# Mentored Vision Clinician-Scientist Program at OHSU

> **NIH NIH K12** · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $285,890

## Abstract

Project Summary
Improving the ability of clinicians to foresee the practical impact of discoveries in basic and clinical research, and
the ability of basic scientists to understand critical gaps in patient care, is key to creating new interventions that
will reduce the frequency and severity of blindness. This K12 application will continue a highly successful
mentored vision clinician-science training program at OHSU. Our first two trainees, Drs. J. Peter Campbell and
Travis Redd, have both realized their K12 goals. Establishing a national and international reputation in applying
artificial intelligence (AI) and telemedicine to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), Dr. Campbell is now PI on an
R01 to continue this work and is co-PI on a second R01 to develop a handheld ultrawide-field optical coherence
tomography angiography device to improve early diagnosis of ROP. Dr. Redd has developed international ties
to create a database of corneal and microbiologic images of corneal ulcers. He is using this to train AI systems
to develop an automated image-based system that can differentiate bacterial from fungal infection better than
human experts. He has been awarded a K23 to continue this work. Dr. Aiyin Chen, who is one year into her K12
training program, is a glaucoma specialist transitioning to a clinician-scientist career. She is using informatics and
deep-learning to analyze electronic health records to identify systemic risk factors for glaucoma and is submitting
a K23 application to continue this work and her training. The university has top programs in clinical ophthalmology
and basic visual science. The ophthalmology department has nearly $21 million in direct vision research funding
(all sources) in 2022. This is a 122% increase compared to 2017. This K12 program will continue to support one
trainee at a time, chosen by an Advisory Committee that represents multiple areas of research focus (basic
research, imaging, genetics, reading center, clinical trials, informatics), eye institute leadership, and chairs of
departmental diversity and faculty development committees. The program will emphasize: (1) individualized
research with mentor teams to guide and monitor progress; (2) didactic courses on fundamentals of basic,
clinical, and translational vision science and access to courses in the trainee’s chosen field; (3) OHSU and
department-sponsored research seminars and highly effective manuscript and grant writing workshops; and (4)
Training in the responsible conduct of research and methods for enhancing reproducibility. This program will
provide broad exposure to basic sciences and clinical research for trainees with an existing background in clinical
ophthalmology and support them to complete a formal curriculum and hands-on research experience needed to
lead independent research. This will result in clinician-scientists who are better prepared to translate scientific
and technological advances into real progress that improves the lives of patien...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10864561
- **Project number:** 2K12EY027720-06A1
- **Recipient organization:** OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** David Huang
- **Activity code:** K12 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $285,890
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2018-04-01 → 2029-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10864561

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10864561, Mentored Vision Clinician-Scientist Program at OHSU (2K12EY027720-06A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-01 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10864561. Licensed CC0.

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