The present application requests funds to support travel for young scientists to attend the XV Biennial Meeting of the Association for Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics (AOPT) in Miami from March 4th-7th, 2021. This is a conference that brings together scientists who are developing new ways to treat eye diseases. AOPT is a global not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization for scientists and individuals from all disciplines related to ocular pharmacology and its therapeutic applications to eye disease. AOPT has a diverse, multi-national membership composed of preclinical and clinical scientists, students, and healthcare professionals. Members are from academic institutions, pharma and biotech industries, device companies, clinics and private practice. To achieve its mission, the society organizes biennial conferences and provides editorial leadership for the peer- reviewed Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics. The mission of AOPT is threefold (from AOPT website: www.aopt.org): (1) To serve as a global forum and network for the publication, dissemination and exchange of information and knowledge on treatments of eye diseases, from basic and clinical ocular pharmacology and therapeutics to related disciplines such as pharmacokinetics and dynamics, metabolism, translational research, safety, drug delivery, and pharmaceutics; (2)To promote the advancement of research and scientific progress in these fields; (3) To assist researchers and eye-care professionals in furthering their understanding of the treatment of ocular disorders. In line with the AOPT mission, the specific Aims of the R13 application is: (I) To enhance the emerging careers of 20 young scientists (including women and underrepresented minorities) in ocular therapeutics by providing travel awards; (II) To provide a forum for dissemination of the most recent advances in the state of knowledge on novel therapeutic approaches to ocular disorders and disease; (III) To create an environment that will facilitate the exchange of novel ideas among basic and clinician scientists and generate the opportunity for vision scientists of all ethnic groups and social backgrounds to meet and establish research collaborations. The theme of AOPT-2021 is ?Restoring vision through Regeneration? and a number of sessions are scheduled which are focused on regenerative medicine related to anterior as well as posterior eye segments.
The Association for Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics (AOPT) is a global not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization for scientists and individuals from all disciplines related to ocular pharmacology and its therapeutic applications to eye disease. The present application requests funds to support travel for 20 young scientists to attend the XV Biennial AOPT Meeting, a conference that brings together scientists who are developing new ways to treat eye disease, in Miami from March 4th-7th, 2021.
