Retina International COVID-19 Webinar Series
“A Unified Voice for the Ageing Community”
Retina International are delighted to present the first of two webinars addressing the unique challenges being posed by COVID-19 to our patient community.
The first webinar will take place on September 3rd 2020, 17:00 CET, and will focus on the ageing community, who are especially vulnerable in these uncertain times. This cross-disciplinary panel will explore how COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing measures have impacted quality of life, healthcare and access to essential services for patients of the ageing community, in particular those affected by conditions of the retina and neurological conditions.
Dr. Keith Gordon (Canada) from Retina Action will lead this panel discussion and will be joined by Donna Walsh (Ireland) from the European Federation of NeurologicalAssociations (EFNA), Karen Denton (South Africa) from Retina South Africa, and Dr. Heather Snyder (USA) of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Registration for this event is free and open to the public. To register, please click the following link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mOkrsyUgQfazy5ABUo-0bQ
Retina International COVID-19 Webinar 1 (PDF)
Donna Walsh
Donna became the Executive Director of the European Federation of Neurological Associations [EFNA] in June 2012. Donna’s training is in Journalism, but she has worked with patient organisations in the neurological sector – in various roles – since leaving university. This included work with the European Migraine and Headache Alliance [EMHA] and the Migraine Association of Ireland [MAI], as well as being a representative to the Neurological Alliance of Ireland. Donna oversees the strategic direction of EFNA and leads in the creation and implementation of its annual workplan, projects and activities. Since joining EFNA, Donna has led the development of some of EFNA’s current keynote initiatives such as its MEP Interest Group on Brain, Mind and Pain and Training Initiatives for Neurology Advocates. She is also active in representing EFNA and the neurology patient community externally, including as a current Board Member of the European Brain Council and as a Member of the European Academy of Neurology’s European Affairs Sub-Committee.
Dr. Keith Gordon
Dr. Keith Gordon is currently the Senior Research Officer of the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) and is the author of the CCB report: “The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Canadians who are blind, deaf-blind, or partially-sighted” published in April 2020. He is past Vice President of Research of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), where he directed all research activities of the organization. Dr. Gordon’s primary research interests lie in the area of ophthalmic epidemiology. He is an adjunct professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Toronto and an Honorary Teaching Fellow in the School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of Auckland in Auckland, New Zealand. Dr. Gordon has been a board member of, and worked with, a number of national and international organizations associated with vision. He is currently Chair of the Board of Retina Action.
Karen Denton
Karen was always a keen student and teacher, and after having a toddler diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, she was set on a pathway that shaped her life. Having completed studies in General Nursing, Midwifery, Operating Theatre, Nursing Administration, Nursing Education, Psychiatric Nursing, and a Degree in Psychology, Karen was uniquely poised to utilize the varied skills for a thirty plus year career in Diabetes Education. During this time Karen lectured internationally, was chairperson for multiple diabetes focused organisations such as Diabetes South Africa, Pan-Africa Diabetes Educators and The South African Diabetes Educators Association. After moving to the Middle East for a further 8 years where she continued her studies, she returned to South Africa, and has been delighted to re-integrate into the medical field with Retina SA as the AMD Ambassador.
Dr. Heather Snyder
Heather M. Snyder, Ph.D., is vice president, Medical & Scientific Relations at the Alzheimer’s Association®. In this role, she oversees Association initiatives that accelerate innovative Alzheimer’s research and provide opportunities for the global dementia community to connect and collaborate. Dr. Snyder is responsible for the progress the Association has made in Alzheimer’s and dementia research funding. She leads the Association’s International Research Grant Program, the vehicle through which the Association funds promising investigations that advance understanding of Alzheimer’s and moves the field toward solutions for the global Alzheimer’s crisis. She holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and a bachelor’s degree in biology and religious studies from the University of Virginia.
