'Father of angiogenesis inhibitors' to address academy

Key Points

Today he is considered the leading expert and founder of the angiogenesis field, making possible treatments for macular degeneration and cancer, and spawning research for other treatments in many fields.

In November, when Dr. Folkman addresses the opening session of the 2007 American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting, you can bet no one will be heading for the exits. The AAO's 111th annual meeting will be Nov. 10 to 13 in New Orleans at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. It will be preceded by subspecialty days on Nov. 9 and 10 and will run concurrently with the American Academy of Ophthalmic Executives practice management program.

Attendees should register for the annual meeting by Sept. 12 to ensure that their badges and materials are mailed to them before the meeting. Oct. 17 is the last day to register online. For the latest information on the annual meeting, visit http://www.aao.org/annual_meeting/.

Back in New Orleans

The academy is proud to bring the annual meeting back to New Orleans, long a favorite venue for members. Not long after the flood waters from Hurricane Katrina receded, the organization's board of trustees reaffirmed that the 2007 annual meeting indeed would take place in the Big Easy. The academy had booked New Orleans for the 2007 annual meeting 10 years earlier.

Over the past year and a half the board has been pleased to observe New Orleans' recovery and is confident that the city is ready for meeting attendees. The city's core is functioning well and in some ways is better than ever:

Today there are two sides to New Orleans-the thriving tourist areas such as the French Quarter, Faubourg Marigny, and the Warehouse District; and the devastated outer neighborhoods seen on television, including the Lower Ninth Ward, Lakeview, Gentilly, and New Orleans East. Residents in those devastated neighborhoods are still struggling to put their lives back together.