Show Notes
What if we could stop vision loss before it starts? In this episode of Holy Shift!, host Angela Gill Nelms speaks with Dr. Machelle Pardue, a vision scientist working to protect one of our most precious senses. Dr. Pardue studies how diseases like diabetic retinopathy damage the eye and explores new ways to preserve sight for millions of people at risk.
From the surprising ways diabetes affects vision to the cutting edge tools researchers use to study the retina, this conversation offers a fascinating look at how engineering and medicine come together to tackle blindness. Dr. Pardue also shares what motivates her work, how research moves from the lab toward real treatments, and why protecting vision is such an urgent challenge. If you have ever wondered how scientists study the eye or how future therapies could prevent blindness, this episode offers an accessible look at how biomedical engineering and neuroscience are working together to move vision science beyond 20/20.
Learn More About Dr. Machelle Pardue: Pardue Lab: https://med.emory.edu/departments/ophthalmology/ophthalmic-research/research-groups/machelle-pardue.html LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/machelle-pardue-26aa4958/ Support Tomorrow’s Breakthroughs – Donate Today: If you want to support the research you heard about on today’s episode, consider a donation to the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory. Every contribution—big or small— supports ongoing work and fuels future innovations. https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/46972/donations/new Select "Designation" Choose "Make a Special Gift to Georgia Tech (write in your preference)" In the open field, write: "BME Fund for Excellence (555788) Connect! Learn More: https://bme.gatech.edu/bme/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BMEGeorgiaTechEmory/podcasts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/the-wallace-h-coulter-department-of-biomedical-engineering-at-georgia-tech-and-emory-university Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoulterBME Twitter/X: https://x.com/CoulterBME Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/holyshiftresearch.bsky.social
About The Host: Angela Gill Nelms is a trailblazer in transforming bold ideas into impactful healthcare solutions. She serves as the Director of Biolocity, accelerating the commercialization of early-stage medical technologies developed at Emory University and Georgia Tech. She is also the Founder and CEO of The AGN Group, and the host of the Badass Leaders Podcast, where she champions courageous, compassionate leadership. Learn more at www.AngelaGillNelms.com. Meet The HolyShift! Team: Produced by: Erin Buckley and Zachary Danziger Filming & Editing: Jackie Hampton and Zachary Winiecki Logistics & Marketing Support: Rajashree Ramamoorthy, Katie Hart, The AGN Group
Keywords for platforms that allow tags: Beyond 20/20 Vision, vision science podcast, retina research, retinal degeneration, vision loss, blindness research, visual neuroscience, vision restoration, eye disease research, ophthalmology research, vision research innovation, eye health science, biomedical engineering, neuroengineering, retina disease, Emory University, Georgia Tech, Machelle Pardue, Angela Gill Nelms, Holy Shift Research
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In this special Season 1 roundup of Holy Shift!, host Angela Gill Nelms revisits standout moments from this season's conversations with researchers at Georgia Tech and Emory University. Guests share their engineering solutions, the personal stories and unexpected paths that brought them to the lab, and why public funding for basic science and biomedical innovation is more critical than ever. This episode features clips from conversations with Melissa Kemp, Lena Ting, David Myers, Mike Davis, Scott Hollister, Zachary Danziger, Annabelle Singer, Shella Keilholz, Machelle Pardue, Anant Madhabushi, Chethan Pandarinath, Felipe Quiroz, and Ming Fong. As we look ahead to Season 2, we want to hear from you! Take a few minutes to fill out our listener survey and let us know what you loved, what you want more of, and what we can do better. One lucky respondent will receive a Holy Shift! listener swag package.
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