The Retina Channel Podcast

Dr. Brian Ballios from the University of Toronto and Toronto Western Hospital returns to The Retina Channel for a comprehensive update on inherited retinal diseases (IRDs). We discuss the evolving landscape of gene therapy, including long-term experience with RPE65 therapy and emerging treatments for IRDs including antisense oligonucleotides, optogenetics, new therapies for Stargardt disease, stem cell and photoreceptor replacement strategies, and the importance of natural history studies in designing future clinical trials. Brian was the second-ever guest on The Retina Channel back in 2017, making his return for Episode 98 nearly nine years later a particularly special one. A fascinating discussion about how far the field has come — and where IRD treatment may be heading next.

In this episode of The Retina Channel Podcast, Dr. Keyvan Koushan sits down with renowned retina specialist John Kitchens to discuss the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence in ophthalmology and medicine. Dr. Kitchens shares his practical experience using AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity, offering insights into how these tools can enhance clinical practice, education, research, communication, and everyday productivity. The conversation explores both the opportunities and limitations of AI, provides real-world examples of its use in ophthalmology, and offers a thoughtful look at how physicians can prepare for a future increasingly shaped by intelligent technologies. Whether you're an AI enthusiast or just beginning to explore these tools, this episode offers a practical and engaging perspective on one of the most important technological shifts in modern medicine.

In this episode of The Retina Channel Podcast, Dr. Jennifer Sun joins Dr. Keyvan Koushan to discuss the Phase 2 results of DRCR Retina Network Protocol AN evaluating tonabersat for diabetic macular edema. Dr. Sun reviews the rationale behind targeting connexin-43–mediated inflammatory pathways in DME, the key efficacy and safety findings from the study, and the potential implications of this novel oral therapy for future diabetic retinal disease management. The conversation also explores broader trends in DRCR clinical research and emerging treatment paradigms in diabetic eye disease.

In this episode of The Retina Channel Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Seong Joon Ahn from Hanyang University in South Korea to discuss a recent JAMA Ophthalmology study examining systemic drugs associated with underrecognized maculopathy. Using a novel two-step approach that integrates pharmacovigilance signal detection from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) with nationwide health-claims data from South Korea, the study identifies several commonly used systemic medications— apixaban, paclitaxel, ibrutinib, fingolimod, and sildenafil—as being associated with an increased risk of maculopathy. We explore the study's methodology, key findings such as dose-response relationships, and the clinical implications for retina specialists and general ophthalmologists alike, particularly around patient counseling and the potential need for ocular monitoring in patients on these medications.

Kim J, Ahn SJ, Park J, Gower EW, Chung JE. Systemic drugs associated with maculopathy. JAMA Ophthalmol.2025;143(11):946-952. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2025.3612.

In this episode, Dr. Mohsin Ali joins us to discuss his recent study on a simpler and highly effective way to clinically diagnose posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) using slit-lamp visualization of the posterior hyaloid membrane. The study compared this technique to the traditional Weiss ring method and OCT confirmation, finding that slit-lamp assessment of the posterior hyaloid was more sensitive, had a higher negative predictive value, and performed comparably in specificity — without requiring special lenses or imaging. Dr. Ali explains how the technique works, why it matters for everyday practice, and how it can improve decision-making around retinal tears, detachments, and vitreoretinal surgery — making a strong case that this should become a core diagnostic skill for all ophthalmologists.

The instructional slit-lamp PVD video referenced in this episode is available as supplemental material with the original Ophthalmology Retina publication. The video can be found here

References Article:

Sood S, Barra TA, Duong RT, et al.

Non-Funduscopic Slit Lamp Assessment of the Posterior Hyaloid Membrane: A Simpler and More Effective Way of Clinically Diagnosing Posterior Vitreous Detachments.

Ophthalmology Retina. 2025;9(9):892-898. doi:10.1016/j.oret.2025.02.027

Dr. David Chow, a proponent of 3D heads-up display (HUD) surgery for several years and involved in its development, provides a comprehensive introduction to 3D HUD systems in vitreo-retinal surgery. He covers optimization parameters for enhancing resolution and other variables to improve visualization.

This episode is a reproduction of another Retina-Focused EyeNovation webinar series and a result of a special collaboration between the Canadian Retina Society and the Canadian Ophthalmological Society.

Dr. Ioannis Dimopoulos of the University of Ottawa provides a comprehensive overview of Inherited Retinal Disorders, with a specific focus on various gene therapy approaches. He details the outcomes of his involvement in treatment approaches for Choroideremia.

Dr. Bernard Hurley of the University of Ottawa moderates this webinar.

In this episode of The Retina Channel Podcast, Dr. Christina Weng, Professor of Ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine and Chair of DRCR Retina Protocol AO, discusses the pivotal trial evaluating home OCT monitoring in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The conversation reviews the study's rationale, methodology, and key findings, with emphasis on how home-based imaging could transform treatment paradigms, refine injection strategies, and inform the future design of retina clinical trials.

Prof. Schmidt-Erfurth is a Professor and the Past Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Medical University of Vienna and the director of Vienna Reading Centre. She has been a pioneer in the application of AI in retinal image analysis. In this episode, she describes various applications of AI in retina research and the work that her group has been doing over the years. The following article is a review of the some of her work:

Enzendorfer ML, Tratnig-Frankl M, Eidenberger A, Schrittwieser J, Kuchernig L, Schmidt-Erfurth U. Rethinking Clinical Trials in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: How AI-Based OCT Analysis Can Support Successful Outcomes. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2025 Feb 20;18(3):284. doi: 10.3390/ph18030284. PMID: 40143063; PMCID: PMC11945239.