The 19th PRO RETINA Forschungskolloquium took place from April 4–5, 2025, in the city of Potsdam, Germany. This annual scientific conference, organized by Pro Retina Deutschland e.V., brings together researchers, clinicians, and patient advocates to foster dialogue and drive progress in the field of retinal degenerative diseases.

Founded with the goal of enhancing collaboration between scientists and the patient community, the Forschungskolloquium has become a cornerstone of knowledge exchange in retinal research. Each year, the event highlights cutting-edge advances ranging from gene therapy and stem cell applications to retinal imaging and neuroprotection strategies.

Strong Presence from the Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Tübingen

This year’s colloquium featured a remarkable presence from the Institute for Ophthalmic Research from the University Hospital Tübingen (UKT), with 16 posters presented by UKT researchers—out of 58 in total.

Among the highlights:

• Merve Sen from the Ueffing Lab was awarded the Best Poster Design Award, one of four awards granted by the jury. Her poster, titled
  “A novel tri-layered retinal model to elucidate ARMS2 A69S in AMD”, showcased an innovative in vitro model offering new insights into the genetic mechanisms of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
  Authors: Merve Sen, Jona Röthenhöfer, Emanuel ten Brink, Shibu Anthony, Angela Armento, Marius Ueffing.
   
• Ana Cristina Almansa Garcia, also from the Ueffing Lab, was selected for the prestigious Selected Poster Presentation Session. Her abstract,
  “VCP inhibition as a neuroprotective strategy from hydroquinone-induced damage in a porcine/iPSC-RPE co-culture system,” was among the top eight chosen for oral presentation.
  Ana Cristina presented her research on Friday afternoon to a highly engaged international audience—an honor that underscores both the novelty and impact of her work.
   
• In the thematic session “Retinal Metabolism in Focus,”François Paquet-Durand gave an invited talk titled “Fuel for vision: Evidence for anaplerotic metabolism in retinal photoreceptors,” highlighting his group’s latest insights into the complex bioenergetics of the retina.

A Platform for Innovation and Collaboration

Over the years, the Pro Retina Forschungskolloquium has grown into a vital meeting point for interdisciplinary exchange. Held regularly in Potsdam—with recent editions at the Kongresshotel Potsdam am Templiner See—the meeting has become synonymous with excellence, innovation, and community engagement in vision science.

This year’s event once again demonstrated the power of collaborative research and the importance of patient-oriented science. We are honored to have been part of this dynamic environment and extend our thanks to the organizers for their continued support of young researchers and transformative science.

For more on upcoming meetings, visit the official Pro Retina Deutschland e.V. website.