See the First-Ever
Visual Snow Conference!
In 2015, Sierra Domb experienced the onset of Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS), a debilitating neurological disorder that affects an estimated 2-3% of the population. Throughout her journey in seeking a correct diagnosis for her symptoms, she encountered an alarming absence of recognition for her condition, as well as minimal resources available to help VSS patients. Once she realized that she was not alone and others with VSS worldwide had a similar experience of being marginalized and misdiagnosed, Sierra founded the Visual Snow Initiative to help create solutions.
Organized by Sierra Domb and the Visual Snow Initiative team, one of their earliest efforts was the establishment of the first Visual Snow Conference in history. Held on May 5th, 2018, at UCSF, Sierra and her team hosted a free summit that brought together patients, their families, and VSS experts from around the world. Doctors, researchers, and scientists with knowledge of VSS flew in from Australia, Canada, England, and various cities in the United States. Alongside Sierra, their words offered acknowledgement and validation to patients and their families. Everyone involved sought to raise awareness, share the current body of research, provide education, offer resources, and foster understanding for VSS.
Dr. Peter Goadsby
Professor of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA. Director, NIHR-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility, King’s College Hospital, London.
Kirk Scott
Kirk Scott is a strategic social impact advisor, educator, and passionate advocate for underserved communities with over 25 years of experience in education and philanthropy. Kirk works to create community change with projects from South Los Angeles to Southern Africa.
Victoria Susan Pelak, MD
Dr. Pelak sub-specializes in neuro-ophthalmology at University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, which focuses on the diagnosis and management of patients with neurologic disorders that affect vision and eye movements.
Owen B. White, MD PhD FRACP
Director of Neuro-ophthalmology at Monash University and the Ocular Motor Research Laboratory at Royal Melbourne Hospital. He has a continuing interest in neuro-ophthalmology and the cognitive control of eye movements.
Joanne Fielding
Professor Joanne Fielding is a cognitive neuroscientist at Monash University, and Co-director of the Ocular Motor Research Laboratory at The Alfred Centre in Melbourne, Australia.
Dr. Yasser Khan
Dr. Yasser Khan is the Associate Clinical Professor in Health Sciences at McMaster University Department of Surgery. He is also the Program Coordinator for Undergraduate Medical Ophthalmic Education.
Matthew Renze
Matthew is a data science consultant, author, and international public speaker. In recent years, he has been working to raise awareness about Visual Snow. He’s presented on this topic at medical conferences, written articles in peer-reviewed journals, and created online videos providing information about Visual Snow.
Jim Fulton
Jim Fulton has been analyzing and describing the performance of the human eye for over 30 years primarily for the military and industrial vision markets. Mr. Fulton authored “Processes in Biological Vision” and has an academic background in a wide variety of disciplines found in the visual system.
Sierra Domb
With her B.S.C. in Communication Studies from the University of Miami and concentration in behavioral sciences & health communication, Sierra Domb passionately empowers others to overcome adversity and makes neuroscience more accessible for people of all ages and backgrounds. Sierra Domb has been the host of her own radio show and is a Writer/Reporter, whose articles and photographs have been published in The Miami Herald. She is also a professional voice actress and award-winning landscape photographer.
Conference Speakers
DR. PETER GOADSBY
PROFESSOR OF NEUROLOGY, DAVID GEFFEN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, UCLA
KIRK SCOTT
SIERRA DOMB
FOUNDER, VISUAL SNOW INITIATIVE & VISUAL SNOW CONFERENCE
DR. YASSER KHAN MD, FRCSC
MATTHEW RENZE
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR JOANNE FIELDING
HEAD, OCULAR MOTOR RESEARCH UNIT
VICTORIA SUSAN PELAK, M.D.
PROFESSOR OWEN WHITE
JAMES FULTON
RESEARCHER
Support Visual Snow Syndrome Research
All donations to the Visual Snow Initiative go directly to Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS) research.
Your tax-deductible contribution ensures that global research will continue and makes a positive difference in the lives of people affected by VSS.
