Macular Chats

Join us for a conversation with Daisy Shu, PhD, as she discusses her Macular Degeneration Research-funded project, New Drug Delivery Approach to Transform Macular Degeneration Treatment. Dr. Shu will share how new treatment approaches could make care easier for people with wet age-related macular degeneration by reducing the need for frequent eye injections while helping protect vision.

Hear from Dr. April McCullough of Regeneron and Katherine Freund of Independent Transportation Network of America about the real-world barriers that prevent people with vision loss from accessing timely eye care. Together, they’ll explore how social determinants of health—specifically transportation—affect vision outcomes, and highlight innovative efforts such as Rides in Sight, a free national service helping connect people with reliable transportation to sight-saving medical appointments.

BrightFocus Foundation’s Macular Degeneration Research program is fueling the most promising scientific studies around the world to advance prevention, earlier detection, treatments, and ultimately a cure for macular degeneration. This year alone, we’ve invested $4.7 million in new funding for bold, forward-thinking research. In this session, learn about some of these pioneering projects and explore the exciting ideas shaping the future of vision research.

Clinical trials are essential to advancing care for age‑related macular degeneration (AMD) and geographic atrophy (GA). In this episode, Mathew MacCumber, MD, PhD, explains how clinical trials work, the potential benefits and challenges of participation, and key factors to consider when deciding whether a trial may be right for you. The discussion will also include a high-level overview of the GALLOP clinical trial for GA and what current research means for the future of vision health.

Researchers are exploring whether cell therapy—including stem cells and stem cell–derived treatments—could help repair or replace damaged retinal cells in macular degeneration and geographic atrophy. In this episode, we explain how these therapies are intended to work, how the cells may be delivered to the eye, and the potential risks.