Project Summary / Abstract The graduate program in vision science at The Ohio State University has a long track record of training optometrists for careers as clinician scientists. The program has yielded many NIH funded investigators, clinical trialists, and significant contributors to the field of vision science. More recent partnerships with ophthalmology and neuroscience have only further strengthened the program which boasts a breadth of research training opportunities from basic science, animal models, patient-based research, and multi-center clinical trials. In recent years, the program has attracted a large number of female applicants, helping to address the gender disparities that commonly exist in scientific training. This proposal seeks funding to provide support for post-doctoral trainees who have completed an optometric doctorate and are now seeking a PhD. The proposal seeks to support one trainee in the initial year and add an additional trainee in each of years 2 & 3 to reach a total number of three trainees for the third and subsequent years. The faculty appointed to this award have strong records of NEI funding and provide a rich variety of research topics to include corneal biomechanics and wound healing, retinal regeneration, refractive error, pediatric and binocular vision, population vision health, and low vision rehabilitation. Trainees will gain education in the fundamentals of vision science and the ethical conduct of research, complete mock grant proposals, write a review paper, run research projects under the mentorship of their advisors, participate in public presentation of their research at least annually, and be mentored in the publication of their scientific work. The Ohio State University is committed to the advancement of individuals from diverse or disadvantaged backgrounds and will seek to prioritize the appointment of these applicants to the award. Engaging optometrists in rigorous scientific training is critical to maintain the workforce needed to address the many vision disorders impacting both the aging population and our youth. Ohio State University is one of the leading institutions in yielding clinician scientists from the pool of US trained optometrists. The support of this award will further enhance the ability of the vision science graduate program to produce excellent researchers by providing stipends to maximize the dedicated research time of the trainees and focus their efforts solely on training.

Project Narrative Ocular and visual health are critical to independence and maintenance of quality of life. This grant seeks to train the next generation of vision scientists conducting both basic and clinically translational work to develop treatments for sight-threatening conditions. The interdisciplinary faculty from the vision science graduate program housed within the College of Optometry at The Ohio State University provide a diverse portfolio of research expertise to develop future leaders in vision research.