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Other London events

Don't let your eyes get old

Past event - 2017
15 May Doors 6.30pm
Event 7pm to 10pm
Willy's Wine Bar, 107 Fenchurch Street,
London EC3M 5JF
Sold Out!
Join us for an inspirational evening of talks on pioneering eye research presented by scientists and people living with sight loss. Science, medicine and technology are rapidly coming together to bring us closer to preventing, treating and ultimately reversing sight loss. The pace of change has never been so exciting or so rapid. Fight for Sight is the leading UK charity funding research into preventing sight loss and treating eye disease.

The Blind Man of Hoy

Red Szell (Author)
Red Szell is a rock climber, wild-water swimmer, the back half of a mountain bike tandem team, and published author. He refuses to let his blindness stand in the way of an adventure.

In 2013 the 47 year-old Londoner became the first blind person to climb the Old Man of Hoy (the tallest sea-stack in the Northern Hemisphere and Britain’s most awesome pinnacle) – a feat that was captured by top-adventure cameraman Keith Partridge (Touching the Void, The Beckoning Silence) in a BBC TV documentary. Come along to hear more of his story, and how he views the world.

Don’t Let Your Eyes Get Old

Professor Glen Jeffery (Professor of Neuroscience, UCL)
We all age, but the retina ages faster than any other organ in your body. By the time you are 30 there are problems on the horizon, and by 70 years you have lost 30% of the light sensitive cells in the retina. You could end up losing a lot more if you develop macular degeneration, which is the largest cause of blindness in those over 65. There are some routes around this but you need to be thinking about it early. I want to look at why we develop this age related disease and how we can reduce its probability. Don’t worry, it does not mean giving up alcohol or taking cold baths (thank god!).

From Small Things

Michele Acton (CEO, Fight For Sight)
By funding early stage research, charities spark ideas and de-risk research for others with deeper pockets to develop and take to the clinic. From developing a portable eye examination kit on a smartphone, to developing a gene replacement therapy, hear Michele discuss how a patient focussed charity can transform people’s lives. Michele graduated with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University. She then spent 15 years working as an investment banker in London. In 2004 she became the Chief Executive of UCL Hospitals Charitable Foundation and became Chief Executive of Fight for Sight in November 2006.
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