CONNECTED 2025 || TED: Quality of Life

Quality of Life with TED: What the Research Reveals
4–5 PM PT | 7–8 PM ET

Session Description:

Award-winning educator and TED patient Julie Owens leads a compelling discussion with three physicians and researchers who have published groundbreaking studies on quality of life in TED. Together, they’ll explore how this condition affects patients physically, emotionally, socially, and financially — and why those impacts matter deeply to families, care teams, and society as a whole. This session brings clarity to the metrics, but also elevates the lived experience.. The final 15 minutes will feature a physician-curated Q&A drawn from the Zoom Questions.

Facilitator:

Julienne ‘Julie’ Owens, MS, Patient Leader Certified
Julie is a 30-year educator, certified professional development trainer, advocate, and consultant. Her experiences with numerous health challenges, disappointments, and setbacks prepared her to do what she does best: advocate. Alzheimer’s/Dementia, Thyroid Eye Disease, Graves’ Disease, and Acromegaly are all medical diagnoses she’s all too familiar with, and, unfortunately, has first-hand experience as a collaborative caregiver and patient.

Medical / Scientific Panel:

Jody G. Abrams, MD
Dr. Jody Abrams is a board‑certified neuro‑ophthalmologist and oculoplastic surgeon based in Sarasota, Florida, serving at Coastal Eye Institute and Sarasota Retina Institute. He holds fellowship training in both neuro‑ophthalmology and oculoplastic/orbital surgery, placing him among fewer than 500 such specialists in North America. Dr. Abrams is widely respected for diagnosing and treating complex visual‑neurological disorders, including thyroid eye disease—and delivering compassionate, patient-centered care.

Kimberly P. Cockerham, MD, FACS
Dr. Kimberly Cockerham is a distinguished oculofacial surgeon and neuro‑ophthalmologist in San Diego, renowned for her expertise in thyroid eye disease. As a decorated veteran and former Chief of Oculoplastics and Orbital Disease at Walter Reed and UCSF, she brings extensive clinical and research experience — authoring over 100 peer-reviewed publications and serving as adjunct faculty at Stanford. Dr. Cockerham also founded the Let’s Face It Together Foundation, dedicated to providing reconstructive care to underserved patients.

Ira Lesser, MD
Dr. Ira Lesser is Immediate Past Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and an investigator at The Lundquist Institute. His clinical and research interests include mood disorders and the psychiatric and behavioral aspects of complex medical conditions, with a focus on improving mental health and quality of life for patients facing chronic illness.

Q&A Curator:

Pershanjit Raika, MBBS
Clinical Research Manager, Thrive Health Research – Beverly Hills, CA
Clinical research professional with over three years of experience managing FDA-regulated clinical trials in Thyroid Eye Disease (TED). Work spans all stages of study execution — from site initiation and protocol compliance to patient engagement and data reporting. Over my career, I have been directly involved in the care of more than 200 TED patients, guiding them from initial diagnosis through completion of commercial treatment through our institution. My research contributions include three PubMed-indexed publications and a presentation at TED360, reflecting my commitment to advancing both the clinical and patient-centric aspects of TED care.

TED and You: Taking Charge of Your Quality of Life
5–6 PM PT | 8–9 PM ET

Session Description:

Facilitated by educator and TED patient Julie Owens, this session shifts the focus from impact to action — highlighting lifestyle strategies that can improve quality of life for those living with TED. Two highly esteemed award-winning medical professionals will share science-backed guidance on topics like anti-inflammatory nutrition, movement as medicine, sleep hygiene, stress management, and psycho-social wellbeing. You’ll also get a sneak peek at the TED Community’s upcoming Quality of Life Program, a free online series launching in 2026 designed to help patients implement these approaches in meaningful ways. The final 15 minutes will feature a physician-curated Q&A drawn from the Zoom Questions.

Facilitator:

Medical Panel:

Dr. Alon Kahana, MD, PhD
Dr. Alon Kahana is Professor of Oculoplastic Surgery and Vice Chair for Academic Affairs at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, and founder of Kahana Oculoplastic and Orbital Surgery in Michigan. A leading international authority on Thyroid Eye Disease and orbital surgery, he combines pioneering research and clinical care—ranging from TED to complex orbital reconstructive cases—with training oculoplastic and orbital surgery fellows, academic leadership, and chief editorial service. He is also a principal investigator on multiple clinical trials related to thyroid eye disease.

Margarita Ochoa-Maya, MD
Dr. Margarita Ochoa-Maya is a board-certified endocrinologist with extensive experience in rare diseases, including Thyroid Eye Disease (TED). Trained at Harvard and Boston University, she currently serves as a Medical Director at Amgen Rare Disease Business Unit. A passionate advocate, she partners with patients and caregivers to amplify the patient voice, support education, and drive more compassionate, patient-centered care. Known for her patient-centered approach, she combines deep clinical expertise with a passion for education and advocacy, empowering individuals to take an active role in their health.

Q&A Curator:

Shula Pollard, PhD
Dr. Shula Pollard is an Executive Medical Director at Viridian Therapeutics, where she leads scientific communications and data generation initiatives in support of Viridian’s TED clinical development program. Her expertise spans medical device and pharmaceutical industries, with a focus on communicating clinical trial data, generating meaningful patient-reported outcomes, and ensuring clinicians are educated on emerging data.