Short-Term Research Training For Optometry Students

描述（申请人提供）：14位来自印第安纳大学的视觉科学家，寻求为视光学院的学生提供短期研究培训。长期目标是培养这些学生对研究的持久兴趣，这将激励他们攻读视觉科学的硕士和博士学位，并最终导致与健康相关的视觉研究的职业。学生们由具有活跃的视觉科学研究项目的视觉科学家指导。所涉实验室的研究经费包括7个来自NEI的R01, 1个来自NIBIB的R01, 2个来自NEI的多中心生物工程研究伙伴关系资助（基于R01）， 1个来自NEI的P30核心资助和多个来自行业的其他资助。要求支持12名短期受训人员在视觉科学家实验室进行为期3个月的夏季研究。拥有本科学位的学生通常在验光学院的第一学年结束时进入该课程。潜在的培训领域包括：光学：包括像差和视网膜成像；生物学：包括分子、生化机制和药理学；疾病：包括眼表面缺陷、年龄相关性黄斑变性、青光眼和发育问题；视力：包括敏感性、发育和高阶加工。三种不同的研究生水平课程将使受训者接触到：a)流行病学、研究设计和基础统计学，作为春季验光课程的一部分，在进入短期培训项目之前；b)验光中的伦理问题

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Fourteen vision scientists at Indiana University, seek to provide short-term research training to students in the school of Optometry. The long-term objective is to develop in these students an abiding interest in research that will motivate them to pursue M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Vision Science, and ultimately lead to careers in health-related vision research. Students are mentored by vision scientists with active Vision Science research programs. The research funding of the involved laboratories includes seven R01s from NEI, one R01 from NIBIB, two multicenter Bioengineering Research Partnership grants from NEI (R01 based), one P30 core grant from NEI and multiple other grants from the Industry. Support is requested for twelve short-term trainees for three months of summer research in the laboratories of vision scientists. Students with an undergraduate degree enter the program usually at the end of the first year in Optometry school. The potential areas of training include: Optics: including aberrations and retinal imaging, Biology: including molecular, biochemical mechanisms and pharmacology, Disease: including ocular surface defects, age Related macular degeneration, glaucoma and developmental problems, Vision: including sensitivity, development, and higher order processing. Three different graduate level courses will expose trainees to a) Epidemiology, research design and basic statistics as part of the optometry curriculum during the spring prior to entering the short-term training program b) Ethical issues in scientific research during the summer training c) Weekly seminars during the summer training that provides students the opportunity to participate in the critical analysis of peer reviewed papers and discuss their own research projects terminating with a presentation of their work at the end of the summer. Trainees are encouraged to continue their research interest following their summer training by continuing their research in the mentor's lab and attending weekly seminars of in-house faculty, graduate students and visiting scholars, and by attending scientific meetings at which they present their research under the guidance of their mentors. Trainees are also encouraged through a special degree program to continue their participation by incorporating their data and analysis as part of a thesis for an M.S. degree which by additional efforts during their second through fourth year can be achieved without additional costs.