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 10/1/2020 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

2025 Recipient

Ryo Terao, MD, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo. He received his MD from the University of Tsukuba, Japan, and completed his internship at the University of Tsukuba Hospital. Following this, he trained as a resident at the University of Tokyo Hospital. Terao earned his PhD at the Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, under the supervision of Makoto Aihara, MD, PhD. His doctoral research focused on bioactive lipid mediators in retinal diseases, igniting his interest in the impact of lipid metabolism on retinal disorders.

After completing his PhD in 2020, he joined the laboratory of Rajendra S. Apte, MD, PhD, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis as a postdoctoral research fellow. There, he studied the aging neurosensory retina, exploring mechanisms of aging and cellular senescence that contribute to age-related retinal diseases. In 2024, Terao joined the faculty at the University of Tokyo, where he conducts research in retinal biology, aging, immunology, cell metabolism and disease pathology. His work aims to uncover the underlying mechanisms of retinal disease and develop innovative therapeutic strategies.