This week, RI Science Communications Executive, Seán Heagney welcomes Petia Stratieva, MD, PhD to the In-Focus podcast. Petia is a medical doctor and passionate patient advocate as a person living with Retinitis Pigmentosa who also has significant experience working in industry and thus understands the perspective of many stakeholders within the retina community.

In this episode, Petia explains to Seán the challenges she and many others face to raise awareness around retinal conditions, including inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe and how this inspired her to establish Retina Bulgaria in 2018.

Petia also speaks in depth about the importance of inter-organisational engagement throughout Europe and the globe, as well as the need for transnational partnership to support the establishment of smaller and more recently founded organisations to help them grow and contribute as a vital part of the global community.