This blog was originally published in August 2024 and updated on March 27, 2025.
Serving the Needs of our Community
Developed by Joseph Arboleda, MD, PhD and James Chodosh MD, MPH, and managed by Dr. Arboleda, Ankoor Shah, MD, PhD, and Silas Wang, MD, the Research Scholars program creates opportunities for medical students to build a competitive application for ophthalmology residency. The program targets individuals who might not otherwise have access to research mentors, career counseling, or clinical sponsors.
This program helps build a stronger talent pipeline by mentoring students interested in ophthalmology earlier in their medical school careers and offering them continued support and guidance as they progress in their careers. This is especially important for students in medical schools without ophthalmology departments and where resources are limited.
Launched in the summer of 2021, the Harvard Ophthalmology Research Scholars Program offers rising second- and third-year medical students an immersive eight-week experience in ophthalmology at Mass Eye and Ear and Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass Eye and Ear. Each scholar is paired with a research mentor, clinical mentor, and resident mentor who have a strong interest in supporting students’ career development and have volunteered for these roles. Scholars spend 4.5 days a week in the laboratory working in a mentored research program, with the object of learning the components of ophthalmology research, not completing a project. Beyond hands-on research training, scholars also spend a half day each week in the clinic or operating room and participate in career coaching, community building activities, and face-to-face networking with faculty. After the program, scholars receive continued sponsorship with mentors and program leaders. And assistant preparing their ophthalmology residency applications and/or research grant applications.
Exploring a Growing Passion for Ophthalmology
Cherrell Price, a 2021 alumna of the program and current medical student at Morehouse School of Medicine, was thrilled to explore her growing passion for ophthalmology. She sparked an interest in the field during her first year of medical school when she shadowed an ophthalmologist. During the Research Scholars Program, Price worked under the mentorship of researcher Kinga M. Bujakowska, PhD, and clinician-scientist Rachel Huckfeldt, MD, PhD, who are both experts in inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs). Price learned about new gene therapies on the horizon for patients with IRDs while gaining exposure to laboratory techniques, experimental design, and data analysis.
Reflecting on her experience, Price said the program was “a perfect combination of camaraderie and independence,” and she appreciated the freedom to personalize her experience with support from her mentors.
Continued Support and Ophthalmology Career Opportunities
Importantly, the relationships built during the program continue after the scholars graduate. For example, after Price’s summer at Mass Eye and Ear, she was awarded a highly competitive Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) Medical Student Eye Research Fellowship to continue her research at the Harvard Ophthalmology Ocular Genomics Institute (OGI) at Mass Eye and Ear. This fellowship allows medical students to spend one year on leave at an RPB-supported ophthalmology department to focus on a research project. Working with her mentor Dr. Bujakowska, she investigated exon skipping, a potential genetic treatment strategy for patients with retinal degeneration with the EYS mutation (which can cause the blinding disease, retinitis pigmentosa). Being part of the Research Scholars Program allowed Price to continue her research, and these experiences will be a launchpad for future endeavors as she pursues a career in academic ophthalmology.
Price found the experience to be “transformative,” and she is grateful for the feeling of belonging it instilled in her. As she simply puts it, “There is a place for me in ophthalmology.”
In February 2025, Price matched into the ophthalmology residency training program at Wayne State University and will begin her training in July 2025.
Brionna Bennett, a 2023 alumna of the Research Scholars Program and a medical student at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, also applied for and received an RPB Medical Student Eye Research Fellowship for the 2024-2025 cycle. Working under the mentorship of researcher Paulo Bispo, PhD, Bennett will complete a one-year fellowship at Mass Eye and Ear focused on improving the diagnosis of infectious endophthalmitis using next generation sequencing and rapid nanostring-based pathogen detection.
A Growing Program and Advancement for Our Scholars
The program’s reputation among medical students around the country is growing. In 2024, there was a 50 percent increase in applications compared to 2023, and the annual class size has grown by over 30 percent.
Research Scholar alumni have also moved on to exciting new chapters in their careers:
- Four scholars applied and matched to ophthalmology residency programs at Tulane University, Indiana University, Wayne State University, and Oregon Health & Science University.
- Three scholars completed one-year research fellowships—two at Mass Eye and Ear/Harvard Ophthalmology and one at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute/University of Miami.
- One scholar is working towards a master’s degree in bioethics.
- One scholar is completing a research fellowship and plans to apply to an internal medicine residency program.
As trainees navigate their winding career paths, access to resources and positive experiences with mentors of varied backgrounds are invaluable. That is why it is so important that opportunities are available to everyone. The Research Scholars Program remains a major focus of Harvard Ophthalmology’s enrichment initiatives, which have made a positive impact on trainees and faculty, alike.
Harvard Ophthalmology has more information on the Research Scholars Program and how to apply.
