Out of the Blindspot

In the last episode of the podcast, we heard from several attendees of the 2025 NANOS meeting in Tucson, Arizona. One meeting session in particular resonated with many attendees, sparking, deep, personal reflections on their approach to this important topic. Co-created and co-led by Drs. Melissa Ko and Guy Jirawuthiworavong,  the sessions was titled The Science and Clinical Practice of Supporting Patients Through Vision Loss: Therapy When There is No Cure.This unique symposium tackled a question nearly every physician has faced: what to do when you’ve done all you can to heal, but can do no more?Today, we’re taking a deep dive into an important conversation—one that helps put things into perspective and challenges us to think beyond tests, prescriptions, and procedures, and remember the full person behind the patient. Dr. Melissa KoDr. Guy JirawuthiworavongDr. Agnes WongDr. Benzi KlugerThe International Neuropalliative Care SocietyPalliative Care to support the needs of Adults with Neurological DiseaseClinical Guidance in Neuropalliative Care  - A position statement from the Americal Academy of Neurology

The NANOS 2025 annual meeting in Tucson Arizona was as informative, exciting, fun, and impactful as ever. In this episode, I bring you a unique taste of the meeting through a conversation with a wonderful neuro-ophthalmologist and through reflections of meeting attendees from Tucson during the event.In the first part, I speak with Dr. Susan Mollan who is a world-renowned Neuro-ophthalmologist practicing in Birmingham, England. Her group is at the forefront of IIH research and we spoke about her background and interests in Neuro-ophthalmology, the latest in IIH and GLP-1 agonists, her reflections on the NANOS meeting, and more.In the second part of the episode we hear from a diverse group of meeting attendees about their favorite highlights and experiences from NANOS, a new and fun event debuting at this year’s meeting, and an impactful symposium we’ll hear more about in future podcast episodes.The IIH Intervention Leadership GroupNANOS 2025 Resources

In the last episode, we began a conversation with Dr. Howard Krauss, founding partner of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Southern California and a pioneering surgical Neuro-ophthalmologist.In this episode, we continue our conversation, learning more about his experience training to become a surgical Neuro-ophthalmologist, his experience as a co-founder of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, and r. Krauss offers some of his thoughts on the current state of our healthcare system, and sage advice to the next generation of aspiring physicians and Neuro-ophthalmologists.

Dr. Krauss is a pioneering surgical Neuro-ophthalmologist specializing in minimally invasive orbital and oculoplastic surgery and adult strabismus.  A leader in ophthalmology and medicine,  he has blazed the trail for many of us who followed his footsteps into this specialty as surgeons. In this episode, we’ll learn about his formative years including his journey from rocket scientist to Neuro-ophthalmologist.Dr. Howard Krauss

In this episode, I’m honored to bring you my conversation with Dr. Lenworth Johnson, a true pioneer in neuro-ophthalmology. As one of the first African American neuro-ophthalmologists, Dr. Johnson paved the way for future generations, breaking barriers and making an indelible mark on our field. Beyond his significant clinical expertise and technical contributions to ophthalmology, Dr. Johnson is also a historian of our profession. His book, Breaking the Color Line in Medicine: African Americans in Ophthalmology, is the definitive account of the African American experience in our field, chronicling the challenges, triumphs, and the ongoing endeavors to increase representation in ophthalmology.Dr. Johnson’s storytelling is as compelling as his insights, and in this episode, we explore his remarkable journey, the importance of representation in medicine, and the future of our field through his unique perspective.Dr. Lenworth JohnsonDr. Howard P. VenableDr. Maurice RabbBreaking the Color Line in Medicine: African Americans in OphthalmologyBlack Pioneers in OphthalmologyRabb Venable Excellence in Ophthalmology ProgramThe National Medical Association Ophthalmology Section

Today on the podcast, I have Drs. Alexandra "Ola" Pietraskiewicz and Amy Durand, two young physicians who are at the cusp of beginning what will hopefully be long and fulfilling careers in neuro-ophthalmology. We’ll hear what motivated them to pursue careers in our field, help break some of the common myths that dissuade many trainees from considering neuro-ophthalmology as a viable career choice, and we’ll hear some sage advice about the mindset that can help overcome apprehension about choosing a career in Neuro-ophthalmology.Dr. Alexandra "Ola" PietraskiewiczDr. Amy Durand

With overall relatively low exposure to and recruitment of trainees to the field of neuro-ophthalmology, I feel that we as a specialty must be able address the misconceptions about who we are and what we do by telling our own stories. We need to spread the message more widely about how great our specialty is and how much of a positive impact we can have on our patients, colleagues, and communities by the specialized care and expertise we are able to offer to our patients and communities. This has been the main goal of this podcast, which started with an episode featuring an invited talk to the ophthalmology student interest group at McGovern medical school. This episode is a rebroadcast of that conversation in which I exposed medical students to our field and addressed some of the misconceptions about neuro-ophthalmology to their young impressionable minds. 

In the previous episode, I began a conversation with Drs. John Chen, Fiona Costello, and Heather Moss, about the 50th anniversary NANOS meeting.  In this episode, we continue our conversation about what’s new and exciting in NO and how to take the momentum from the meeting and use it to grow more practical interest in our specialty.NANOS 2024John J. Chen M.D., PH.DFiona Costello, M.D, FRCPCHeather Moss, M.D., PH.D

The 50th Anniversary NANOS Annual Meeting was held in Honolulu, HI from March 2 through March 7 2024. it was a wonderful meeting that has been claimed  by many to be of the best annual meetings ever with respect to location, venue, content, organization, and atmosphere. It was one of the the largest NANOS meetings ever, drawing a diverse, international audience from all over the globe. The meeting covered a wide range of neuro-ophthalmologic content including cutting edge research, and some of the latest in diagnostic and treatment paradigms in our specialty. Today, we begin a series of episodes in which I speak with world renowned neuro-ophthalmologists Drs. John Chen, Fiona Costello, and Heather Moss, about the 50th anniversary NANOS meeting. Each played an important role in the meeting and its success and we had a wonderful conversation about their experiences in Hawaii, the new and cutting edge topics that came out of the meeting, and how to take the momentum from the excitement of the meeting and use it to grow the specialty of neuro-ophthalmology.NANOS 2024John J. Chen M.D., PH.DFiona Costello, M.D, FRCPCHeather Moss, M.D., PH.D

The young Neuro-ophthalmologists committee of NANOS or YONO was established in 2012 in an effort to meet the needs of trainees and neuro-ophthalmologists in their formative years of training and practice. The YONO committee is currently co-chaired by Drs. Nailyn Rasool and Andrew Melson who are passionate about the support and mentorship of those early in their neuro-ophthalmology journeys. In this episode of OOTBS I'll speak with them about the importance of YONO and the wonderful resources it provides, and how to YOLO as a YONO. NANOS YONO PortalDr. Nailyn RasoolDr. Andrew Melson

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Dr. Stephen McLeod, the CEO of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, addressing the importance of creating spaces where diversity can thrive, the Supreme Court's decision on affirmative action and how it affects AAO, and what the academy is doing to support the cognitive specialties of ophthalmology, including my field of Neuro-ophthalmology. 

Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to bring important and hopefully thought provoking conversations through the sight for site eyes podcast highlighting the world of DEI in ophthalmology. I’ve also been able to highlight the unique field of Neuro-ophthalmology through the out of the Blindspot podcast. I’m particularly excited for the conversation that will be featured in the next couple of episodes in the first of its kind cross over event for the two podcasts I produce. That’s because I had the incredible opportunity to speak with Dr. Stephen McLeod, the chief executive officer of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Dr. McLeod is an extremely accomplished leader of leaders who brings an inspiring perspective from his many years of leadership service at all levels of academia and within the American academy of Ophthalmology.We spoke about his paths to ophthalmology and leadership, and his leadership philosophy and style. We also spoke about what the CEO of the academy does and what DEI means to him and its importance to the academy and its mission. Finally I had the opportunity to ask him what the academy is doing to support my field of neuro-ophthalmology and the other cognitive specialties of ophthalmology that are at risk of becoming severely undermanned if actions are not taken to address their pipeline and retention issues.Dr. Stephen McLeodAAO Staff Leadership

In our last episode, we began a series on the North American Neuro-ophthalmology society or NANOS, the largest organization in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the field of Neuro-ophthalmology. In this episode, we speak with Drs. Kathleen Digre and Larry Frohman about the history of NANOS and how its legacy has been intimately intertwined with the development of the field of Neuro-ophthalmology as we approach the 50th anniversary of the organization. Their multiple and invaluable contributions to NANOS from its early days have helped form and grow it into the amazing organization and resource that it has become today.Dr. Kathleen DigreDr. Larry Frohman History of NANOSNOVELSusan CarlowHistory of the Walsh Society

Today, we begin a series featuring the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (NANOS), the largest organization in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the field of neuro-ophthalmology.In the first episode of the series we’ll speak to Drs. Prem Subramanian and Peter Quiros, the current and immediate future presidents of NANOS to learn about what NANOS is, what it does, and their vision for the organization moving forward.nanosweb.orgFind a Neuro-ophthalmologistPatient Information Journal of Neuro-ophthalmology

In the last episode we began a conversation with Dr. Jane Edmond, a unicorn of sorts with unique life experiences and achievements at the crossroads of neuro-ophthalmology and leadership that set her apart. These include being a super specialized pediatric neuro-ophthalmologist and the inaugural and current chair of the Mitchell and Shannon Wong Eye Institute at UT Austin’s Dell Medical school and  the president elect of the American Academy of ophthalmology to begin her tenure in January 2024. We learned about her pathway to leadership, and some great ideas about how to use her platform as the next president of AAO to support her passions for the cognitive specialties of ophthalmology and to address health disparities and inequities in ophthalmology. In this of episode we focus more on Dr. Edmond’s leadership experiences. What motivates her as a leader, her style of leadership that sets her apart, and her advice for the next generation of ophthalmologists. Jane Edmond, MD - https://dellmed.utexas.edu/directory/jane-c-edmond2023 AAO President-Elect Nominee: Jane C. Edmond, MD

What is a Unicorn? Do you think of a horse-like mythical beast with magical powers and a single ribbon-like horn protruding from its forehead? While true mytholoigcal unicorns likely don't exist, a unicorn is that rare individual with a unique set of skills, abilities, characteristics, and achievements that sets them apart from the rest. Joining me today is one such individual. Dr. Jane Edmond. She is a pediatric neuro-ophthalmologist and also the past president of AAPOS the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, the inaugural chair of the Mitchell and Shannon Wong Eye Institute at UT Austin’s Dell Medical School, and the President Elect of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, to begin her tenure in 2024.In the next two episodes of OOTBS we explore the intersection of neuro-ophthalmology and leadership through Dr. Edmond’s life and experiences. How did someone who did not originally set out to be a leader and had no formal leadership training achieve this level of successful and sustained organizational leadership and how can her experience help her subspecialty fields of ophthalmology? Stay tuned to find out what happens when you take the experiences that life gives you, the expected and unexpected, the good and the bad and make the absolute most out of it.   Jane Edmond, MD - https://dellmed.utexas.edu/directory/jane-c-edmond2023 AAO President-Elect Nominee: Jane C. Edmond, MD

In the first part of this episode we began a conversation with Drs. Larry Frohman and Prem Subramanian, who are neuro-ophthalmologists with unique and substantial leadership backgrounds and experience with NANOS and the AAO that make them uniquely poised to speak about about the pipeline, work force, and compensation issues that Neuro-ophthalmology has been facing for some time.  In this episode we continue our conversation, taking a deep dive into the value that neuro-ophthalmology brings to medicine, patients and our communities. Larry Frohman, MD - https://njms.rutgers.edu/departments/ophthalmology/frohman.phpPrem Subramanian, MD - https://som.cuanschutz.edu/Profiles/Faculty/Profile/23271Mismatch in Supply and Demand for Neuro-Ophthalmic Care

In this episode of OOTBS we begin a 2 part series asking  "What is the value of neuro-ophthalmology?" To answer this question, I speak with Drs. Larry Frohman and Prem Subramanian. Both are world renowned and accomplished neuro-ophthalmologists who have also been on the front lines at both the societal and national levels, championing the value of Neuro-ophthalmology through their leadership and advocacy efforts. I learn a lot through our conversation and I think you will too.Larry Frohman, MD - https://njms.rutgers.edu/departments/ophthalmology/frohman.phpPrem Subramanian, MD - https://som.cuanschutz.edu/Profiles/Faculty/Profile/23271

In this episode, I speak to Drs. Courtney Francis and Aimee Szewka. Together, they are the co-chairs of the Pipeline committee of the North American Neuro-ophthalmology society or NANOS, the professional organization of neuro-ophthalmology on this continent. Together, they lead a committee tasked with determining and addressing many of the reasons young trainees choose not to pursue a career in neuro-ophthalmology and dispel myths and misunderstandings about our specialty. They are passionate about this important work and the field of neuro-ophthalmology and it definitely came through during our conversation.Courtney Francis, MD - https://ophthalmology.washington.edu/faculty/courtney-francis-mdAimee Szewka, MD - https://doctors.rush.edu/details/919

In this first episode of OOTBS, we will be getting right at the heart of the matter. Exploring the specialty of  neuro-ophthalmology and why it is such a unique and wonderful field of medicine.