Team Cooke Bailey Highlights Vision Science Innovation at ARVO 2025

Team Cooke Bailey had a strong and inspiring presence at the 2025 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting, held in Salt Lake City, Utah from May 4-8. This international conference brought together thousands of scientists, clinicians, and public health leaders to advance cutting-edge research in eye and vision health. Our team was proud to contribute important findings centered on glaucoma, genetics, and population health.

Oral Presentation: Lauren Cruz, MPH

Lauren Cruz (Doctoral Candidate at Case Western Reserve University) delivered a featured oral presentation during the Glaucoma: Latest Trends and Innovation session on May 6 at 9:00 AM in Ballroom E. Her talk, titled “Expanding ancestral diversity reveals novel insights into African primary open-angle glaucoma genetics,” shared findings from our ongoing work investigating the genetic architecture of glaucoma in African ancestry populations.

Lauren emphasized the importance of increasing ancestral representation in genomic studies to uncover novel risk variants and inform more effective, inclusive risk prediction tools. Her presentation sparked meaningful discussion and engagement from researchers across multiple disciplines.

Poster Presentation: Jeffery Asowata, PhD

Jeffery Asowata (Post Doctoral Fellow at East Carolina University) presented his poster titled “Glaucoma differences by sex in racial/ethnic groups in the US: Findings from the Health and Retirement Study”. His work explored how sex and race/ethnicity intersect to influence glaucoma diagnosis and outcomes in older adults. The study draws on nationally representative data to shed light on disparities in disease burden and help inform more equitable screening strategies.

Broader Contributions

Other Team Cooke Bailey members also participated in sessions on bioinformatics, polygenic risk scoring, and the integration of EHR and genetic data for glaucoma research. The conference provided a valuable platform to showcase our lab’s multifaceted approach—combining clinical, community-based, and genomic research—to improve understanding and care for individuals affected by vision loss.

Our Mission

As part of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and the Center for Health Disparities at East Carolina University, Team Cooke Bailey remains committed to addressing complex eye diseases like glaucoma through collaborative, inclusive, and translational research. ARVO 2025 offered a powerful opportunity to highlight this mission on a global stage.