Nantucket Retina will hold its 40th annual meeting on July 29 – 31, 2026, on historic Nantucket Island. The meeting has a reputation for lively discussions in a unique think-tank format that brings together senior retina specialists from academia and private practice, younger clinicians, and wide-eyed retina fellows.
From its inception, the meeting has valued the strong participation of thought leaders from retina-related ophthalmic drug and device companies; they bring a broader range of perspectives than is typically included in larger meetings tethered to continuing education restrictions. Meeting participants include a “who’s who” of retina luminaries and corporate innovators who share their expertise and enjoy the distinct charms of the island, including the meeting’s signature lobster bake. The continued vibrancy of Nantucket Retina will be celebrated as we mark this extraordinary milestone this summer.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Nantucket—a remarkably small island off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts—was once the epicenter of the whaling industry.1 Ships from the island voyaged to the farthest corners of the oceans in search of sperm whales and the precious oil they contained. The resulting trade made Nantucket rich beyond measure. The discovery of kerosene as a substitute, as well as several disastrous fires in the Nantucket whaling fleet, ended its whaling industry long ago, but the island continues as an iconic seaside destination with exceptional beaches, history, and culture.
Nantucket Retina, the longest running medical meeting on the island, has carved an interesting and durable niche in the island’s history. But how did a preoccupation with whale oil improbably turn to silicone oil? In 1984, as a young attending at Mass Eye and Ear, I rented a home on the island for vacation; my Bascom Palmer co-fellows Lee McLean, MD, and Jim Tiedeman, MD, asked to join, so three couples and children stayed on Tom Nevers Head. During that unforgettable vacation, Jim’s wife, Pat, mentioned that the island would be a great place for a retina meeting.
Meanwhile, Charles Barr, MD, had participated in a meeting around the same time in New Seabury, Massachusetts, and likewise succumbed to New England’s seacoast charms. Dismayed on learning that the meeting would not be repeated, he began exploring the Cape and Martha’s Vineyard as possible venues; however, both proved unsuitable and difficult to negotiate with. While chatting with Mark Blumenkranz, MD, MMS, about how he might proceed, Mark suggested Dr. Barr get in touch with me, and we discovered our mutual enthusiasm for the idea. Our set our sights on Nantucket, and the first meeting was held at the Harbor House from July 31 – August 1, 1987.
SETTING THE FOUNDATION
Like most beginnings, the initial meeting planning was riddled with uncertainties (Would anyone come? How could we arrange social events on a tiny island with a near-nonexistent meeting culture? What would be an engaging format?). We decided a few things quickly:
- This would be a no-microphone meeting, and everyone would be asked to speak,
- Thought leaders from retina-related device and drug companies would be included in the meeting (an unusual approach for a retina meeting)
- We would forego CME to have the most widely informed discussion possible on current retinal themes.
Early on, Craig A. Sklar, MD, and H. Michael Lambert, MD, were instrumental in the meeting’s success. Dr. Sklar assisted Dr. Barr by managing our finances, and Dr. Lambert provided reliable projection for our talks, first using slides and then by his yearly purchase of a new laptop to make sure he could pull it off.
The initial attendee list included 29 specialists, including Steve Charles, MD; Evangelos Gragoudas, MD; Hal Mackenzie Freeman, MD, Robert Brockhurst, MD; Harry Flynn Jr, MD; Mark Blumenkranz, MD; George Williams, MD; William Culbertson, MD; Thaddeus Dryja, MD; Peter Campochiaro, MD; Tatsuo Hirose, MD, to name only a few. The topics ranged from the newly cloned retinoblastoma gene to foundational vitrectomy techniques, choroidal osteoma, and many more.
Although the relaxed atmosphere and the seductive charms of the island produced engaging discussions, the real high point was the wood-fired, dug-and-covered lobster bake catered by Claudette on the beach at Madequecham, arguably the most remote part of the island (Figure 1). The group barely made it across the washed-out roads in the moor in a school bus driven by Chester Barrett. Moreover, we had no contingency plan for rain, which fortunately did not occur. On the second evening of the meeting, Dr. Barr took a group to dinner at Straight Wharf restaurant, and I did the same at the Chanticleer in ‘Sconset. We were proud of our success and thought we were done—until people began asking about the dates for the next year!
A TRADITION IN THE MAKING
The next 38 years would see a subtle ebb and flow of the meeting and its format not unlike the ever-changing shoreline of Nantucket. The island is nothing more than a migrating sandbar and is predicted to disappear beneath the waves in approximately 500 years, with Cape Cod submerging shortly thereafter.2
Closer to home, the difficulties of sustaining a meeting on a historically restricted and expensive island with little experience hosting professional meetings presented challenges almost yearly. In this adaptive spirit, we wandered from venue to venue like nomads as each one closed, opened, renovated, changed their rules, or, in the case of the gritty but cherished VFW post, toppled into the Atlantic after a storm.
Nevertheless, many fixed features have sustained the meeting. First and foremost have been the relationships developed between the participants, including their children who graduated from making sandcastles on the beach to dancing at the Chicken Box after hours; grandkids have now joined the fray. Szilard Kiss, MD, and Sahana Vyas, MD, joined the organizing group and brought skill, insight, and vitality to the founding group.
Susan Warner, a legendary clambake caterer, hosted our bake for more than 30 years until her retirement and even reprised her now-almost-forbidden pit bake for our 30th anniversary meeting (Figure 2). Chester shuttled us to our clambakes with punctuality and local charm until his passing a few years ago. Judy Cerone Keenan, of Retina Society fame and a New England seacoast girl herself, organized our group for years and passed it on only recently to my daughter, Laura Melanson.
UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES
The meeting has a strong track record in launching clinical inquiries, refining clinical decision making, fostering friendships across age and geographic boundaries, connecting fellows with future employment, and even launching a coveted few into home ownership on the island.
It has also had more than its share of memorable moments. There were rainy clambakes under a tent or indoors and sunny beach clambakes with the ocean so warm that most of the participants took to the surf, joining Dr. Barr in his annual plunge, whatever the conditions. Dr. Flynn, a regular attendee for years, was presenting one year when he received a message that his credit card limit had been reached; this led to the inauguration of an annual shopping award given to the person who had the most expensive purchase that year; clothing, nautical art, and antiques were the obvious pathways to success. Neil Bressler, MD, and Susan Bressler, MD, who are also long-time attendees, remarked on our one-time meeting in the spartan Anglers Club Bar. Having found no other venue that year, and surrounded by rods, gaff hooks, tubular aluminum furniture, and with garbage bags over the skylights for darkness, we sipped on dollar beers (50 cents for members) in what Neil proclaimed was the world’s first “retro” retina meeting.
But the most memorable was the year J. Donald Gass, MD, attended and gave a two-part talk about his life’s understanding of macular degeneration—it was breathtaking (Figure 3). He sent a note saying it was the first time in his life he had ever eaten three lobsters (“they were so delicious I couldn’t stop”). Our response? We wished he had eaten four.
![<p>Figure 3. [From left to right] Drs. D'Amico, Gass, and Barr gather for the 2001 meeting.</p>](https://core4-cms.imgix.net/NR_Fig3_1766509209.jpg?auto=compress,format)
Nantucket Retina will celebrate its 40th annual meeting starting July 29, 2026, at the Nantucket Inn. New participants are encouraged to attend and experience all that the meeting—and island—has to offer. For information, please inquire at nantucketretina@gmail.com.
1. Whaling. Nantucket Historical Association. Accessed December 3, 2025. nha.org/research/nantucket-history/history-topic/whaling
2. Oktay SD. Is Nantucket sinking? Yesterday’s Island. May 30, 2012. Accessed December 23, 2025. https://yesterdaysisland.com/is-nantucket-sinking/
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