There is nothing more satisfying than being recognized for the hard work you devote to advancing your career and the larger goals of the medical field. For Dr. Rohit Varma, an assistant lecturer at the USC Health Science Center at Los Angeles, CA in the United State, that recognition came in the form of the ARVO Gold Medal. This prestigious award is presented to a select few individuals per year, who have made an exceptional impact on the field of vision research. For Dr. Rohit Varma, this award is a culmination of his life-long commitment to improving vision through advancements in the understanding of the eye.
What is an ARVO Gold Fellow Award? It is an honor that is given to a few of the most promising young researchers in the field of visualization science. The award is given by the affiliation for study in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). ARVO Gold Fellows are appointed for having shown excellence in their research. For their research in the field of vision science, Dr. Rohit Varma was awarded this honor. The Gold Fellowship award recognizes the early potential of researchers to make significant contributions to the field.
In 1998, I was a college sophomore, in love with biology, and working in a lab when three people changed my life. One was a scientist who had recently won a Nobel Prize. The other two were my professors, who urged me to pursue research about the human eye. At the time, very little was known about the retina or how the eye processes visual information.
The affiliation for study Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) has recognized Rohit Varma, MD, MPH, PhD, as an ARVO Gold Fellow. A Gold Fellow is an individual who has demonstrated outstanding meritorious contributions to ophthalmology research, practice or education. This is the highest honor bestowed by ARVO and is awarded to less than 6% of the members annually. Rohit Varma, MD, MPH, is a Professor of Ophthalmology and Epidemiology at the University of Southern California, He is the Director of the Southern California Eye Institute Vision recognized for his work in low-vision rehabilitation.
To mark the occasion of the affiliation for study in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)’s annual conference, held this year in Seattle, the ARVO fellows recognized both the lifetime-achievement contributions of this year’s fellows and the contributions of those who have recently been named ARVO fellows. A ceremony was held on May 4, and Dr. Varma was one of the recipients of this prestigious award. He was recognized for his work in the field of vision research. Among the more than 20 ARVO fellows recognized this year were Dr. Varma, Dr. Richard Wurtman, Dr. Jeffrey Weiss, Dr. Robert Fitch, Dr. Thomas Oetting, and Dr. Denise Bonilla-Warford.
Every year the affiliation for study in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) recognizes vision professionals worldwide who have made contributions to the prevention, treatment, and cure of eye disease. This year, Dr. Rohit Varma, was recognized for his work on successful corneal transplant surgery.
As part of its mission to recognize excellence in ophthalmology research, the affiliation for study in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) and its Foundation awarded Rohit Varma, MD, the 2018 ARVO Gold Fellow. Dr. Varma is the director of the Vitreoretinal Service in the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Rohit Varma, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH), was one of 14 ophthalmologists announced as recipients of the prestigious ARVO Gold Medal Award. The award is given to ophthalmologists that demonstrate excellence in ophthalmic research and patient care.
Rohit Varma, a research fellow at the University of Pittsburgh’s Eye and Ear Institute, who has developed a new way of identifying cells in the eye that are at risk of developing into cancerous tumors. The first step is to take a special kind of microscopic image of the cells, which requires fixing the tissue with a chemical, but most of the time the chemical is washed off before the scientists get a chance to make the images they need. The gold Nano shells Varma uses, though, are small enough to stay on the cells in the eye after the fixative is washed away. Thus, Varma and his team have developed a way to visualize the cells over time to detect small changes that may indicate if they are on.
As an ARVO fellow, Dr. Varma will have access to a wide range of educational and networking opportunities, including a special section of the ARVO website, an international newsletter, and access to the ARVO network of professionals. ARVO fellows will have the opportunity to engage with other fellows at several annual meetings. The ARVO Gold Fellows program also includes the option of publishing an article in the ARVO journal.
Rohit Varma, PhD, professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, was honored by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology with the prestigious distinction of ARVO Gold Fellow. Dr. Varma will be recognized for his contributions to the development of a neuroprotective treatment for glaucoma and his leadership in glaucoma research.
Recognized worldwide for his pioneering research in ophthalmology, Rohit Varma, MD PhD was named an ARVO Gold Fellow for his contributions to the understanding of the human eye. Dr. Varma is the author of several textbooks, and is currently the Associate Director of Ophthalmology at the University of Michigan. He is also a professor of Ophthalmology and Surgery at Wayne State University’s School of Medicine.
