Peter Kador, Ph.D., professor and chairman of the department of pharmaceutical sciences in the UNMC College of Pharmacy, has organized a Cataract Update Symposium for Thursday, May 29, at the Eppley Science Hall Amphitheater.
The program is sponsored by the National Foundation for Eye Research (NFER), in cooperation with the Center for Continuing Education. The symposium’s objectives are to provide participants with an update on current theories of cataract formation, as well as an understanding of the various scientific methods used to study cataract formation and an understanding of promising research avenues for cataract treatment that are being conducted at UNMC.
“Cataract is a major $3.2 billion Medicare expenditure in the U.S., with currently no medical treatment outside of surgery available. I think the target audience is anyone who is interested in what’s going on in cataract research,” Dr. Kador said. “But we’ve had several new professionals who have recently moved here, myself included, and so we set up a Symposium to highlight the type of research we’re doing in Nebraska.
“We planned the symposium to take place the day before the department of ophthalmology’s annual Gifford-Truhlsen Alumni and Residents Day, so we hope to have in attendance some of those ophthalmologists who are on campus to see what’s happening with cataract research.”
Before coming to UNMC, Dr. Kador spent 26 years at the National Eye Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md., where he served as chief in the Laboratory of Ocular Therapeutics from 1991 to 2002. Born in Regensburg, Germany, Dr. Kador earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry (1972) from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, and a Ph.D. (1976) in medicinal chemistry from Ohio State University.
The symposium will begin at 7 a.m. with registration and a continental breakfast, followed by a welcome address by UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., and an overview of the day’s activities provided by Dr. Kador.
The schedule is as follows:
- 8:30-8:45 a.m. – Welcome and Overview
- 8:45-9:30 a.m. – “The Role of the Lens Epithelium in Cataracts,” presented by W. Gerald Robison, Ph.D., senior investigator and head section on pathophysiology, National Eye Institute
- 9:30-10:15 a.m. – “Antioxidant Enzymes and Cataracts: An Approach Using Transgenic and Cell Culture Models,” Venkat Reddy, Ph.D., Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan
- 10:15-10:30 a.m. – Break
- 10:30-11:15 a.m. – “Redox Signaling in the Lens Epithelial Cells,” Marjorie F. Lue, Ph.D., Willa Cather professor of biomedical sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- 11:15 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – “LEDGE is a Central Regulatory Factor for Stress Tolerance,” Toshimichi Shinohara, Ph.D., professor, department of ophthalmology, director, Truhlsen Laboratory, UNMC
- 12:00-1:00 p.m. – Lunch
- 1:00-1:45 p.m. – “Antioxidant Protein 2 (AOP2): Regulation and Function in Lens,” Dhirendra P. Singh, Ph.D., associate professor, department of ophthalmology, UNMC
- 1:45-2:30 p.m. – “Changes in Gene Expression Profile of Diabetic Lenses and Their Potential Application: Involvement of Lens Epithelium-Derived Growth Factor (LODGE) and Antioxidant Protein 2 (AOP2),” Eri Kubo, M.D., department of ophthalmology, Fukui (Japan) Medical University
- 2:30-2:45 p.m. – Break
- 2:45-3:30 p.m. – “Use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) inn Cataract Research,” Martin Lizak, Ph.D., staff scientist, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Health
- 3:30-4:15 p.m. – “Development of Anticataract Drugs,” Dr. Kador
- 4:15 p.m. – Evaluation and Adjournment
The cost for the program is $35, which includes handout materials, breakfast and lunch, and other amenities involved in providing a pleasant learning environment. Attendees can register on the day of the symposium.
In addition, the Center for Continuing Education designates this educational activity for a maximum of six Category 1 credits toward the American Medical Association Physician’s Recognition Award.
For further information, call Diane Frost at (402) 559-5145 or e-mail your question to conted@unmc.edu. People interested in attending may also register online at www.unmc.edu/coned.