Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative

Quinta Brunson Says The Mary Tyler Moore Show ‘Went Platinum’ in Her Home, Credits the ‘70s Icon as a Major Inspiration

Quinta Brunson is paying tribute to the 1970s actress who inspired her to star in her own sitcom.

On Wednesday, May 6, the Abbott Elementary creator, 36, received the Mary Tyler Moore Visionary Award at Variety’s FYC TV Fest in West Hollywood, and opened up to the outlet about what it meant to see another woman accomplishing her dreams at a young age.

The award was presented to Quinta by Dr. S Robert Levine, Mary’s husband, who created The Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative to advance research for vision loss from diabetes.

Variety: Quinta Brunson Says Making 22 Episodes a Year of ‘Abbott Elementary’ Made Her Feel ‘Invincible’ as She Expands Into More TV and Film

– Dr. S Robert Levine (Mary Tyler Moore’s husband) during the ceremony for the Mary Tyler Moore Visionary Award on 5/6/2026

“In Quinta, not only do we have a multiple, award-winning, brilliant, kind, brave innovator who is an actor, comedian, dancer, singer, and writer, we are next leveling it, pushing up to match Mary’s role as a creative who forced change to the world of television production.”

“With all that she has achieved in such a short time, it is clear that Quinta is the next Mary in every way.”

The Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative is proud to partner with Variety to advance research for earlier detection, better treatments, and ultimately a cure for vision loss from diabetes.

Variety: Love Is All Around: Quinta Brunson’s Mary Tyler Moore Visionary Award Closes a Sitcom Circle

“Just like Mary Tyler Moore, Quinta Brunson’s got spunk.” – Variety

Quinta Brunson to Receive 3rd Annual Mary Tyler Moore Visionary Award at FYC TV Fest

“Just as Mary Tyler Moore fundamentally changed society’s perception of women’s roles by showing an independent working woman navigating her life and career with grace, humor, and real friendships, Quinta Brunson is doing the same for a new generation,” – Dr. S Robert Levine

Variety, along with Mary Tyler Moore’s husband, Dr. S. Robert Levine, will present Quinta Brunson with the third annual Mary Tyler Moore Visionary Award at FYC TV Fest on May 6 in Los Angeles.

Fall 2025 Symposium

Opening Remarks & Expression of Gratitude

Shahzad I. Mian, MD ।Chair, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan Medical Group
S. Robert Levine, MD ।Founder and CEO, Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative (MTM Vision)

Listening to the Community

Perspective:

Emily Coles ।MTM Vision, Volunteer, person with Type 1 diabetes
- “Life With Diabetes: A Cliff-Hanger”
Angela Elam, MD, MPH ।Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual
Sciences, University of Michigan
- “The Key Ingredient: Community Engagement”
Q&A – Discussion/Panel:
- Candyce Norris Jenkins ।The Diabetic Mom CoachTM, Person with Type 1 Diabetes
- Adam Leone, MPH ।MD-MPH Class of 2026, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Translating Science to Clinical Care for Diabetic Retinal Disease (DRD)

MTM Vision Update: Jennifer Sun, MD, MPH ।Scientific Co-Director, MTM Vision
Perspective:
- Kai Riecke, PhD ।Experimental Medicine, Bayer
  - What Can We Learn From “Negative” Studies? The Importance of Developing Novel Primary Endpoints for Registration Trials
Malvina Eydelman, MD ।CEO, Collaborative Community on Ophthalmic Innovation (CCOI)
- Role of CCOI In Facilitating Ophthalmic Innovation, Collaboration, and Development of New Regulatory Pathways to Accelerate New Drug and Device Development
Lloyd Paul Aiello MD, PhD ।Charles Webster Downer Professorship of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School; Director, Beetham Eye Institute, Joslin Diabetes Center
- Building an Evidence Case and Consensus Around Retinal Nonperfusion
Chris German, PhD ।Chair, MTM Vision Lay Advisory Board
- Patient Role in Accelerating Clinical Adoption of Advances

Q&A – Discussion/Panel

Identifying Biomarkers and New Targets Through Study of Human Samples

MTM Vision Update: Patrice Fort, PhD ।Director, MTM Vision Ocular Biorepository & Resource Center
Perspectives:
- Remko Bakker, PhD ।Director of CardioMetabolic Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
  - (Redacted due to proprietary data)
- George King, MD।Senior Investigator and Chief Scientific Officer, Joslin Diabetes Center; Thomas J. Beatson, Jr. Professor of Medicine in the Field of Diabetes, Harvard Medical School
  - Process and Resources for Target Identification and Drug Development
- Leo Kim, MD, PhD ।Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, the Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School; RPB-Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative Physician-Scientist Awardee
  - Role of RUNX1 in Diabetic Retinopathy
Q&A – Discussion/Panel

Building Multisource, Multimodal Large Language Foundational Models for DRD

Assessment and Risk Stratification

MTM Vision Update: S. Robert Levine, MD ।Founder and CEO, MTM Vision
Perspectives:
- Ali Tafreshi।CEO & President, Topcon Healthcare
  - Democratizing Data to Accelerate Code-To-Clinic Innovation
- Brian Athey, PhD ।Chair, Gilbert S. Omenn Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan
- Developing Large Foundation Models for DRD
Q&A – Discussion/Panel

https://youtu.be/kKZuTNXq6L0?si=xnjfZycj_ iVVAW8E

Fashion Funds Science

MTM Vision Update: Eric Carlson ।Founder, The Carlson Company, Social Impact & Media, Award Winning Documentary and Film Producer
Interviewer: Dorene Markel, MS, MHSA ।Senior Advisor, MTM Vision
- Special Guest Interview: Elyce Arons, Co-Founder & CEO of Kate Spade and Frances Valentine
  - “Mary Collection” Supporting MTM Vision

Hot Topics:

Moderator: Julie M. Rosenthal, MD, MS ।Clinical Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
- Tien-En Tan, MBBS(Hons), MMed(Ophth), FRCOphth, FAMS ।Clinical Assistant Professor, SingHealth Duke-NUS Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Program
  - (Redacted due to proprietary data)
- Jeff Goldberg, MD, PhD ।Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology at the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University
  - (Redacted due to proprietary data)
- Henar Albertos-Arranz, PhD ।Senior Research Associate at The Bascom Palmar Eye Institute
  - Neuronal Degeneration and Glial Activation in theAbsence of Vascular Changes in Human Retinas of Patients with Diabetes

Future Directions: Restoring Vision in DRD

Moderator: Thomas Gardner, MD, MS ।Science Co-Director, MTM Vision
Perspectives:
- Leonard Levin, MD, PhD ।Professor, Departments of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University
  - (Redacted due to proprietary data)
- Stephen Tsang, MD, PhD ।Laszlo Z. Bito Professor of Ophthalmology; Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
  - Curing Dry AMD With Stem Cells
Q&A – Discussion/Panel

Cross-Sector Collaborations & Consortia can Accelerate Path to Improved Vision Outcomes

Moderator: Marianne Laouri, PhD ।Global Brand Head, Retina Health, Boehringer Ingelheim
- Importance of Efforts in the Pre-Competitive Space to Better Understand the Pathophysiology and Progression of DRD and Accelerate Progress
Perspectives:
- Fabio Baschiera, PharmD, PhD ।Associate Head of Medicine – Eye Health, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals
  - The BRIDGE Study Group: Consensus in the Selection of a Group of Structural and Functional Endpoints with Clinical Relevance in Ischemic Eye Disease.
- Aude Couturier, MD, PhD ।Professor, Dept of Ophthalmology, Université Paris Cité
  - EVIRED Role in Understanding the Natural History of DRD
Q&A – Discussion/Panel: Academia, Pharma, and Device Companies Coming Together in Shared Purpose
- Luis Lesmes, PhD ।Chief Executive Officer, Adaptive Sensory Technology
- Dina Dubey, MS, PLD ।Chief Executive Officer, LKC Technologies
- Ian McMillen ।VP of Sales and Marketing, Konan Medical USA, INC.

4:15 Summation and Next Steps

Moderator: Lloyd Paul Aiello, MD, PhD ।Charles Webster Downer Professorship of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School; Director, Beetham Eye Institute, Joslin Diabetes Center
MTM Vision Leadership Team Panel
- S. Robert Levine, MD ।Founder and CEO, MTM Vision
- Jennifer Sun, MD, MPH ।Scientific Co-Director, MTM Vision
- Thomas Gardner, MD, MS ।Science Co-Director, MTM Vision
- Patrice Fort, PhD ।Director, MTM Vision Ocular Biorepository & Resource Center

Upcoming: Fall 2026 Symposium

Our fifth annual symposium, “Curing Vision Loss from Diabetes,” continues to bring together a diverse community of patients, researchers, clinicians, and leaders from industry, government, and regulatory agencies who are working together to advance solutions for vision loss caused by diabetic retinal disease.

This event serves as a collaborative forum for sharing the latest research, strengthening partnerships, and identifying new opportunities to accelerate progress toward better diagnostics, treatments, and ultimately a cure. Through expert presentations, panel discussions, and cross-disciplinary dialogue, the symposium highlights the collective effort required to protect the vision of people living with diabetes.

If interested in participating, please contact MTMVisionEvents@umich.edu. In-person capacity is limited, so early registration is encouraged.

The Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative Ocular Biorepository and Resource Center

We’re proud to launch the Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative Ocular Biorepository & Resource Center web-based platform—a first-of-its-kind, accessible research platform focused on diabetic retinal disease (DRD).

To stop and reverse vision loss from diabetes, researchers need to understand exactly how diabetes affects the human eye. MTM Vision’s Ocular Biorepository & Resource Center makes this possible by giving researchers shared access to donor eye tissue and fluids and their corresponding deeply characterized data—helping speed up discoveries that can lead to treatments to better protect the retina from the deleterious effects of diabetes and ultimately restore vision in those who have suffered vision loss.

Learn more HERE

Press Release: Amplifying the Voices of Diabetic Retinal Disease Patients & Caregivers

Amplifying the Voices of Diabetic Retinal Disease Patients & Caregivers: Join MTM Vision’s Virtual Externally Led Patient-Focused Drug Development Meeting

When it comes to the future of Diabetic Retinal Disease (DRD) treatments, patients and caregivers will now have a direct seat at the table. The Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative (MTM Vision) invites all those impacted by DRD to participate in a virtual Externally Led Patient-Focused Drug Development (EL-PFDD) Meeting on February 12, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET.

As part of the Patient-Focused Drug Development initiative, developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), EL-PFDD meetings aim to ensure that patients’ experiences, perspectives, needs, and priorities are captured and meaningfully integrated into drug development and regulatory decision-making.

“For the first time, the lived experiences of patients and caregivers affected by Diabetic Retinal Disease will help guide innovation and advance care. This is more than just a meeting—it’s a landmark moment for the DRD community to be heard by those who can inspire true change,” said Dr. Latrice Faulkner, Administrative Manager of MTM Vision. “We welcome everyone impacted by diabetic eye disease to join us and make their voices count.”

During this pivotal meeting, patients, families and caregivers affected by DRD will have the opportunity to speak directly to representatives from the FDA, product developers, practicing clinicians, and researchers. Participants will share how DRD impacts daily life and treatment journeys through several avenues:

Recorded videos and testimonials highlighting lived experiences
Live “discussion starter” sessions featuring patients and caregivers
Interactive participation, including live call-ins, comment submissions, and polling

Additionally, to provide the public with more information about the DRD EL-PFDD meeting and answer any questions, MTM Vision will be hosting a virtual community webinar on January 14th, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET (Register Here). All are welcome to attend and learn how to get involved.The portal for written comment submissions for the DRD EL-PFDD meeting opens on January 1st, 2026, and will remain available for 30 days following the meeting. All perspectives—shared before, during, and after the meeting—will be incorporated into a Voice of the Patient Report. This report will be made publicly available on the MTM Vision website and shared with the FDA, serving as a valuable resource for future regulatory and drug development decisions focused on DRD.

The meeting will also feature insights from leading experts in DRD:

Dr. Jennifer Sun MD, MPH from Harvard Medical School will provide a comprehensive clinical overview of DRD.
Dr. Thomas Gardener, MD, MS from The University of Michigan will discuss the current treatment landscape and emerging therapies for DRD.
Dr. William Boyd, MD, Director of the FDA’s CDER Division of Ophthalmology, will offer opening remarks.

Free registration for the DRD EL-PFDD meeting is now open (Register Here). To receive updates and event details, visit www.marytylermoore.org/el-pfdd or join the MTM Vision mailing list.

For questions, please contact MTMVisionDRD-PFDDinfo@umich.edu.

About the Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative
Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative (MTM Vision) advances research to preserve and restore vision in people with diabetes. Our mission is to accelerate new methods for preventing and treating vision loss, so everyone with diabetes can live joyfully and independently—free from the fear of blindness. We catalyze progress by partnering globally and providing thought leadership and research resources.

Parade 11/23/2025

On their 42nd anniversary, Dr. S. Robert Levine shares personal memories of his and Mary’s Thanksgiving Eve wedding — and how love continues to shape her legacy through the Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative (MTM Vision) as we move toward better treatments and a cure for diabetic retinal disease (DRD).

Read the full story HERE

People Magazine 11/23/2025

Dr. S Robert Levine shares heartwarming memories of his wedding day and why he is collaborating with Frances Valentine to celebrate Mary’s style legacy. A portion of the proceeds from the fashion line will help support our research to find new treatments to prevent and cure vision loss from diabetic retinal disease (DRD).