Nov 19, 2025

2025 Research in Review: A Year of Momentum

In 2025, vision science didn’t just move forward—it accelerated.

From a new retinal prosthesis that helped people with AMD to read, to a slew of clinical trials for inherited eye diseases to a new drug for geographic atrophy that is currently going through approvals for use in Canada, there was a lot to be excited about this year.
Dr. Larissa Moniz, Fighting Blindness Canada’s Director, Research and Mission Programs, and Morgan Ineson, FBC’s Senior Manager, Education, discuss highlights in vision research and key milestones in FBC’s research and education programs in this special edition of View Point. You’ll also hear from our 2025 Clinician-Scientist Emerging Leader Award winners about their exciting projects and what motivates them.

Want to dig deeper into some of the 2025 highlights? We’ve gathered the stories for you:

• Retinal Implant Helps People with AMD Read Again in Early Trial
• Understanding the Bionic Eye and Retinal Prostheses
• List of Clinical Trials for Inherited Retinal Diseases
• Stem Cell Therapy Gets FDA Approval for Clinical Trials
• Research in Focus: 2025–2030
• Celebrating Canada’s 2025 Clinician-Scientist Emerging Leaders

View Point Highlights

We were proud to have world-renowned scientists speak at View Point events, including Dr. David Gamm, whose stem cell therapy replacing photoreceptors is now in clinical trial. Watch some of the highlights from View Point below, and watch all of our 2025 View Point videos, which included a spotlight series on inherited retinal diseases that delved into a number of IRDs, as well as webinars on AMD and sessions from our in-person conferences in Toronto and Calgary.

Stem Cells & Regenerative Therapies for Retinal Disease

Learn about how stem cell research is opening new possibilities for restoring sight with Dr. David Gamm. This session explains what stem cells are, how they may help repair the retina, and what it takes to turn promising research into real treatments.

Understanding the Bionic Eye and Retinal Prostheses

This webinar explores retinal prosthetics—often referred to as “bionic eyes”—an exciting area of research aimed at restoring vision for individuals affected by severe retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration.