Chris Kachi from the University of Ottawa interviews Dr. May Griffith and Andrés Mercado as part of the TMM4950 Science Communication course, exploring cutting-edge advances in bioengineered corneal regeneration.  Dr. Griffith is a senior scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and a professor in the Faculty of Medicine whose work focuses on regenerative biomaterials and translational ophthalmology. Andrés Mercado is a PhD student in Dr. Emilio Alarcón’s laboratory at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, developing tunable photo-sealants and customized biomaterials for ocular and soft-tissue repair.

In this episode, they discuss the development of the Cornea-in-a-Syringe (CIS) hydrogel, how regenerative biomaterials such as GF19-functionalized matrices can be tailored to promote ocular healing, and the future of minimally invasive technologies for corneal repair and vision restoration.

Learn more:
Dr. May Griffith - https://www.griffithresearch.ca/may-griffith-2
Andrés Mercado (Alarcón Lab) - https://www.beatsresearch.com/Alarcon.php

0:00 | BEaTS and host introduction.
0:27 | Introduction to Dr. Griffith.
1:11 | Childhood encounter in Malaysia that inspired Dr. Griffith’s mission.
2:57 | Main obstacles to corneal care in low-resource countries.
4:15 | Donor shortages and compatibility challenges in corneal transplants.
5:08 | Why donor compatibility matters and why people hesitate to donate.
5:44 | How artificial/cell-free corneas work - “Field of Dreams” analogy.
7:35 | What is Cornea-in-a-Syringe and how does it expand access?
9:10 | Why combine Cornea-in-a-Syringe with antiviral GF19 instead of just eye drops?
11:44 | Future of corneal treatments and a “vaccine-like” vision restoration.
13:10 | Comments from Andrés Mercado on Dr. Griffith’s work.
14:01 | Podcast conclusion.

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Alyssa Thomas (Content Generation), Michael Wossen (Producer), Chris Kachi (Voice), and Salah Hussein Aly (Post-Production)