Faculty, trainees and staff gathered for the annual retreat featuring poster sessions, food trucks and research awards
The John F. Hardesty, MD, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences hosted the 2025 Vision Science Research Retreat on Friday, October 3, bringing together faculty, trainees and staff for a day celebrating innovation and collaboration in vision research.
The event began with a morning poster session at the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center, where trainees and postdoctoral fellows presented their latest work spanning basic, clinical and translational vision science. In the afternoon, participants enjoyed food trucks, outdoor games and social time in Shaw Park, offering an opportunity to build community and exchange ideas in a relaxed setting.
Several trainees were recognized for outstanding research and creativity:
- Ramiz Somjee (Corbo and Holehouse Labs) received the Rosenbaum Research Award for Best Poster – First Place.
- Andrew Jo, PhD (Kerschensteiner Lab) earned the Rosenbaum Research Award for Best Poster – Honorable Mention.
- Edward Ding (Wang Lab) was honored with the Science in Focus: Art Beyond the Microscope – People’s Choice Award.
The retreat also recognized Chin L. Lin, PhD, for completing the Institutional Training in Vision Science (ITVS) Pathway, a milestone that marks his dedication to advancing research and mentorship within the department.
The Vision Science Research Retreat highlights the depth and diversity of research within the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and underscores WashU Medicine’s commitment to advancing discovery in vision science.
About WashU Medicine
WashU Medicine is a global leader in academic medicine, including biomedical research, patient care and educational programs with 2,900 faculty. Its National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding portfolio is the second largest among U.S. medical schools and has grown 56% in the last seven years. Together with institutional investment, WashU Medicine commits well over $1 billion annually to basic and clinical research innovation and training. Its faculty practice is consistently within the top five in the country, with more than 1,900 faculty physicians practicing at 130 locations and who are also the medical staffs of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals of BJC HealthCare. WashU Medicine has a storied history in MD/PhD training, recently dedicated $100 million to scholarships and curriculum renewal for its medical students, and is home to top-notch training programs in every medical subspecialty as well as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and audiology and communications sciences.