EyeSTAR Genetics

New EyeSTAR Track Combines Ophthalmology Residency with Medical Genetics Certification 

In a national first, the UCLA Department of Ophthalmology is introducing a Medical Genetics track to the Stein Eye Institute’s Specialty Training and Advanced Research (EyeSTAR) program. This new track offers ophthalmology residency training in tandem with training by the UCLA Intercampus Medical Genetics Training Program leading to Clinical Genetics and Genomics certification by the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics.

Understanding how variations in an individual’s DNA may affect disease and health is the underpinning of medical genetics. With this knowledge, clinician-scientists can propel innovations in the diagnosis and detection of disease, as well as new approaches to treatment.

Founded in 1995, EyeSTAR continues to lead the nation in offering a combined ophthalmology residency training integrated with basic-science PhD training or post-doctoral fellowship research. EyeSTAR provides crucial training for residents aspiring to academic careers that incorporate clinical practice and research. The EyeSTAR Committee is chaired by Joseph L. Demer, MD, PhD, Arthur L. Rosenbaum, MD, Chair in Pediatric Ophthalmology.

The UCLA EyeSTAR track in Medical Genetics addresses a critical for clinicians and clinician-scientists at academic centers who have strong foundations in both clinical ophthalmology and genetics. The groundbreaking Medical Genetics track includes an understanding of modern molecular genetic diagnostics, clinical evaluations in adults and children, therapeutics, and research.

UCLA’s Ophthalmology Residency Program encompasses a full breadth of instruction from general ophthalmology to ophthalmic subspecialties, and it is one of the top programs in the country. Its innovative EyeSTAR component is unique in the nation and recognized by the National Eye Institute and the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology as a model training program for clinician scientists in ophthalmology. EyeMBA is expected to attain similar standing.

For detailed information about EyeSTAR and its Medical Genetics track, click here. To learn more about the UCLA Intercampus Medical Genetics Training Program, visit our website.