1.      What is your relationship with VOC?

I am a medical advisor to VOC and I'm a member of the Board of Directors.

2.      How long have you been on the board?

 12 or 13 years  

3.    Why is the work VOC is doing important to you?

I get to make a direct impact on evaluating and supporting ground breaking pediatric eye research.  Working with VOC gives me an opportunity to be at the forefront of research that will restore vision in children who would never have been able to see. 

4.    What is your connection to the Vision Care Community?

I'm the director of pediatric ophthalmology at Scripps Clinic 

5.    What has been the most rewarding aspect of serving on the VOC board of advisors?

 Getting to read and learn about all of the treatments that are being studied.  Generally, as a doctor you only hear about potential therapies when they have reached the clinical stage.  One of the most rewarding things to me is seeing how clinical scientists all come together through their relationship to VOC and collaborate on future therapies.  

6.      Do you have hopes for a cure within the next decade?

I have hopes for many cures in the next decade - they are already coming.  VOC has been instrumental in supporting several of the "pieces to the puzzle" that have led to several new gene therapies getting approved as we speak.  Many pediatric eye diseases will have treatments and hopefully cures in the near future due in no small part to VOC's work. 

7.      Is there anything that you'd like to share with VOC supporters?

I would like to share my deepest thanks - without our supporters we would never be as far along as we are and closing in on many treatments for pediatric genetic eye diseases.