The #SeeWhatMatters campaign and the importance of ocular research

Dan Ignaszewski, executive director of the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (AEVR) and the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (NAEVR) discusses the #SeeWhatMatters campaign, a critical initiative addressing threats to vision research funding and the potential consolidation of the National Eye Institute (NEI). The campaign aims to raise public awareness about the importance of vision research and its impact on clinical care. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO), American Academy of Optometry (AAOptom), Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), are also collaborating in part of the campaign.

The NEI was established in 1968 as a separate entity from neuroscience research, recognizing vision's unique research needs. However, recent proposals threaten to merge the NEI back into a broader neuroscience and brain research institute. This potential consolidation, proposed in congressional text and the administration's recent NIH restructuring plan, could have significant negative consequences for vision research. The speaker highlights several key concerns about the proposed consolidation. By merging vision research into a broader neuroscience institute, there's a risk of:

• Reducing focus on specialized vision research
• Delaying development of treatments for conditions like glaucoma, AMD, and myopia
• Undermining progress made over the past five decades
• Diminishing research into front-of-eye and back-of-eye conditions
• Potentially overlooking emerging research areas like the eye's role in systemic health diagnostics

The #SeeWhatMatters campaign seeks to mobilize the entire vision community - including patients, providers, researchers, and industry partners - to advocate for vision research. The initiative emphasizes that vision is often taken for granted until it's lost, and plays a crucial role in overall health and quality of life. Key campaign strategies include:

• Raising awareness through the seewhatmatters.org website
• Providing toolkits for public engagement
• Encouraging social media sharing of personal vision experiences
• Facilitating direct communication with congressional representatives

The campaign stresses the broader implications of vision research, particularly in light of increasing screen time, indoor living, and potential long-term vision health challenges. It calls for making vision a national health priority and ensuring continued dedicated research. Ultimately, the initiative aims to unite diverse stakeholders in a single voice, highlighting that vision research is critical for understanding, preventing, and treating vision-related conditions across all stages of life.