# Mentored Vision Clinician-Scientist Program at OHSU

> **NIH NIH K12** · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $265,683

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Advances in basic science and technology are occurring at an unprecedented pace. Training the next
generation of vision scientists in how to use this knowledge to create new clinical and public health
interventions is critical toward reducing the frequency and severity of blindness, a major public fear with
devastating individual and societal costs. Unfortunately, ophthalmologists often lack the background to
envision how to use recent advances in basic and clinical research to improve patient care, and visual
scientists often lack the clinical perspective to identify gaps in patient care that could guide their research. This
application proposes to create an institutional K12 mentored experience at the Oregon Health & Science
University (OHSU) for junior clinician scientist faculty who are in their first few years out of training. This
program's overall goal is to prepare these promising individuals for successful, independent academic and
scientific careers in vision science research by providing didactic education and intensive mentored research
experience in a multidisciplinary environment. The vision research and training environment at OHSU is highly
collaborative and interdisciplinary, with strong programmatic support in translation of research from bench to
bedside in areas such as gene therapy, molecular genetics, drug development, clinical trials, ophthalmic
imaging, animal model development and biomedical informatics. The university has top educational programs
in clinical ophthalmology and basic visual science, and has been ranked in the top 5 nationally in NEI-
supported research by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research for the past several years. This training
program will fill an important gap in education; currently there are no programs at OHSU (or north of San
Francisco and west of Chicago) which support the training of clinician-scientists in visual science and
ophthalmology. Specifically, we propose a program that will support two K12 recipients at any given time, at
different career stages, chosen by an Advisory Committee. Training will consist of four key components: (1)
Individualized research projects with mentors and collaborators, (2) A didactic course in the fundamentals of
basic, clinical, and translational vision science and access to clinical research programs through the Oregon
Clinical & Translational Research Institute (OCTRI), such as the Human Investigations Program (HIP) and
Master of Clinical Research Program, (3) Regular research seminars hosted by program faculty and the
ophthalmology department, and (4) Training in responsible conduct of research. We believe that this program
will provide clinical perspective to trainees with existing backgrounds in basic science, and basic science
background to trainees with existing backgrounds in clinical ophthalmology. OHSU is a setting where rigorous
training in basic and clinical research through this K12 program will provide promising junior c...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10139044
- **Project number:** 5K12EY027720-04
- **Recipient organization:** OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** JOHN C MORRISON
- **Activity code:** K12 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $265,683
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-04-01 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10139044

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10139044, Mentored Vision Clinician-Scientist Program at OHSU (5K12EY027720-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10139044. Licensed CC0.

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