Summer Mentoring and Research Training in Eye and Vision Research (SMART EVR)

ABSTRACT Blinding diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma, together with ocular infections and dry eye disease represent a public health crisis. The impact of these diseases is compounded by the insufficient number of skilled clinicians and investigators with high quality training and expertise to provide care and conduct translational research. It is vital to foster a new generation of physician researchers that possess a diverse array of knowledge and skills, including understanding basic (genetics, molecular and cellular biology, neuroscience), patient level (clinical care, neuropsychology, fluid biomarkers, neuroimaging, epidemiology), and cross cutting (biostatistics, ethics) research design and methods. Thus, our proposed Summer Mentoring and Research Training in Eye and Vision Research (SMART EVR) T35 program will grow the pipeline of medical students with research experiences inspiring new physician scientists to focus their careers on eye and vision research and ophthalmic care. The low availability of skilled translational physician scientists represents a threat to the national eye and vision research agenda. Therefore, in this T35 application we propose to engage MD students in hands-on research, mentoring, publishing, career development and leadership. Through our leadership expertise in multidisciplinary translational eye and vision research, we aim to enhance the diversity and availability of physician scientists through these three specific aims: 1) Champion mentored career development by providing an integrated program that consists of outstanding leadership and oversight. 2) Create a flexible and innovative curriculum that emphasizes both core and advanced competencies in clinical, translational, and basic science 3) Maximize access to the SMART EVR Program. Through formal check-ins and eye and vision research themed journal clubs, trainees will receive guidance and support from the program directors. Upon the completion of the SMART EVR program, students will be tracked through the four years of medical school to encourage their continued engagement in research activities.