In this episode of the Vets First Podcast, hosts Dr. Levi Sowers and Brandon Rea interview Dr. Renata Gomes. Dr. Gomes is a medical and forensic specialist with a sub-specialized in regenerative biomedicine who works with blinded Veterans in the United Kingdom. She was born in Portugal into a family with 5 generations of Army officers and moved to England at a young age. She earned her degree in Forensic Medicine and a Masters in Cardiovascular Medicine and Biology from University College London. Dr. Gomes then earned her international PhD in Regenerative Medicine and Biochemistry with the University of Oxford (United Kingdom), University of Coimbra (Portugal), and the University of Eastern Finland (Finland). After gaining her doctorate, Dr. Gomes became a researcher in regenerative medicine and joined the Royal Naval Reserves.

Dr. Gomes established Blind Veterans UK’s research and innovation department in 2017 and was central to the establishment of Bravo Victor in 2021. Blind Veterans UK is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1915 that provides rehabilitation and services for blinded UK Veterans and their families. Bravo Victor was established to invest in the combination of medical research, social welfare research, and innovations to prepare Veterans living with sight loss for the future, as Veterans in the UK stay with Blind Veterans UK for their lifetime. 

Dr. Gomes shares about the focus on traumatic brain injury that can cause significant issues in sensory loss, family relationships, and innovations that ensure that Veterans can live independent and fulfilling lives. She also highlights their international collaborations many countries including the United States to better serve Veterans and help stop significant loss of vision through promotion of eye health. Bravo Victor has and continues to work with the Blinded Veterans Association, the only congressionally chartered Veterans Service Organization created for, consisting of, and led by visually impaired Veterans. 

For more information about Bravo Victor, viewers can visit https://www.bravovictor.org/. If you are a Veteran or you know a Veteran needing help with visual loss, contact the Visual Impairment Services Team coordinator at your nearest VA medical center or contact the Blind Rehabilitation Service Program by phone which can be found here. There are 13 Blind Rehabilitation Centers around the country, which can help with things like mobility, communication, and living with vision loss.