The Bert M. Glaser, MD Award for Innovative Research in Retina
This award is given to an early-career investigator in recognition of the discovery of a drug or technique, or the understanding of a mechanism of disease, that is novel and has profoundly changed our understanding and/or treatment of a retinal disease or condition. The discovery must have taken place within five years of the date of application.
This award honors the life of Bert M. Glaser, MD, a retinal surgeon, researcher, innovator and teacher for over 30 years. The award was established by his family to honor his legacy as an innovator and as a retina specialist.
The $10,000 award is supported by the Glaser family through the ARVO Foundation. The first award was issued in 2019.
Eligibility
- Must be a basic scientist or clinician-scientist in retina
- Must be within five years of completion of a post-doctoral fellowship or clinical fellowship
- Must be an ARVO member
- May be a resident or citizen of any country
- May be affiliated with a university, hospital, private practice or company
Letters of Support
Two letters are required to support this nomination: one from the Nominator and one from a secondary Supporter.
The Nominator is responsible for obtaining and uploading his/her own letter of nomination and the letter of the secondary Supporter. Nominators and Supporters may only support one nomination; the Nominator and the Supporter may not be from the same institution. Foundation and ARVO Officers, Board members and Awards Committee members are not eligible to nominate or be nominated for an award during their terms, or to offer seconding letters of support.
The letters should address the following:
- How the nominee has contributed to the discovery of a drug or technique, or the understanding of a mechanism of disease, that is novel and has profoundly changed our understanding and/or treatment of a retinal disease or condition
- The timeframe in which the discovery or understanding was achieved (must be by 10/1/2018 or later)
- Mention of any publications that reference this discovery or understanding
Additional information
The award will be disbursed to the winner’s employer for the sole purpose of furthering the winner’s research. The applicant’s employer must be willing to receive and disburse the award monies under the guidelines of ARVO. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure his/her employer can and will accept the award monies for the sole purpose set out in this award, as specified in the criteria, including that the employer agrees not to apply or withhold administrative fees or indirect costs.
Timeline
Applications open on Aug. 1
Applications close on Oct. 1
Recipient notified in December
2024 recipient: Elizabeth Rossin, MD, PhD
Elizabeth Rossin, MD, PhD, is a vitreoretinal surgeon and assistant professor at Mass Eye and Ear. She earned her undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at University of Pennsylvania, her MD/PhD from Harvard Medical School and the Health, Sciences and Technology program, and completed her ophthalmology residency, chief residency and retina fellowship at Mass Eye and Ear. She has a background in statistical genetics and protein network analysis. Currently, Rossin's lab studies the genetics of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSR), a disease of the choroid that is poorly understood but seen relatively commonly by retina specialists. They conduct genome-wide studies to understand genetic variation that contributes to CSR. In addition, they work on algorithms to understand the effect of coding variation on protein structure, particularly in the context of inherited retinal disease.
