Multidisciplinary Vision Sciences Training Program

Basic and clinical vision science have experienced dramatic growth in the past 5 years. Our understanding of retinal cell types, circuits, and computations, has been aided by new genetic tools and the widespread adoption of transcriptomics. Our ability to measure the function and dysfunction of the retina and its supporting vasculature in humans with advanced imaging techniques and AI-based analyses. The rationale for this training program is that the ideal visual scientist of the future, today’s trainee, needs to have a multidisciplinary background to be well-versed in both basic science and clinical applications.

The major aim of the Northwestern University Multidisciplinary Vision Training Program is to prepare predoctoral trainees for independent careers in vision research broadly defined to include: diseases and functions of the anterior eye including the cornea and Schlemm’s canal; diseases and mechanisms of the retinal neurons and vasculature; retinal computations for engineering applications in sensor design and imaging, and processing by central retinal target areas. This training program leverages the existing multidisciplinary research base at Northwestern University by integrating labs into a cohesive unit for the purposes of training. The 16 preceptors offer research training in cell and molecular biology, neurobiology of the visual system, genetics, advanced microscopy, computational neuroscience, sensor engineering, stem cell biology and organoid culture, diseases of the anterior and posterior eye, and evidenced-based analysis of treatment outcomes and healthcare delivery.

The Multidisciplinary Vision Training Program funds 4 predoctoral candidates from the Northwestern University Integrated Neuroscience (NUIN) program, the Interdepartmental Biological Sciences (IBiS) program, the Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences (DGP), and the Biomedical Engineering (BME) Graduate Program. Trainees are supported for up to two years contingent on research progress.

In addition to research training, the program offers a curriculum that includes a formal course on retinal circuits, a 2 quarter presentation series entitled Advanced Topics in Vision, invited lectures by nationally known researchers, and a Research Day. The long-term objective is to educate trainees who will continue as independent, productive, and ethical investigators and who will address national priorities in vision research.