At this year’s AAO meeting, we met up with Dr Eduardo Alfonso and got his insight on the hot topics being discussed at the congress. Dr Alfonso highlights some of the key messages from the session he chaired, including the diagnosis and treatment of infectious keratitis, and how molecular diagnostic methods can be used to improve treatment. He looks ahead to the future of research in this field and describes how looking at the DNA of infectious organisms can help us to understand their impact on the human body. Finally, Dr Alfonso explains how this year’s AAO meeting revolved around three main topics: gene therapy, to treat diseases based on their genetic makeup; stem cells, to regenerate damaged tissue; and how the analysis of big data can contribute to epidemiological studies.
Questions:
1. What were the main take-home messages from the session you chaired on ‘Corneal Infections and Keratoplasty: Perspectives from the AAO and PAAO’? (0:11)
2. What do you think are the most promising areas of research or therapies in this area for the future? (1:02)
3. What are your key highlights from this year’s American Association of Ophthalmology (AAO) meeting? (1:51)
Speaker disclosures: Eduardo C Alfonso has nothing to disclose in relation to this interview.
Filmed at the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) 2018 Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, US, 27–30 October 2018.
