Vision Science Research Program
Can the eye be a window to diagnose disease?
Vision Science Research Program
Can we reverse age-related vision loss?
Vision Science Research Program
Can we restore vision by transplanting new cells?
Vision Science Research Program
Studying the science of sight

Recognizing Excellence

The Vision Science Research Program offers two awards to trainees within the program in recognition of outstanding achievement.

The P. K. Basu Graduate Scholar Award for Vision Health Research

The P. K. Basu Graduate Scholar Award for Vision Health Research is awarded to the MSc or PhD student who receives the highest ranking of their application from the VSRP Selection Committee, based on project proposal, curriculum vitae, and marks.

This award honours Dr. Basu, the distinguished Director of Research for the Department of Ophthalmology from 1959 to his retirement in 1998.

For the 2025/2026 academic year, the P. K. Basu Graduate Scholar Award for Vision Health Research is held by Jaeeun Lee. Jaeeun is an MSc student in the Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology Department, and in the lab of Dr. Valerie Wallace. Jaeeun’s project focuses on the implementation of an experimental tool to restore vision.

 

The Eric Steinbach Travel Award

The Eric Steinbach Travel Award is awarded each year to the two top rated applicants to the VSRP program, evaluated by the Selection Committee. The award is to defray travel costs of attending a conference, symposium or professional meeting.

The Eric Steinbach Travel Award is named for an inventor who worked on perfecting the desktop DNA Sequencer developed at the Visible Genetics biotech company housed in the former Eye Research Institute of Canada.  The sale of stock of the company formed the corpus of the endowment that led to the Vision Science Research Program Scholarships.  Eric died in 2015 and his parents, family, and friends established the travel award in his memory.

For the 2025/2026 academic year, the Eric Steinbach Travel Award is held by Jaeeun Lee and Alexandra Moffat. Jaeeun is an MSc student in the Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology Department, and in the lab of Dr. Valerie Wallace. Jaeeun’s project focuses on the implementation of an experimental tool to restore vision. Alexandra is a PhD student in the Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology Department, and in the lab of Dr. Carol Schuurmans. Alexandra’s project focuses on proneural transcription factors in retinal progenitor cells.

 

 

 

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