What is your relationship with VOC? Member of the Board of Directors

How long have you been on the board? I joined the Board in 2015.

Why is the work VOC is doing important to you? VOC has been instrumental in bringing together researchers conducting both laboratory and clinical research to catalyze an increased understanding of ocular albinism and other childhood genetic vision disorders.

What is your connection to the Vision Care Community? I have led research programs to identify treatments for eye diseases for more than 30 years. I am currently a venture partner with Visionary Ventures, an ophthalmology-focused venture fund. Previously, I was a Vice President of Research at Allergan.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of serving on the VOC board of advisors? Having the opportunity to meet and hear from patients about how their vision is affected and how they adapt to the changes in their vision has been inspiring and helpful in thinking about how to develop treatments.

Do you have hopes for a cure within the next decade? Yes. The successful implementation of gene therapy for replacing defective genes in the retina and advancements in cell therapy that are enabling researchers to reprogram retinal cells are enabling patients to stem the loss of vision and even regain visual function.

Is there anything that you'd like to share with VOC supporters? There are many potential treatments for genetic vision disorders in the preclinical and clinical pipeline.