Distinguished Speaker Series Home Distinguished Speaker Series Ophthalmology Research Seminar: Distinguished Speaker Series The Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research (BCTVR) Distinguished Speaker Series, often referred to as the "Friday Seminars," is a premier platform for showcasing groundbreaking research in vision science and ophthalmology from around the globe. Since our foundation, the BCTVR, in collaboration with the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, has hosted this esteemed series, highlighting cutting-edge developments in ophthalmology research. After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when most academic seminars were canceled, we swiftly adapted and transformed our series to a virtual format via Zoom, ensuring continuity and even expanding our reach. Today, the series has evolved to feature expert lectures on a diverse array of topics, including Ophthalmology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Neurobiology, Imaging, Computational Sciences, and Novel Ophthalmic Treatments. The seminar series has also grown in scope, drawing an international audience of 80-300 attendees each week, connecting scholars and professionals from across the U.S. and around the world. We invite you to join us every Friday from 8:30 am–10:00 am, both in person and online via Zoom, throughout the academic year. For more information and Zoom details, email:Anna Kiker, MBA, CRA or Grazyna Palczewska, PhD To stay updated with the latest details,Subscribe to our emails Speakers Sep 11, 2026 Programming CNS cell types, connections and repair George M. Church, PhD, Robert Winthrop Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School Professor of Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard/MIT (Profile Photograph Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University) Profile VIEW EVENT DETAILS Jun 05, 2026 No Seminar The University of California, Irvine will be observing the summer recess break. We hope you have a wonderful and restful summer break! May 29, 2026 When it hurts to look: A perspective through the eyes and into the mind Cherlyn Ng, PhD, Assistant Professor, Cognitive Sciences School of Social Sciences, University of California Irvine Profile VIEW EVENT DETAILS May 22, 2026 Searching for Elusive Causality in Retinal Disease Kinga Bujakowska, PhD, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Profile VIEW EVENT DETAILS May 15, 2026 Expanding Beyond the Visual Cycle: Convergent Pharmacology of Retinal Clearance in Macular Degeneration Konstantin Petrukhin, PhD, Professor of Ophthalmic Science, Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center Profile VIEW EVENT DETAILS May 08, 2026 CRB1 and EYS: From Human Cohorts and Disease Models to Gene Therapy Celso Henrique Freitas Alves, PhD, Assistant Researcher, Vision Sciences/Gene Editing, Centro de Inovação em Biomedicina e Biotecnologia (CiBB), University of Coimbra Profile VIEW EVENT DETAILS May 01, 2026 No Seminar 2026 ARVO Annual Meeting view event details Apr 24, 2026 Understanding Immune Responses to Ocular Allo-Antigens Victor L. Perez, MD, Director, Cornea Research Program, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami, Florida Profile VIEW EVENT DETAILS Apr 17, 2026 The molecular mechanisms underlying cellular uptake of vitamin A Filippo Mancia, PhD, Professor, Vice Chair, Director of Graduate Education, Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Profile VIEW EVENT DETAILS Apr 10, 2026 Arrestins: deceptive beauty of structures Vsevolod V. Gurevich, PhD, Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair; Professor of Pharmacology; Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Profile VIEW EVENT DETAILS Pagination Current page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Next page ›› Last page Last » Previously Recorded Seminars If you missed some of our Distinguished Speaker Seminars, no worries! You can watch previously recorded seminars. 2025 Recorded Distinguished Speaker Seminars 2024 Recorded Distinguished Speaker Seminars 2023 Recorded Distinguished Speaker Seminars 2022 Recorded Distinguished Speaker Seminars 2021 Recorded Distinguished Speaker Seminars 2020 Recorded Distinguished Speaker Seminars