Stanford’s NEI T32 Vision Research Training Program

Stanford’s NEI T32 Vision Research Training Program is sponsored by Stanford University. Stanford's NEI T32 Vision Research Training Program is a fellowship from Stanford University's Byers Eye Institute that funds postdoctoral researchers to pursue advanced training in vision science.

Grants & Training | Ophthalmology | Stanford Medicine Research Training & Department Grant Opportunities The Byers Eye Institute has multiple training and grant opportunities for vision researchers of all levels. Our esteemed vision researchers have achieved promising breakthroughs and published significant papers, thanks to the support of the training and grant programs listed on this page.

We also offer a wide array of resources to help our researchers succeed, including biostatistics and bioinformatics professionals ready to partner on projects, as well as a range of Stanford-based databases and data management programs.

The Department of Ophthalmology at Stanford University, housed at the Byers Eye Institute, is one of the premier institutions in the world for patient care and education and consistently ranks as a top-10 NEI-funded department of ophthalmology. Our department is well-equipped to successfully support K12 trainees. A primary mission of the Stanford Department of Ophthalmology is to train clinician-scientist leaders in ophthalmology.

To this end, our proposed K12 program creates a comprehensive environment where leading researchers across the Stanford University scientific community mentor vision research scholars in their career development goals, facilitating a path to independent success for junior clinician-scientists engaged in vision research.

The program will cover a broad range of vision research themes, and each Scholar will be part of a multidisciplinary mentor group that will be available to support and guide the trainees. Each faculty awardee supported by the K12 will receive from the Department the salary portion not covered by the Ophthalmology K12 Program, assistance with startup costs for research, and office and relevant research space.

K12 Scholars will typically spend 1-2 years in the program, undertaking didactic instruction respective to their research area, working with a lead Preceptor and co-mentors in a program that builds not only practical skills needed to achieve funding and collaboration, but also skills in research ethics and leadership.

Initially, the Preceptor will be expected to supervise the Scholar’s progress closely to ensure that they use appropriate and rigorous methods, analysis, and interpretation. The Preceptor will then allow Scholars to take on an increasingly independent role in formulating hypotheses, deciding on alternative methods, designing, and conducting experiments, solving problems, and presenting outcomes.

The Preceptor will also provide within his/her laboratory opportunities for the Scholar to pursue their own line of research. By the end of the K12 program, each Scholar will exit with mentored (K08, K23) or independent (R-series) funding. We are excited to bring this successful, enduring program to the Stanford Ophthalmology Department and the broader Stanford vision research community with the help of the NEI.

At the time of appointment to the K12 program, scholars must have a clinical degree and perform clinical duties. A scholar should have an active U.S. licensure to practice medicine in the U.S. Scholars who are ophthalmic surgeons may request between 6 and 9 person-months (50% to 75%) of full-time professional effort conducting research and career development activities.

Scholars must be citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of appointment. If applying from outside Stanford University, please see our faculty application site and note in cover letter your interest in a K12 position.

· For Assistant, Associate or Full Professor for Ophthalmology (Clinician-Scientists) positions, click here · For Assistant, Associate or Full Professor for Ophthalmology (Pediatrics) click here If applying from within Stanford, send completed application: Contact Van Dinh at (408) 568-4185 or vdinh@stanford. edu .

All potential applicants are encouraged to explore their potential candidacy with the Chair (Jeffrey Goldberg), Vice Chair for Research (Vinit Mahajan), or any other faculty they would desire as a primary or secondary mentor. Applicants should already be developing research goals when applying.

The goal of each project should be explicit and clearly formulated, and we will encourage innovative research with high potential to push current state of the art. The plan should also clarify how the awardee will attain sufficient experience and preliminary data to ensure that they will be competitive in attaining independent funding. NIH Style Biosketch – Template and instructions found https://grants.

nih. gov/grants/forms/biosketch. htm Cover Letter (1-3 pages): This should include, A.

Candidate’s background: 1. Summary of research experience to date, including publications, manuscripts in preparation, and prior grant submissions and awards. Include an overview of fellowship research and include information regarding progress to date and any significant obstacles or challenges.

B. Career goals and objectives: 1. Describe your short and long-term career goals.

2. Justify the need for the award by describing how this award will enable you to develop or expand your research career. Research Plan (1-3 pages, excluding references): Description of research goals and/or specific aims.

P30 Vision Research Core Grant The NEI Center Core Grant provides critical support for vision research at the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford. The program aims to foster collaboration among Primary Investigators (PI's) and enhance our research efforts.

We currently have funds available in the following cores: Computational (Advanced Computing and Bioinformatics) Device Design and Fabrication Neurogenetics/Viral Vector Please submit one form per proposal and remember to acknowledge The National Eye Institute P30-EY026877 in all future publications. Note: Subsequent awards may be dependent on acknowledgment of the P30 in publications and presentations from the prior year’s award.

Letter from Jeffrey Goldberg, MD, PhD Dear Vision and Vision Research Faculty, I am excited to announce that Stanford has successfully received a competing continuation of our National Eye Institute P30 Vision Research Core grant, which will provide another 5 years of vision research funding!

This has been enormously popular and successful at providing resources to support NEI-funded faculty and their collaborators, NEI funding-aspiring faculty, and vision researchers, in 4 key areas: “Neurogenetics”: help with design and production of AAV viral vectors (Director: Yang Hu; co-director: Sui Wang) “Computational”: computer programming, server resources, biostatistics, and bioinformatics support (Director: Steve Baccus) “Device Design”: 3D printing, computer-assisted design, and machine shop and related resources for custom device development and prototyping (Director: Tirin Moore; joining him as co-director, David Myung) “Imaging”: training and access to confocal, 2-photon, adaptive optics and other advanced imaging (Director: Alf Dubra; co-director, Tom Clandinin) Please join me in thanking our core directors and co-directors for each of these for their significant contributions and leadership in pulling together and managing these 4 cores.

And special thanks to Kristina Russano, Lauren Narasky, Daniel Morrison, and the many administrative and research staff making these cores function so effectively. Please continue to submit your requests for core access using the link above, and any questions you have on how to take advantage of these new resources.

And, please join the vision research community to hear about the myriad ways the NEI P30 is supporting a breadth of vision research at our monthly Research Grand Rounds on Thursday mornings, our Friday afternoon Vision Research Seminars, and other symposia, minisymposia, social/networking events, and special presentations as they arise (comprehensive calendar here ).

Again, thanks very much and we look forward to contributing to vision research across Stanford! Jeffrey L. Goldberg, MD, PhD Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology Stanford’s NEI T32 Vision Research Training Program Stanford’s NEI T32 Vision Research Training Program is requesting applications for post-doctoral fellowship.

We will fund 3 scholars, each for 1 year. This NEI T32 is designed to train future leaders in vision research who understand key clinical issues and causes of vision loss. The program's goals include : Intensive clinical ophthalmologic exposure, especially targeting non-clinically trained investigators, to facilitate future bench-to-bedside applications of basic vision research.

Facilitation of the transition of MD and MD-PhD-trainees from clinical practice to rigorous vision research and fostering their successful application to the Career Development (K) Award, an important funding mechanism for physician-scientists.

The education and training of basic and clinical investigators from diverse backgrounds in molecular, cellular, synaptic, and systems level vision research to prepare them for academic careers in clinical and basic departments. Each Scholar will carry out his or her research under the direction of a mentor working on vision research and will spend the vast majority of time in the mentor’s laboratory.

In addition, each trainee will have a research and a clinical mentor in the Vision Training Program or Department of Ophthalmology to expose the trainee to approaches in both basic science and translational disciplines. At the beginning of the program, these mentors will be assigned in consultation with the T32 trainee. An awarded trainee position cannot be shared among multiple individuals.

Trainees are expected to devote full time to training activities, which, in addition to their research, may include relevant course work, workshops, and scientific conferences, including the monthly Vision Colloquium, Ophthalmology Grand rounds, and the Bay Area Ophthalmology Course – an intensive, 4-week course offered every July.

The funding comes from the National Research Service Award (NRSA) institutional training grants (T32) from the National Eye Institute. Application & Eligibility Please download the Vision Training Program Application Checklist to ensure your application is complete before applying.

Vision Training Program Application Per NIH guidelines, candidates must have completed their PhD or MD or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited domestic or foreign institution by the time they start, and must be a permanent resident or citizen of the United States. They must have a Stanford mentor engaged in vision research, and they must conduct research full-time within the mentor’s laboratory.

Research clinicians must devote full-time to their proposed research training and confine clinical duties to those activities that are part of the research training program. Applications from underrepresented minorities are highly encouraged.

Title: Single cell molecular analysis of Müller glia diversity and responses to retinal injury Summary: Recruitment of Müller glia for regeneration of retinal neurons following injury or degeneration has been an area of intense interest and promising advances in the field of retinal repair, yet little is known regarding the extent of diversity present within this broad cellular population.

We propose using single cell RNAseq to profile Müller glia gene expression in order to identify transcriptional clusters corresponding to biologically meaningful subtypes or cellular states. We also plan to investigate the transcriptional response of individual Müller glia to retinal injury, so that we may discern any heterogeneity in these responses and define the temporal dynamics and relevant molecular pathways.

Gabriella Fernandes Cunha Title: Secretome-inspired therapy to prevent corneal blindness Summary: Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) applied to the wounded eye have been shown to improve the rate of wound healing possibly due to the paracrine factors produce by these cells (the secretome).

We hypothesized that synergistic effects between the secretome and hyaluronic acid that we have observed on corneal wound healing are related to modulation of the corneal crystalline ALDH3A1 and the transmembrane protein CD44. In this project we aim to understand the factors that preserve corneal transparency after alkaline burns and elucidate the molecular mechanisms in which secretome enhances cornea wound healing.

Title: Elucidating the Molecular Mechanism of Optineurin in Glaucomatous Neurodegeneration Summary: Mutations of the optineurin gene including the most common mutant Optineurin-E50K, have been confirmed as causative in some familial normal tension glaucoma patients.

By examining variants of optineurin specifically in retinal ganglion cells, the primary cells affected in normal tension glaucoma, we will determine whether a loss-of-function of OPTN or a gain-of-function of OPTN causes RGC degeneration. Our studies will determine the intrinsic role of optineurin in retinal ganglion cell degeneration and uncover the therapeutic potentials of targeting the optineurin pathway in normal tension glaucoma.

Title: The role of primary cilia for retinal ganglion cells. Summary: Glaucoma is a blinding condition that affects nearly 2 million people in the United States, yet the mechanisms of glaucoma development remain poorly understood and the treatments are limited.

Glaucoma is characterized by deterioration of retinal ganglion cells, which have a primary cilia, an antenna-like organelle that projects from the cell surface and acts like a hub for cellular signaling pathways.

Since defects in primary cilia are known to cause diseases such as Lowe Syndrome that have conditions including glaucoma, this application proposes research to investigate the primary cilia as a novel target for glaucoma treatment and to determine its basic biological function for retinal ganglion cells.

Mentor: Vinit Mahajan/Mark Smith Title: Selective Inhibitors of CAPN5 for the Treatment of Inflammatory Eye Disease Summary: Our overall goal is to treat patients suffering from neovascular inflammatory vitreoretinopathy (NIV) and prevent blindness.

We intend to accomplish this through the development of an intraocular small molecule inhibitor of the calpain-5 (CAPN5) protease, which has been demonstrated to cause neovascular inflammatory vitreoretinopathy (NIV).

Our approach is two-fold, including (A) the development of peptidomimetc inhibitors based on generic calpain inhibitors; and (B) the development of a cyclic peptidomimetic based on peptide substrates within a high affinity to CAPN5. Title: Mapping the mechanisms of optic nerve myelination Summary: Myelination of the optic nerve is crucial for transmitting signals from the eye to the brain.

Strategies to remyelinate the optic nerve after injury or autoimmune disorders, such as optic neuritis, are lacking due to limited knowledge about the fundamental mechanisms that construct myelin sheaths. I propose to determine the mechanisms by which vesicular trafficking in oligodenodcytes coordinate the proper presentation of proteins and lipids to promote axon ensheathment and membrane wrapping during myelination.

Title: Supramolecular Hyaluronic Acid Gel Vehicle for Limbal Stem Cell Delivery to the Wounded Cornea.

Summary: Currently, there is no suitable biomaterial FDA approved for use today that facilitates engraftment of a cultured limbal stem cells (LESCs) to the corneal surface and development of this carrier system would meet a major clinical need for better treatment modalities for corneal blindness as a result of limbal stem cell deficiency.

LESC self-renewal and differentiation are strongly influenced by their mechanical environment and a biomaterial’s structure and mechanical properties can constrol LERSC adhesion and differentiation into terminal corneal epithelial cells.

The goal of this proejct is to investigate supreamolecular, non-covalently crosslinked assemblies of hyaluronic acid as suitable matrices for limbalstem cells to successfully engraft and remodel corneal tissue.

Title: Finding rare cell types in the macaque and human retina using automated neuronal classification Summary: Recent findings in our lab have revealed that our immense and unique trove of 512-electrode recordings from primate retina, and a few from human retina, contain information about 4-8 novel cell types that are poorly understood.

I will design and implement an automated classification system to mine these data for information on the new cell types, and then to further characterize the properties of these cell types during future experiments. These results will expand our knowledge of the non-human primate and human retina, and will be used in the development of a high-fidelity retinal implant being developed in our lab for treating incurable blindness.

Mentor: Alfredo Dubra/Heather Moss Title: Novel foveal pit pathology in multiple sclerosis Summary: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by inflammation and axonal degeneration, affecting retinal ganglion cells and their axons; however, these changes do not fully account for the visual function deficits reported by multi-focal electroretinogram.

We have identified the presence of the novel microscopic structures in the foveal avascular zone (FAZ), and these features correlate with visual dysfunction in MS subjects. We seek to extend this observation and determine whether the foveal features are correlated with any further visual or systemic pathology.

Mentor: Alfredo Dubra/Joyce Liao Title: Developing visible optical coherence tomography (vis-OCT) technology to image inner plexiform layer alterations in patients with glaucoma Summary: This project will enable high-resolution imaging of the inner plexiform layer sub-laminae in patients with glaucoma using visible light optical coherence tomography (vis-OCT).

We will design and construct a human vis-OCT system with key improvements for human imaging. We plan to develop automatic retinal layer segmentation algorithms to robustly measure IPL sub-laminae boundaries.

Title: Generating a single-cell multiomic atlas of the human eye to identify the cellular targets of noncoding variants associated with ocular disease Summary: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have uncovered hundreds of genetic variants associated with eye disease, but most of these variants reside in noncoding regions of the genome, making it challenging to interpret their function.

To elucidate the cellular targets of these noncoding variants, I plan to build a single-cell multiomic atlas of the human eye. This resource will enable greater interpretability of the growing number of ocular GWAS and serve as a powerful tool for the vision research community.

Title: Developmental specification of single-neuron visual physiology Summary: In this project, I will investigate how development shapes the visual responses of single neurons in the Drosophila visual system. In parallel lines of study, I will correlate known developmental programs with visual response properties, and ask how variants of physiology-defining proteins are distributed through development.

These studies will allow me to link the developmental trajectory of single cell types to the function of those same neurons. Title: Supramolecular Hyaluronic Acid Gel Vehicle for Limbal Stem Cell Delivery to the Wounded Cornea Summary: Over the past year, we made significant progress in translating the use of supramolecular hydrogels, specifically hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels, as a carrier for corneal stem cells.

Our lab had previously demonstrated that corneal epithelial and stromal stem cells have bioavailability within crosslinked gels and can be used for potential delivery of corneal epithelial cells in rabbits. We have successfully translated the original findings in rabbits to a rat corneal debridement model, and noted that the supramolecular hydrogel itself is capable of reducing corneal edema and inflammatory response. Mentor: E.

J. Chichilnisky Title: Finding rare cell types in the macaque and human retina using automated neuronal classification Summary: Sam Cooler aims to classify and analyze novel and known cell types in the primate retina using archival data and new experiments. She has made significant progress in research and training during this program period.

Dr. Cooler has created a cell type classifier that achieves mean 98% accuracy across 100+ datasets on the ON and OFF parasol and midget RGC types, forming a solid foundation for classification efforts. This classifier was created alongside a software platform for loading, curating, and analyzing many hundreds of retinal recordings simultaneously, the largest retina light response dataset analyzed to date.

Title Novel foveal pit pathology in multiple sclerosis Summary: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by inflammation and axonal degeneration, affecting retinal ganglion cells and their axons; however, these changes do not fully account for the visual function deficits reported by multi-focal electroretinogram.

The lab has identified the presence of the novel microscopic structures in the foveal avascular zone (FAZ), and these features correlate with visual dysfunction in MS subjects. Title: Enhancer-Promoter Interactions at Steady State and in Retinal Development Summary: During the past year of T32 appointment, I have had incredible mentorship and training through my joint lab experiences under Drs. Sui Wang and Alistair Boettiger.

In the Wang Lab, I have broadened my fund of knowledge about retinal differentiation, including better understanding the key markers and model systems, as well as some of the controversies, in this field. I have learned how to handle mice under IACUC-approved protocols as part of basic science research in retinal biology.

Title: The role of mechanosensitive ion channels in mediating neuroprotection in glaucoma Summary: As a young investigator, I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to be an NIH T-32 trainee. The constant support and the broad training I’ve received from the beginning has helped me to successfully lead a project.

My training has ranged from experiment design, improving critical thinking, performing different surgical procedures in the eye to expanding my communication skills when presenting results in scientific Title Anatomical genetic dissection of brain-wide circadian structural plasticity Summary: I started my postdoctoral fellowship in March 2024.

As a trainee appointed to the T32 grant, I hope to develop skills in conducting neurobiology research relevant to healthy vision under the mentorship of Dr. Thomas Clandinin.

In particular, I aim to develop skills in molecular genetics of Drosophila melanogaster research, and I plan to gain expertise in genome editing technology in order to knock-in temporally inducible alleles into drosophila to measure circadian structural plasticity across the brain and in defined neural cell types. Mentor: Jeffrey L.

Goldberg Title: Differential Regulation of Reactive Astrocytes by cAMP Signaling in Glaucoma Summary: This project investigates how different intracellular pools of cAMP, regulated by soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC), influence the reactivity of astrocytes in glaucoma. We found that reactive astrocytes differentiate into neurotoxic and neuroprotective subpopulations with distinct gene expression signatures, affecting neuronal survival.

By manipulating sAC activity and cAMP signaling, this research aims to develop novel therapeutic strategies to enhance retinal ganglion cell survival in glaucoma and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Title: Dissection the role of mouse pulvinar in modulating cortical visual processing Summary: We will study how mouse pulvinar modulates visual evoked high and low frequency waves by simultaneously recording Lateral Posterior Nucleus (LPN) and cortical activity with a combination of neurophysiology and optical imaging (Aim 1).

We will quantify the effects of LPN activity on visual evoked waves by systematically inhibiting LPN with chemogenetics and optogenetics (Aim 2). We hypothesize that LPN activity promotes the development and generation of low frequency visual evoked activity that traverses across multiple cortical areas.

Title: Extracellular matrix as key regulators of optic disc drusen formation Summary: Optic disc drusen (ODD) are extracellular calcified deposits that are only found anterior to the lamina cribrosa and commonly associated with vision loss.

To understand the pathogenesis of ODD, this new collaboration between Ngan Huang’s lab (Cardiothoracic Surgery) and Joyce Liao’s lab (Ophthalmology) aims to investigate the interaction between extracellular matrix (ECM) and ODD patient fibroblasts and human retinal ganglion cells. Impact: Our study will identify the molecular cues that trigger. Mentor: Jeffrey L.

Goldberg Title: Differential Regulation of Reactive Astrocytes by cAMP Signaling in Glaucoma Summary: This project investigates how different intracellular pools of cAMP, regulated by soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC), influence the reactivity of astrocytes in glaucoma. We found that reactive astrocytes differentiate into neurotoxic and neuroprotective subpopulations with distinct gene expression signatures, affecting neuronal survival.

By manipulating sAC activity and cAMP signaling, this research aims to develop novel therapeutic strategies to enhance retinal ganglion cell survival in glaucoma and other neurodegenerative diseases. Title: Molecular-Cell Mechanisms of Retinal Detachment Summary: Our overall goal is to identify the cellular drivers in the human vitreous associated with retinal detachment.

By leveraging advanced glycomic techniques and integrating proteomic data with single-cell transcriptomics through TEMPO (Tracing Expression of Multiple Protein Origins) analysis, we seek to uncover specific glycoprotein changes that drive vitreous liquefaction and retinal detachment. These findings will guide the development of potential biomarkers for early detection and targeted treatment strategies to prevent blindness.

Biostatistics for Eye and Vision Research Xiangxue Xiao is a biostatistician available to provide biostatistical support for clinical and laboratory research at the Byers Eye Institute/ She has completed rigorous doctorate-level training in statistical methodology, and her expertise spans clinical study design, statistical modeling, personalized medicine, and machine learning.

Xiangxue's research primarily focuses on applying advanced statistical methodologies to conduct predictive risk assessments for bone diseases, particularly osteoporosis. She excels in designing and executing robust observational studies, and my expertise in complex data analysis has led to numerous high-impact research publications.

To arrange a meeting to discuss how Xiangxue can help with your project, please complete her consultation request form. Bioinformatics and -Omics for Eye and Vision Research Praveen Prakhar, PhD, is a research scientist. To arrange a meeting to discuss how Praveen can help with your project, please email him at prakharp@stanford.

edu . Other Biostatistics Resources The Quantitative Sciences Unit (QSU) is a collaborative statistics unit in the Biomedical Informatics Research (BMIR) Division in the Department of Medicine. They do not have an arrangement with Ophthalmology, but they do have arrangements with Stanford Cancer Institute (SCI), Child Health Research Institute (CHRI, including applicants for their grants), and several other centers do.

For an up-to-date list, see the QSU Project Initiation Form (about a third of the way down). The Department of Biomedical Data Science (DBDS) provides free time-limited consultation to investigators in the School of Medicine. It also collaborates on longer term projects with other departments.

In particular, if you are designing a clinical trial, you should request a consultation with DBDS. For more information about DBDS services, click here . Data Studio is a collaboration between Spectrum (The Stanford Center for Clinical and Translational Research and Education) and DBDS.

Its fundamental goal is to foster dialog between statisticians/data scientists and researchers in clinics and laboratories. Data Studio meets weekly during the fall, winter, and spring quarters. One session per month is drop-in consulting.

Most sessions, however, consist of an extensive and in-depth consultation for a Medical School researcher. Data Management and Database Repositories There are many SOM resources to help with data access. If you need to create and manage your own database, you might consider using REDCap , which requires funding for certain services, or the more advanced services provided by the Data Coordinating Center (DCC) , which is a service center.

Stanford also has access to many existing databases containing data from a wide array of sources such as: — STARR (formerly known as STRIDE) — The Data Center at the Center for Population Health Sciences — For SCI members, the Stanford Cancer Institute Research Database (SCIRDB) has a rich set of data that integrates many resources. — The menu at the SOM IT Web page lists some additional databases.

This is an initial start at listing SOM resources that might be useful to Ophthalmology researchers. It will be updated based on feedback and as the SOM updates its Web pages. Some additional "meta" resources are: — SOM list of core research facilities .

Some of the links on this page are broken, but you can Google the name of the facility to find its new page. — Spectrum, Stanford's Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA)-supported research hub . Spectrum is an independent, interdisciplinary center that facilitates clinical and translational research across the university.

Its Web site has resources on informatics, research IT, study design, regulatory affairs, and much more. — DoResearch is a Stanford University knowledge base, oriented primarily toward policy matters.