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Berkeley Optometry Continuing Education Centennial CE & Reunion Weekend promotional banner with image of the campanile against a night sky. Text reads "Welcome back to Berkeley. Berkeley Optometry Centennial CE and Reunion Weekend, Saturday & Sunday, September 23 & 24, 2023."
We’re celebrating 100 years of Berkeley Optometry & Vision Science, and we’re thrilled to host you at our Centennial CE & Reunion Weekend! This program will take place in-person on the UC Berkeley campus. All are welcome.

Our Centennial Alumni Reunion CE program will offer 7 hours of CE on Saturday (COPE Activity #126751) and 6 hours of CE on Sunday (COPE Activity #126686) at the Sheldon M. Golden Conference for up to 13 COPE-accredited CE hours. We’ve lined up an impressive roster of speakers who will share their insights and expertise.

Saturday, September 23, 2023

8:15 AM – 5:00 PM PT (breakfast at 7:15 AM and lunch included)
Stanley Hall, UC Berkeley campus
7 CE Hours (COPE Activity #126751)

Sunday, September 24, 2023

9:00 AM – 4:30 PM PT (breakfast at 8:00 AM and lunch included)
Stanley Hall, UC Berkeley campus
6 CE Hours (COPE Activity #126686)
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED

2023 Centennial CE Speakers

Please see below for our schedule of speakers and topics for the 2023 Centennial CE Program & Sheldon M. Golden Conference (subject to change).

Centennial CE – Saturday

Our Centennial Alumni Reunion CE program will offer 7 hours of CE lectures on Saturday. We’re honored to feature our Alumni Visionaries in Optometry — our alumni who are deans and leaders at schools of optometry globally.

*Please note that Saturday’s CE program will be followed by the Alumni Reunion Celebration Dinner starting at 5:00 PM PT (prior registration required). You can find more information on the Centennial Reunion Weekend webpage.

Composite image of Centennial CE 2023 Saturday Speakers: Dennis Levi, OD, PhD; Kelly Nichols, OD, MPH, PHD, FAAO; Michael Twa, OD, PhD; Stanley Woo, OD, MS, MBA, FAAO; Karla Zadnik, OD, PhD

Breakfast for Saturday, September 23 will be available from 7:15 – 8:00 AM at Stanley Hall.

Saturday, September 23, 2023 (8:40 – 9:35 AM PT)

Low-Dose Atropine for Myopia Control

Karla Zadnik, OD, PhD

Dean, Ohio State University College of Optometry

COPE Course 85504-GO: This lecture will present the current body of knowledge on studies using low-dose atropine for juvenile-onset myopia control. The initial studies from Asia, the Vyluma-sponsored CHAMP Study, and recent literature on compounded low-dose atropine will be discussed. You will learn about the efficacy of low-dose atropine around the world; the safety of low-dose atropine around the world; and current low-dose atropine prescribing trends.

Saturday, September 23, 2023 (9:35 – 10:30 AM PT)

Translational Studies in Ocular Biomechanics: From Theory to Practice

Michael Twa, OD, PhD

Dean, University of Houston College of Optometry

COPE Course 86089-TD: Ocular tissue biomechanics are an important factor in normal physiological function and diseases including myopia, glaucoma, keratoconus and others. This course will cover new developments in diagnostic imaging and their applications for clinical practice. Dr. Twa will introduce fundamental concepts in soft-tissue biomechanics and their importance in ocular disease, and will highlight the development and application of optical coherence elastography as a novel diagnostic imaging method for understanding how tissue properties are altered in disease and influenced by treatment.

Saturday, September 23, 2023 (10:40 – 11:35 AM PT)

Updates in Ocular Surface Disease

Kelly Nichols, OD, MPH, PHD, FAAO

Dean, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry

COPE Course 86088-TD: Ocular surface disease is highly prevalent and causes many patients to seek care and treatments due to symptoms of eye dryness and irritation. Emerging diagnostics and therapeutics should aid the clinician in earlier diagnosis and improved management. This lecture will prepare you to distinguish the burden of disease associated with DED, MGD-associated DED, and other ocular surface conditions; analyze new key trial data surrounding therapies used for the treatment of ocular surface diseases; recognize the mechanisms of action of emerging agents for the treatment for DED; and evaluate safety, efficacy, and key clinical trial data for emerging agents.

Saturday, September 23, 2023 (1:05 – 2:50 PM PT)

Alumni Grand Rounds

Harry Green, OD, PhD

Sam Lee, OD

Kristina Lin, OD

Angela Shahbazian, OD, FAAO

Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science

COPE Course 86090-TD: This two-hour grand rounds session featuring UC Berkeley School of Optometry alumni will include cases on nodular episcleritis, neurosyphilis, and more. Speakers will discuss case details, diagnostic testing, treatment options, systemic workup, and interdisciplinary management.

Saturday, September 23, 2023 (3:00 – 3:55 PM PT)

Bridging the Divide in Low Vision Rehabilitation – Leveraging Telehealth for New Models of Care

Stanley Woo, OD, MS, MBA, FAAO

Director, School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of Waterloo

COPE Course 85570-LV: Teleoptometry is a tool to increase access to eye and vision care services. Different models may be applicable to specific areas of care including low vision rehabilitation. This course will enable learners to define teleoptometry within the telehealth space, and understand applications to increase access to care, compare and contrast models of care for low vision rehabilitation with teleoptometry, and critically evaluate opportunities for incorporating low vision rehabilitation into practice to serve their patients.

Saturday, September 23, 2023 (4:05 – 4:55 PM PT)

Learning to See in 3D

Dennis Levi, OD, PhD

Dean Emeritus, Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science

COPE Course 85293-FV: Stereopsis provides us with a vivid impression of the depth and distance of objects in our 3-dimensional world. Stereopsis is important for a number of everyday visual tasks, including (but not limited to) reaching and grasping, fine visuo-motor control, and navigating in our world. This lecture will review the neural substrate for normal binocular vision and stereopsis and its development in primates; outline some of the issues and limitations of stereopsis tests and examine some of the factors that limit the typical development of stereopsis and the causes and consequences of stereo-deficiency and stereo-blindness. Dr. Levi will review several approaches to improving or recovering stereopsis in neurotypical individuals.

Sheldon M. Golden Conference: Neurodegenerative Disease and the Eye

COPE Activity #126686: Our Sunday program will offer 6 hours of CE and feature panel discussions and Q&A with experts from the fields of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Glaucoma — including our special guest Nobel Laureate Randy Schekman, PhD.

A composite image of Golden Conference speakers: Top row: Debora Lee Chen, OD, MPH, FAAO; Jennifer Fisher, OD, FAAO; Karsten Gronert, MS, PhD; Shane Liddelow, PhD; Bottom row: Yvonne Ou, MD; Randy Schekman, PhD; John Flanagan, PhD, DSc, FCOptom, FAAO, FARVO.
Breakfast for Sunday, September 24 will be available from 8:00 – 8:45 AM at Stanley Hall.

Sunday, September 24, 2023 (Session One: 9:00 - 11:00 AM PT)

Tackling Parkinson’s Disease With Basic Science

Randy Schekman, PhD

2013 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine
Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Berkeley

COPE Course 85482-SD: In this lecture, Dr. Schekman will focus on Parkinson’s Disease with an emphasis on how basic science is being deployed to understand the molecular and cellular basis of the disease. He will share current knowledge of the molecules and cellular organelles that form the basis of certain genetic forms of Parkinson’s Disease and explain how a new effort, “Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s Disease,” seeks to mobilize an international collaborative research network to accelerate discovery in order to identify new targets for therapeutic intervention.

Clinical Presentation: Parkinson’s Disease for the OD

Debora Lee Chen, OD, MPH, FAAO

Co-Chief, Binocular Vision Clinic
Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science

Jennifer Fisher, OD, FAAO

Co-Chief, Binocular Vision Clinic
Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science

COPE Course 85439-NO: This course discusses clinically-relevant ocular manifestations of Parkinson’s Disease. Cases highlight how optometrists are integral in helping identify the condition, and how to use optometric tools to improve the quality of life of Parkinson’s patients. You will learn how to identify common ocular manifestations of Parkinson’s Disease, select which optometric tests to administer in evaluation of patients with Parkinson’s Disease, and understand helpful optometric management tools that will enhance patients’ activities of daily living.

Panel Discussion

Chaired and moderated by John Flanagan, PhD, DSc, FCOptom
Dean, Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science

Sunday, September 24, 2023 (Session Two: 11:15 AM - 12:10 PM PT)

Glaucoma as a Neurodegenerative Disease

Yvonne Ou, MD

Ophthalmologist and Glaucoma Specialist
University of California, San Francisco

COPE Course 85573-GL: In this course, Dr. Ou will discuss glaucoma from the perspective of a neurodegenerative disease, including pathological mechanisms and neuroprotective treatment strategies. Attendees will learn to understand glaucoma from the perspective of a neurodegenerative disease, including shared features with other neurodegenerative diseases of the CNS, gain an up-to-date scientific understanding of neurodegenerative processes in the glaucomatous retina and optic nerve, and learn about neuroprotective and neuroregenerative treatment strategies that are under study or in the pipeline.

Sunday, September 24, 2023 (Session Three: 1:20 - 3:10 PM PT)

What We Know About Alzheimer’s Disease

Shane Liddelow, PhD

Neuroscience and Physiology & Ophthalmology
New York University

COPE Course 85438-NO: This course will discuss the role of astrocyte functions in maintaining brain health during normal physiology and during multiple neurodegenerative diseases and other pathological conditions. Dr. Liddelow will provide special focus on the multiple roles of reactive astrocyte phenotypes that are common across different disease states. You will learn to understand the role of astrocytes in neurodegenerative diseases, investigate the impact of astrocyte dysfunction on disease progression, evaluate astrocyte-mediated mechanisms of neuroprotection and neurotoxicity, examine the molecular and cellular alterations in astrocytes in neurodegenerative diseases, and explore therapeutic strategies targeting astrocytes for neurodegenerative diseases.

Clinical Presentation: Alzheimer’s Disease for the OD

Debora Lee Chen, OD, MPH, FAAO

Co-Chief, Binocular Vision Clinic
Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science

Jennifer Fisher, OD, FAAO

Co-Chief, Binocular Vision Clinic
Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science

COPE Course 85438-NO: This course discusses the primary care optometrist’s role in the evaluation and management of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias. Cases highlight exam modifications, helpful ancillary tests, and specific management considerations. You will be able to identify common ocular manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, select which optometric tests to administer in evaluation in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementias, and understand helpful optometric management tools that will enhance patients’ activities of daily living.

Panel Discussion

Chaired and moderated by John Flanagan, PhD, DSc, FCOptom
Dean, Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science

Sunday, September 24, 2023 (Session Four: 3:25 - 4:30 PM PT)

An Immunologist’s View of Neurodegenerative Disease

Karsten Gronert, MS, PhD

Molecular & Cell Biology
Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science

COPE Course 86135-NO: This lecture will cover regulation of immune cells and macroglia in retinal homeostasis and neurodegeneration by resident lipid
mediator pathways.

Commonalities & Differences: What Can We Learn?

Shane Liddelow, PhD

Neuroscience and Physiology & Ophthalmology
New York University

COPE Course 86262-NO: This lecture will explore the crucial role of astrocytes in health and across different neurodegenerative diseases in the eye and the rest of the CNS. Discover how astrocytes impact brain health and serve as a potential therapeutic target.

Panel Discussion

Chaired and moderated by John Flanagan, PhD, DSc, FCOptom
Dean, Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science

[margin space="50"]

Registration Options

[margin space="25"] You can register for the entire weekend or select programs:

  • Centennial Package: 13 hours of CE, breakfast, lunch, and celebration dinner
  • Saturday & Sunday CE Program: 13 hours of CE, breakfast, and lunch
  • Saturday Package: 7 hours of CE, breakfast, lunch, and celebration dinner
  • Saturday CE Program Only: 7 hours of CE, breakfast and lunch
  • Sunday CE Program Only – Golden Conference: 6 hours of CE, breakfast and lunch
  • Celebration Dinner Only
[hidden] [margin space="25"] [alert icon="exclamation-sign"]REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED[/alert] [hidden] [margin space="50"]

Pricing

[margin space="25"] [accordion header1="Early Registration Pricing (until August 31, 2023)" tab1="

Berkeley Alumni Pricing:

  • Centennial Package: Full CE Program + Celebration Dinner: $420
  • Saturday & Sunday CE Program (13 CE Hours): $335
  • Saturday CE Program + Celebration Dinner: $295
  • Saturday CE Program Only (7 CE Hours): $210
  • Sunday CE Program Only - Golden Conference (6 CE Hours): $180
  • Celebration Dinner Only: $85

Non-Berkeley Alumni Pricing:

  • Centennial Package: Full CE Program + Celebration Dinner: $490
  • Saturday & Sunday CE Program (13 CE Hours): $405
  • Saturday CE Program + Celebration Dinner: $330
  • Saturday CE Program Only (7 CE Hours): $245
  • Sunday CE Program Only - Golden Conference (6 CE Hours): $210
  • Celebration Dinner Only: $85

"] [accordion header1="Standard Registration Pricing (starting September 1, 2023)" tab1="

Berkeley Alumni Pricing:

  • Centennial Package: Full CE Program + Celebration Dinner: $445
  • Saturday & Sunday CE Program (13 CE Hours): $360
  • Saturday CE Program + Celebration Dinner: $320
  • Saturday CE Program Only (7 CE Hours): $235
  • Sunday CE Program Only - Golden Conference (6 CE Hours): $205
  • Celebration Dinner Only: $85

Non-Berkeley Alumni Pricing:

  • Centennial Package: Full CE Program + Celebration Dinner: $525
  • Saturday & Sunday CE Program (13 CE Hours): $440
  • Saturday CE Program + Celebration Dinner: $350
  • Saturday CE Program Only (7 CE Hours): $265
  • Sunday CE Program Only - Golden Conference (6 CE Hours): $228
  • Celebration Dinner Only: $85

"]

[margin space="25"] Registered attendees will receive an email 24 hours prior to the lecture date with additional event information and a link to the syllabus download. If you do not receive this email, please notify us at optoce@berkeley.edu.

Continuing Education Credits

Thirteen CE hours will be available for the full, COPE-accredited Centennial CE & Reunion Weekend (Saturday & Sunday). This activity meets the live, interactive CE coursework requirements of the California State Board of Optometry. For COPE, this activity is considered a ‘Synchronous In-Person’ activity.

Daily CE Breakdown*

Saturday, September 23, 2023
COPE Activity #126751

Low-Dose Atropine for Myopia Control (TPA)
COPE Course 85504-GO
1 CE Hour

Translational Studies in Ocular Biomechanics: From Theory to Practice (MISC)
COPE Course 86089-TD
1 CE Hour

Updates in Ocular Surface Disease (TPA)
COPE Course 86088-TD
1 CE Hour

Alumni Grand Rounds (TPA)
COPE Course 86090-TD
2 CE Hours

Bridging the Divide in Low Vision Rehabilitation – Leveraging Telehealth for New Models of Care (MISC)
COPE Course 85570-LV
1 CE Hour

Learning to See in 3D (MISC)
COPE Course 85293-FV
1 CE Hour

Sunday, September 24, 2023
COPE Activity #126686

Tackling Parkinson’s Disease With Basic Science (MISC)
COPE Course 85482-SD
1 CE Hour

Parkinson’s Disease for the OD & Panel Discussion (MISC)
COPE Course 85439-NO
1 CE Hour

Glaucoma as a Neurodegenerative Disease (GLC)
COPE Course 85573-GL
1 CE Hour

What We Know About Alzheimer’s Disease (MISC)
COPE Course 86263-NO
1 CE Hour

Alzheimer’s Disease for the OD & Panel Discussion (MISC)
COPE Course 85438-NO
1 CE Hour

An Immunologist’s View of Neurodegenerative Disease (TPA)
COPE Course 86135-NO
0.5 CE Hour

Neurodegenerative Disease & The Eye – Commonalities and Differences: What Can We Learn (GLC)
86262-NO
0.5 CE Hour

*Total CE hours subject to change

Please note: Partial attendance of a COPE course does not count towards COPE CE.

Sponsors

Thank you to our Centennial CE & Reunion Weekend 2023 sponsors.

Questions?

View our Frequently Asked Questions page for information on registration, CE credit guidelines, certification letters, cancellations, and refunds.