Medical Retina and Uveitis

Co-Fellowship Directors 

Nupura Bakshi, MD, FRCSC – Medical Retina & Uveitis
Peng Yan, MD, FRCSC – Medical & Surgical Retina

Core Faculty

• Brian Ballios, PhD, MD, FRCSC – Medical Retina, Inherited Retinal Diseases, Clinician-Scientist
• Larissa Derzko-Dzulynsky, MD, FRCSC – Uveitis
• Alex Kaplan, MD, FRCSC – Medical Retina & Uveitis

Contact Information

Dr. Nupura Bakshi
Tel: 416-867-3734
Fax: 416-867-3672

Fellowship Administrator Contact Information

Becca Downey
Tel: 416-867-3734    Fax: 416-867-3672
Email: becca.downey@unityhealth.to

Program Identity 

For over 25 years, the University of Toronto Medical Retina & Uveitis Fellowship has trained academic leaders in complex retinal and inflammatory eye disease. This nationally recognized, high-volume tertiary referral program integrates:

• Comprehensive medical retina and uveitis training
• Advanced multimodal retinal imaging expertise
• High-volume procedural training, encompassing intravitreal pharmacotherapy, 
pneumatic retinopexy, focal and panretinal laser photocoagulation, laser 
retinopexy, and periocular (sub-Tenon’s) corticosteroid delivery.
• Systemic immunomodulatory therapy management
• Dedicated ocular oncology, electrophysiology, surgical retina exposure
• Structured academic research and teaching development

Up to two fellows are selected annually.

Training Environment

As Canada’s largest ophthalmic referral network and one of North America’s highest-volume academic retina centers, Toronto offers exposure to:

• Complex tertiary and quaternary retinal disease
• Complex uveitis requiring systemic immunomodulatory therapy
• Rare inherited retinal disorders
• Ocular oncology and multidisciplinary tumor care
• High-volume intravitreal injection and retinal laser experience

Clinical training spans:

• St. Michael’s Hospital (Unity Health Toronto)
• Toronto Western Hospital (UHN)
• Kensington Vision & Research Centre
• Ocular Oncology exposure at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

This multi-site academic network provides diverse pathology, advanced imaging infrastructure, and exceptional clinical volume.

Clinical Volume & Procedural Mastery 

Fellows graduate with extensive procedural experience, including:

• 1,000+ intravitreal injections annually
• 500+ retinal laser procedures (PRP, focal laser, retinopexy)
• Exposure to pneumatic and laser retinopexy
• Independent interpretation of:
   o OCT & OCT-A
   o Enhanced-depth OCT
   o Fundus autofluorescence
   o Fluorescein & ICG angiography
   o Electrophysiology
   o B-scan ultrasonography

Uveitis & Immunology Training

• Diagnosis and management of infectious and non-infectious uveitis
• Initiation and monitoring of systemic immunomodulatory therapy
• Biologic therapy management
• Multidisciplinary collaboration with rheumatology, infectious disease, respirology and other medical subspecialities
• Longitudinal inflammatory disease care

Inherited Retinal Disorder (IRD) Training

• Develop a thorough approach to evaluation and clinical diagnosis of complex hereditary retinal disorders
• Use measures of retinal function (electrophysiology, visual fields, psychophysical testing) and retinal structure (multimodal imaging) to refine the differential diagnosis of rare inherited retinal diseases
• Interpretation of molecular diagnostic findings (genotypes) in the context of clinical features (phenotypes)
• Counselling of patients and families with hereditary retinal disorders
• Working in multidisciplinary IRD teams for patient evaluation and management (vision 
rehabilitation, genetic counselling, clinical electrophysiology)

Ocular Oncology Exposure

• Dedicated clinics at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
• Diagnosis and management of primary and metastatic intraocular tumors
• Integration into oncology care pathways

Fellowship Objectives

The fellowship prepares graduates to excel across four pillars:

1. Expertise in Complex Care
• Advanced management of AMD, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vascular disease, inherited retinal disease, and uveitis
• Mastery of multimodal retinal imaging and electrophysiology
• Evidence-based decision-making in complex tertiary cases

2. Procedural Excellence

• High-volume intravitreal pharmacotherapy
• Laser retinopexy, focal laser and PRP
• Graded responsibility and independent clinical judgment

3. Academic Leadership

• Design and execution of clinical research projects
• Participation in multicenter and industry-sponsored trials
• Publication in peer-reviewed journals
• Presentation at ARVO, AAO, Retina Society, and international meetings

4. Teaching & Mentorship

• Leading retina rounds and journal clubs
• Delivering resident lectures
• Mentoring trainees in clinic and research
• Presenting complex cases at grand rounds

Research & Academic Development

Approximately 20% protected time is dedicated to research.

Fellows are expected to:

• Develop original clinical or translational research
• Participate in investigator-initiated and sponsored research studies
• Present original research at Department Research Day and at major national and international conferences (e.g., ARVO, AAO, Retina Society), with expectation of peer-reviewed dissemination.
• Submit manuscripts to high-impact journals (e.g., Ophthalmology, Retina, American Journal of Ophthalmology)
• Contribute to national and international multicenter and collaborative studies

Graduates are positioned for academic appointments and subspecialty leadership roles. 

Educational Framework

The program is aligned with the CanMEDS competency framework and University of Toronto PGME standards.

Upon completion, graduates are expected to function as:

• Expert diagnosticians in advanced retinal imaging
• Skilled proceduralists in intravitreal pharmacotherapy
• Confident managers of systemic immunotherapy
• Academic clinician-educators and scholars
• Multidisciplinary collaborators

Work Structure

• Five full clinical days per week, including participation in retina and uveitis call responsibilities, management of urgent and emergent tertiary referrals, and direct 
exposure to emergency vitreoretinal surgical cases.
• High-volume tertiary clinics
• On-call participation
• Longitudinal protected academic time
• Formal evaluations at 2 months, mid-year, and completion

Compensation & Leave

• $85,000 CAD/year
• 2 weeks vacation
• 1–2 weeks conference leave (with approval)

Ideal Candidate

This fellowship is designed for applicants who:

• Seek an academic career and leadership in retina and/or uveitis
• Desire high procedural volume with advanced multimodal imaging exposure
• Have an interested in systemic inflammatory disease management
• Aim for meaningful research productivity
• Thrive in complex tertiary referral environments

Competitive Positioning

This program stands as:

• One of Canada’s highest-volume medical retina fellowships
• One of the few North American programs with fully integrated retina–uveitis training
• A nationally recognized academic training platform

Application

Applications are processed through the San Francisco Match.

• Duration: July 1 – June 30
• Positions: Up to 2 annually
• Application deadline: September 30 (year prior)
• Interviews: Early November
• Decisions: Mid-December