Research Training at New England College of Optometry

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Support is requested for a second period of five years of Summer Research Training Fellowships at this College for ten students selected from OD programs here and elsewhere. The goal of this training is to help the student gain a strong sense of what research is: how evidence is gained from the hands-on activities of the laboratory and from clinical and field observations; how theories are advanced, tested, and accepted or rejected. Trainees should not only gain a greater understanding of their field and an ability to judge the quality of research-based claims, but some will opt to pursue research careers on the basis of their experiences. Applications for the fellowships are solicited by local publicity as well as information sent to the various colleges. Trainees are selected on the basis of strong academic records, particularly in the hard sciences, and recommendations. Each one is assigned to the laboratory/project of a mentor on the basis of common interests. The mentor guides the trainee in all aspects of research and is her/his primary advocate and evaluator. The twelve mentors are all experienced investigators with on-going research funded either by the National Eye Institute or other source. Their work ranges from anatomy and its pathologies, to pathophysiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, and autoimmune disease. Myopia and emmetropization are central themes for a number of mentors and is pursued with both animal models and human studies involving physiological optics and epidemiological methods. A research seminar attended by all trainees continues through the summer. This seminar will initially acquaint the trainees with the on-going research within the College. It will include lectures on the ethics of research, constraints and considerations on the use of human subjects and separate lectures on the use of animal subjects. The seminar will also include sections on the use of statistics in research and data analysis leading to a consideration of research design. This College has strong infrastructural supports and fund support for pilot research needs.