{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Impactful Breakthroughs","title":"Dan Ignaszewski - Executive Director, National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1412,"description":"What does it take to protect the research that could one day save your sight? On this episode of Leap Together, Zach Gobst is joined by Dan Igniewski, Executive Director of the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (NAEVR) and the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (AEVR). With over 20 years in government affairs and patient advocacy, Dan has become one of Washington's most persistent voices for vision research funding, and today's conversation shows exactly why that work matters.\n\nDan traces his path from early healthcare policy work to championing the National Eye Institute's independence on Capitol Hill, sharing how vision science is quietly leading some of medicine's most exciting frontiers, from the first FDA-approved gene therapy to AI-powered diagnostics and stem cell breakthroughs. He also unpacks NAEVR's “See What Matters” campaign, the mechanics of effective coalition building, and what it really takes to align patients, providers, researchers, and industry around a single message when federal funding is on the line.\n\nTimestamps\n\n00:00  Episode start\n01:45  Dan's background and path to advocacy\n03:55  What makes vision research unique\n05:45  Parallels between policy and clinical research\n06:55  Bipartisan support for NIH and the National Eye Institute\n08:00  Career inflection points and advocacy wins\n11:00  The See What Matters campaign\n14:50  Shared challenges in patient engagement\n16:55  What makes advocacy most effective\n19:40  Mentorship and career guidance\n23:15  The power of persistence and confidence\n25:30  Closing thoughts\n\nKey Takeaways\nCoalition is everything. When patients, providers, researchers, and industry align around a shared message, Congress listens. No single organization can move policy alone.\nVision research punches above its weight. From the first FDA-approved gene therapy to stem cell and AI advances, vision scientists have quietly been leading the broader medical research field for decades.\nDon't wait to be taken...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/uUl5NjCb9mY4i46LGv4GWJrr5WVj3WxuYTgjBphYmcc/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS85MDM0/ZDk5OWI2YTcwYWRh/NTM0NzIyODViMjU4/ODlmZS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}