Duke Eye Center faculty played prominent leadership and scientific roles at the XXVIIth Biennial Meeting of the International Society for Eye Research (ISER), held August 23-27, 2026, in Valencia, Spain. The international conference brought together vision researchers from around the world and featured Duke faculty as meeting leaders, session chairs, invited speakers, and award recipients.
Paloma Liton, PhD, served as Meeting Chair for ISER 2026, helping lead the conference and welcoming attendees during the opening session.
Duke faculty also presented research spanning retinal disease, glaucoma, lens biology, ocular aging, and regenerative medicine. Presenters included Catherine Bowes Rickman, PhD; Goldis Malek, PhD; Rupalatha Maddala, PhD; Myoungsup Sim, PhD; Kyle McPherson, PhD; Nobuhiko Shiraki, PhD; and Vasantha Rao, PhD.
Vasantha Rao, PhD, provided leadership across multiple scientific programs, serving as chair of glaucoma and lens research sessions, organizing the lens section, and presenting his research on membrane cytoskeletal architecture and trafficking in lens fibers.
Daniel Stamer, PhD, received the prestigious Ernst H. Bárány Prize and delivered the award lecture. He also presented research on organ-on-a-chip modeling of intraocular pressure regulation, highlighting advances in glaucoma research and translational science.
The strong Duke presence at ISER 2026 reflects Duke Eye Center's continued leadership in vision research and its commitment to advancing discoveries that improve the understanding and treatment of eye disease.