Indiana University School of Medicine’s Department of Ophthalmology will continue to offer its short-term training in Ophthalmology research for medical students for another five years, thanks to renewed support from the National Eye Institute (NEI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The prestigious T35 grant will provide funding to support six medical students each summer as they participate in mentored research in vision science and ophthalmology.
Launched in 2020, the program is designed to immerse first-year medical students in the field of ophthalmology through hands-on research and clinical exposure. Over the course of 12 weeks, students conduct independent research projects under the guidance of experienced faculty mentors, gaining a foundational understanding of basic, translational and clinical research in vision science. In addition to their laboratory work, students attend weekly seminars on topics such as responsible conduct of research, scientific integrity and career development. The program also includes targeted ophthalmology-specific clinical and didactic content.
Mentorship is at the heart of the program, which offers students the opportunity to explore ophthalmology through the expertise and insight of IU’s faculty.
“Thanks to support from NEI’s T35 grant, the summer research experience has empowered our medical students to explore research in ophthalmology, thus fostering both academic growth and ultimately patient care,” said Ashay Bhatwadekar, PhD, RPh, FARVO, Director of the T35 Program and Basic and Translational Research.
Each summer concludes with student presentations at the Indiana Medical Student Program for Research and Scholarship (IMPRS) Poster Session, where participants showcase their findings to faculty, peers, and the broader research community.
“We are proud to support our medical students engaging in research early in their careers, and this grant enables them to develop into well-rounded physicians equipped with vital research skills,” said John Lind, MD, Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology.
The renewed funding strengthens IU School of Medicine’s commitment to encouraging medical students to explore research and preparing them to become future clinician-scientists in ophthalmology.
Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number T35EY031282. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
