Annual International ARVO Conference

Vancouver, BC—Mahajan Lab member Teja Chemudupati, a clinical research coordinator working with Stanford surgeons Vinit Mahajan M.D., Ph.D. and Prithvi Mruthyunjaya M.D., presented his research in Canada at the 91^stAnnual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology that centered around the theme “from bench to bedside and back.” 

Teja gave a poster presentation on “Ophthalmic specimens from bedside to bench: An integrated biorepository platform to bridge the gap between the operating room and laboratory.” He described the implementation of the Mobile Operating Room Laboratory Interface(MORLI), a novel device developed by Dr. Mahajan that has become the crux of Stanford Ophthalmology’s biorepository workflow. 

Teja explained the custom informatics database that he coded to link the operating room with the research laboratory, a vital asset that has enabled many ongoing research projects. 

“Collecting and tracking ophthalmic surgical specimens with the MORLI has facilitated the collection of high-quality research samples whose proteomic profiles are well-preserved,” Dr. Mruthyunjaya said. “We now perform advanced molecular analyses on samples straight out of the operating room, allowing us to gain new understanding of eye diseases such as choroidal melanoma.”

In his ARVO conference presentation, Teja offered insight into how translational research can be facilitated based on the lessons he  learned while working in a hybrid role in the Mahajan Lab. 

Mahajan said, “By counseling patients, collecting IRB-approved surgical specimens in the OR, managing a biorepository platform, and analyzing experimental results with the lab team, Teja was able to highlight how vision researchers at Stanford have personalized medicine at the Byers Eye Institute.” 

This year’s week-long ARVO annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia brought together over 12,000 vision researchers from 80 countries in lectures, workshops, and events, enabling the Mahajan Lab to connect with other research collaborators around the globe.