A Glaucoma Research Fellow, Neeru Vallabh, from the University’s Department of Eye and Vision Science has been selected to represent the UK on a prestigious training fellowship.
The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest eye and vision research organisation in the world. It has helped to advance research into understanding the visual system and preventing, treating and curing its disorders. Over 12,000 researchers from 75 countries are members.
Talented and Diverse
Every year ARVO invites Members in Training (MITs) to apply for 21 places on their Science Communication Training Fellowship. The fellowship trains MITs to become more effective communicators of vision research to all audiences.
This year, from a huge amount of entries, 11 MITs have been appointed from the US and 10 MITs, including Neeru Vallabh, have been appointed from the rest of the world.
Neeru has been selected to join the ‘talented and diverse’ intake as the ARVO select committee felt she had “demonstrated her experience in science communication” and had “a desire to learn more”.
Important opportunity
Of the selection Neeru, who is also an Ophthalmologist at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital’s St Paul’s Eye Unit, said: “I am so delighted to have been awarded this opportunity. I am a clinician who has been undertaking laboratory research for the last two years as part of my PhD.
“I feel it is important to be able to communicate about research to a variety of audiences, whether academics, clinicians or patients. This includes the charitable organisations, such as the St Paul’s Glaucoma Research Fund, International Glaucoma Association and Fight for Sight, that have graciously funded my research. It is important for the charities and their supporters to be able to understand how the money they have donated has helped to advance knowledge about the condition of glaucoma.
“Through my ongoing clinical training I have received formal training on communicating clinical issues to patients and I have put this into practice. The science communication training fellowship would provide a structured education, with peer learning, and the ability to put my learning in to practice. The experience I gain will benefit the outstanding work that is undertaken in St Paul’s Eye Unit and Department of Eye and Vision Science, University of Liverpool, on a local, national and international level.”
The seven other countries represented on the Fellowship, including the UK and the US, are Germany, Pakistan, Italy, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Australia.
More information about ARVO can be found here.
More information about St Paul’s Eye Unit can be found here