Distinguished Speaker Series Home Distinguished Speaker Series Ophthalmology Research Seminar: Distinguished Speaker Series The Center for Translational Vision Research (CTVR) 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 CTVR, 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 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 Apr 03, 2026 Advancing Precision Genome Editing for Therapeutic Applications Audrone Lapinaite, PhD, Assistant Professor, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research, Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, and Biological Chemistry University of California, Irvine Profile VIEW EVENT DETAILS Mar 27, 2026 No Seminar The University of California, Irvine will be observing César Chávez Day. There will be no seminar during this time. We look forward to resuming our seminar series the following week. Mar 20, 2026 Inherited retinal degeneration: photoreceptor membranes and cilia Jun Yang, PhD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, and Neurobiology, John A. Moran Eye Center, Departments of Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, and Neurobiology, University of Utah Medical School, Salt Lake City, Utah Profile VIEW EVENT DETAILS Mar 13, 2026 Selective autophagy: paving the way for healthy aging one protein at a time Ana Maria Cuervo, MD, PhD, The Robert and Renee Belfer Chair for the Study of Neurodegenerative; Distinguished Professor, Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology; Co-director, Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Profile VIEW EVENT DETAILS Mar 06, 2026 Engineered Anti-VEGF scFv Antibodies with Superior Biological Activities: Advancing Next-Generation Therapeutics Through Enhanced Performance Sibel Kalyoncu Uzunlar, PhD, Principal Investigator, Kalyoncu Antibody Engineering Lab and IBG-Pharma, İzmir Biomedicine and Genome Center Profile VIEW EVENT DETAILS Feb 27, 2026 Impaired DNA Demethylation in Retinal Progenitor Cells Prevents Photoreceptor Development and Leads to Retinal Dystrophy Dmitry V. Ivanov, PhD, Professor of Ophthalmology and Microbiology & Immunology, Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Vision Research Center, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Profile VIEW EVENT DETAILS Feb 20, 2026 Lipid Metabolism as a Therapeutic Target for Age-Related Vision Loss Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, PhD, Associate Professor, Robert M. Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine, UC Irvine Profile VIEW EVENT DETAILS Feb 13, 2026 The retina's interaction with the circadian pacemaker beyond photoentrainment Samer Hattar, PhD, Senior Investigator & Chief, Section on Light and Circadian Rhythms, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH) 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