Abstract Funds are requested to support The Sixth Biennial Symposium on Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) to be held September 25 & 25, 2020 in the Starr Center for Scientific Communications at the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass. Eye and Ear (MEE). The meeting is co-organized by Dr. Patricia A. D'Amore, Professor of Ophthalmology and Vice Chair of Basic and Translational Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School; Dr. Ivana Kim, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and a retinal specialist at MEE; and, Dr. Deeba Husain, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Site Director, MEE Retina Consultants. This meeting will build on the strong successes of five previous biennial meetings that were held in September 2010, September 2012, October 2014, October 2016, and October 2018. AMD is a devastating blinding disease with limited treatment options. As the elderly population grows, the prevalence of AMD will increase along with high social and financial costs associated with caring for those with low-vision. Given the incomplete understanding of the pathogenesis of AMD, the Symposium on AMD is a timely and important meeting. The goal of this conference is to bring together international experts who offer novel data and stimulate discussion about how to treat, cure, and ultimately prevent AMD. This meeting attracts close to 250 attendees, consisting of senior and junior scientists, graduate trainees, postdoctoral fellows, and biotechnology/pharmaceutical representatives. Topics to be covered include: microglia, the microbiome, oxidative stress, cellular mechanisms of AMD progression, tissue culture models, and aging of the RPE/choroid. There will be a reception on Thursday, September 24, dedicated to presentation of posters by travel award winners, which will provide trainees and young faculty with an opportunity to showcase their research. Funds are requested to support the trainee attendance and provide 15 trainees with travel awards to cover their airfare and accommodations. This meeting is distinct from other meetings on AMD in its format, which allows about half of the of scheduled time for discussion. An additional unique feature is the inclusion of speakers from other fields whose impact on AMD has not yet been realized. Speakers from outside vision research have been invited to speak on microglia, the microbiome, cellular mechanisms of disease progression, use of tissue culture systems to model health and disease, biology of aging, and oxidative stress. Dr. Robyn Guymer will present the Keynote Friedman lecture.