clubs will join forces to create social media posts, disseminate information, and engage in other activities to educate the public about color blindness. To participate, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LPNYRL2. For customizable social media assets, visit https://enchroma.app.box.com/s/matuhd5mmv3otmoqajot14ovecpuy4cy.
Eyenovia offers shares to fund future therapies, manufacturing
Eyenovia entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with a leading health care investor in an offering of 4,198,633 shares of its common stock, pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 2,252,979 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase up to 4,838,709 shares of common stock. Eyenovia says it intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to fund the commercialization of a post-ophthalmic surgery product that has a Prescription Drug User Free Act date of March 2024, for manufacturing automation activities for the Optejet device, and for working capital and general corporate purposes.
MaximEyes.com releases patient communication tools
MaximEyes.com EHR and practice management software has released new patient engagement tools, which allow practices to communicate with patients via text and email and to schedule online directly without third party integrations. Interested parties can stop by at Vision Expo West and book F3065 for a demonstration of these tools.
New England College of Optometry hosts collaborative
The New England College of Optometry (NECO) welcomed over 120 guests to the Beacon Street Campus earlier this month for the third annual NECO Industry Collaborative. Among the topics covered: demand for eye care professionals according to labor statistics, the impact of the Supreme Court ruling overturning affirmative action and its role in eye care; student’s academic journey in pursuit of their OD, and the potential of telehealth to address the gap between supply and demand for eye care. For more information, visit www.neco.edu/news/neco-hosts-third-annual-industry-collaborative/.
Prevent Blindness declares September Sports Eye Safety Month
Prevent Blindness (PB) named September as Sports Eye Safety Month to educate the public on the risk of major eye injuries from sports and the need for proper eye protection. In addition to providing free downloadable fact sheets, shareable social media graphics, and a dedicated webpage, PB is debuting a new episode in the online Focus on Eye Health Expert Series, “Sports Eye Safety.”
RetinalGeniX adds to advisory board
RetinalGeniX Technologies Inc. added Fred Chasalow, PhD, to its Medical Advisory Board of DNA-GPS. In this role, he will advise the company on its corporate activities, participate in therapeutic drug selection and development, and assist in linking high-resolution retinal imaging to systemic disease and to DNA-GPS pharmacogenetic mapping.
Visioneering Technologies names chief executive officer and executive director
Visioneering Technologies (VTI) appointed Dr. Juan Carlos Aragón as chief executive officer and executive director, effective Oct. 1, 2023. Dr. Aragón brings over 30 years of leadership in the vision care industry to VTI. His experience includes senior executive leadership positions in several large international vision care companies, and managing divisions for the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe. Most recently, he served as president of CooperVision Specialty EyeCare.
Vision Expo West to host Opticon 2023
The OptiCon@Vision Expo program is planned in conjunction with Vision Expo West 2023, Sept. 27 to Sept. 30 at The Venetian Expo, in Las Vegas. The return of the program includes educational offerings, an exhibit hall experience for opticians, contact lens professionals, allied ophthalmic professionals, optical assistants and office managers, frame buyers, and lab technicians. For more information on the program and registration, visit https://west.visionexpo.com/en-us.html.
RESEARCH NOTE
Stem cell treatment shows promising phase 1 results
A team at Mass General Brigham, Mass Eye and Ear reported the results of a phase 1 trial of cultivated autologous limbal epithelial cell transplantation (CALEC), a stem cell treatment. Specifically, CALEC was found safe and well-tolerated over the short term in four patients who have significant chemical burns in one eye. Patients who were followed for 12 months experienced restored cornea surfaces; two patients were able to undergo a corneal transplant, and two reported significant improvements in vision without additional treatment, according to a study published in Science Advances. To read the full report, visit: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adg6470
OD Notebook is published weekly on Wednesdays. Unless otherwise noted, the information presented is based on press releases and/or announcements by the respective organizations. Find earlier editions here. To submit a press release to be considered for publication, click here.