Medical Retina and Uveitis Research

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

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

Program Identity 

The University of Toronto Medical Retina & Uveitis Research Fellowship is a one-year, fulltime, non-clinical academic fellowship designed to train future clinician-scientists and 
academic leaders in retinal and inflammatory eye disease.

This internationally recognized research fellowship provides advanced training in:
• Clinical trial design, conduct, and regulatory science
• Translational retina and uveitis research
• Multimodal retinal imaging research
• Artificial intelligence and quantitative imaging biomarkers
• Clinical epidemiology and research methodology
• Scientific writing, grant development, and academic leadership

The fellowship emphasizes high-impact research, multidisciplinary collaboration, innovation, and scholarly productivity within one of North America's largest academic 
retina research environments.

One fellow is selected annually.

Research Environment

The fellowship is embedded within the University of Toronto's internationally recognized retina and uveitis research programs, providing opportunities to collaborate with clinicianscientists, imaging specialists, research coordinators, statisticians, industry partners, and international research networks.

Research activities span multiple academic institutions including:

• St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto)
• Toronto Western Hospital (University Health Network)
• Kensington Vision & Research Centre
• Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
• University of Toronto Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Sciences

The fellow will participate in collaborative projects across medical retina, uveitis, inherited retinal disease, ocular oncology, advanced retinal imaging, artificial intelligence, and 
translational ophthalmic research.

Research Focus

Clinical Trials & Evidence-Based Retina Care

The fellow will receive comprehensive exposure to all phases of clinical trial development, 
including:

• Patient screening and recruitment
• Informed consent and Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
• Protocol implementation and regulatory compliance
• Study monitoring and safety reporting
• Multicentre investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored clinical trials

Training emphasizes the integration of evidence-based medicine into modern retinal 
practice.

Translational Retina & Uveitis Research

Research opportunities include projects involving:

• Multiple clinical trials
• Stem cell and regenerative retinal therapies
• Ocular immunology
• Single-cell sequencing and molecular diagnostics
• Biomarker discovery
• Novel therapeutic development

The fellow will gain experience translating laboratory discoveries into clinically meaningful research questions and patient-centered investigations.

Multimodal Retinal Imaging Research

The fellowship provides advanced training in imaging-driven clinical research using:

• Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)
• Enhanced Depth Imaging OCT
• OCT Angiography (OCTA)
• Fundus Autofluorescence
• Wide-field retinal imaging
• Fluorescein and Indocyanine Green Angiography

Research focuses on imaging biomarkers, disease phenotyping, treatment response, and quantitative imaging endpoints.

The fellow will also contribute to the development of educational imaging resources and virtual teaching platforms through curated case libraries and structured learning modules.

Artificial Intelligence & Quantitative Imaging
The fellow will gain practical experience integrating artificial intelligence into ophthalmic 
research, including:

• Automated image analysis
• Quantitative imaging biomarkers
• Disease classification algorithms
• Predictive modelling
• Treatment-response analytics
• Diabetic teleretinal screening initiatives

Training emphasizes clinically meaningful implementation while addressing validation, bias, and generalizability.

Research Methodology & Academic Development

The fellowship provides structured training in:

• Clinical study design
• Retrospective and prospective cohort studies
• Case-control studies
• Clinical trial methodology
• Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
• Biostatistics
• Data management
• Research ethics and regulatory compliance

Fellows are expected to develop independent research projects from conception through publication.

Fellowship Objectives

The fellowship prepares graduates to excel across four pillars.

1. Clinical Research Excellence

• Design clinically relevant research questions
• Develop high-quality study protocols
• Conduct ethical, reproducible clinical research
• Apply evidence-based methodologies

2. Innovation & Translational Science

• Bridge laboratory discoveries with clinical application
• Integrate imaging biomarkers into research
• Participate in emerging therapeutic development
• Apply artificial intelligence to retinal research

3. Academic Scholarship

• Publish peer-reviewed manuscripts
• Present research nationally and internationally
• Participate in multicentre collaborative studies
• Develop grant-writing and scientific communication skills

4. Leadership & Education

• Lead weekly Retina & Uveitis Research Rounds
• Present journal clubs and imaging conferences
• Mentor residents and medical students
• Foster interdisciplinary collaboration across research teams

Research Productivity 

Approximately 90–100% of fellowship time is dedicated to research.

Expected scholarly outcomes include:

• Multiple peer-reviewed publications
• National and international conference presentations
• Abstract submissions to ARVO, AAO, Retina Society, Club Jules Gonin, and other 
scientific meetings
• Participation in investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored clinical trials
• Development of competitive grant applications
• Contributions to multicentre collaborative research initiatives

Graduates are positioned for academic faculty appointments, clinician-scientist careers, and advanced fellowship or graduate research training.

Educational Framework

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

Graduates emerge as:

• Independent clinical researchers
• Experts in multimodal retinal imaging research
• Skilled clinical trial investigators
• Translational scientists
• Academic educators and scholars
• Collaborative leaders in ophthalmic research

Fellowship Activities 

The fellow will participate in:

• Department Grand Rounds and Resident Teaching
• Weekly Retina & Uveitis Research Rounds
• Journal Clubs
• Department Research Day
• Research-in-Progress meetings
• Clinical trial meetings
• Imaging conferences
• Graduate-level research seminars
• Collaborative research meetings across participating institutions

Professional Development 

The fellowship emphasizes progressive development in:

• Scientific communication
• Critical appraisal of literature
• Manuscript preparation
• Grant writing
• Research ethics
• Project management
• Leadership within multidisciplinary academic teams

Ideal Candidate

This fellowship is designed for applicants who:

• Aspire to careers as clinician-scientists and academic investigators
• Have a strong interest in retina and/or uveitis research
• Wish to develop expertise in clinical trials and translational medicine
• Seek advanced experience in multimodal retinal imaging research
• Are interested in artificial intelligence and quantitative imaging
• Aim for meaningful scholarly productivity and academic leadership

Competitive Positioning 

This program offers:

• One of Canada's premier dedicated Medical Retina & Uveitis Research Fellowships
• Direct mentorship from internationally recognized retina and uveitis investigators
• Comprehensive exposure to clinical trials, translational science, and imaging research
• Collaborative opportunities across major academic hospitals and research institutes
• A structured pathway toward independent academic and clinician-scientist careers

Application

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

• Duration: 1 year (July 1 – June 30)
• Positions: One annually
• Salary: $40,000 CDN
• Interviews: By invitation

Please submit your application to 
Dr. Nupura Bakshi
Tel: 416-867-3734
Fax: 416-867-3672

Fellowship Administrator

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