Stanford 2019 Ophthalmology Course

Palo Alto, CA – Vinit Mahajan M.D., Ph.D., Stanford vitreoretinal surgeon and Vice Chair of Research in the department of ophthalmology, gave an overview on molecular therapies at the 2019 Stanford’s Bay Area Ophthalmology Course.

Taught on the Stanford campus, the month-long course included lectures and hands-on surgical labs that covered the entire scope of clinical and basic science ophthalmology.

In his lecture, Mahajan explained how molecular surgery is ushering in a new era in precision medicine. 

“A few drops of eye fluid obtained during surgery”, he explained, “can reveal disease proteins that can be used for diagnosis, disease staging, and selection of drug targets.” 

This information can lead to precise treatment plans that can save precious time and cut costs associated with typical trial and error approaches.

Mahajan joined approximately 38 faculty from the Bay Area teaching programs and other guest experts in courses designed to educate medical students, residents, practicing ophthalmologists, and scientists on the most recent advances in ophthalmology research and patient care.

Members of the Mahajan Lab attended the retinal disease course lectures. They included predoctoral students Marc Toral, Gabe Velez, and Kellie Schaefer; postdoctoral fellow Young Joo Sun; and research assistant Jing Yang.

Kellie Schaefer said, "The clinical lectures gave me a much better understanding of the human clinical aspects of eye dieseases we study at the molecular level and in animal models. The speakers were excellent and insightful!"

Stanford’s Bay Area Ophthalmology Course, offered since 1970, has been an invaluable source of educational information for local ophthalmologists and trainees from around the world. International members of the 2019 class came from Europe, South America, and China.