Career Development

Award Photo

The Duke vitreoretinal faculty guide, mentor, and assist fellows in career development plans throughout the fellowship. Faculty also aid in developing networking opportunities with national and international retina colleagues. Applications for the Heed Fellowship and Ronald G. Michels Fellowship are supported, and fellows are encouraged to apply for many other awards along the way!

Fellows are also encouraged to participate in leadership and advocacy through the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) as well as state and local societies.

Fellow Award Recipients

Ronald G. Michels Foundation Fellowship

  • 2021                Jordan Deaner, MD
  • 2020                Frank Brodie, MD, MBA
  • 2018                Wendy Zhang, MD
  • 2017                Avni Finn, MD, MBA and Akshay Thomas, MD
  • 2015                Dilraj Grewal, MD
  • 2014                Sumit Sharma, MD                        
  • 2013                Glenn Yiu, MD, PhD                                
  • 2011                Paul Hahn, MD, PhD and Phoebe Lin, MD, PhD             
  • 2010                Shelley Day, MD                             
  • 2009                Justis Ehlers, MD                          
  • 2005                Claxton Baer, MD                           
  • 2003                Prithvi Mruthyunjaya, MD
  • 2000                James Lai, MD
  • 1999                Vincent Deramo, MD
  • 1997                Ron Gallemore, MD
  • 1994                Matthew MacCumber, MD
  • 1991                Robert Avery, MD

 
The Retina Society Fellowship Research Award

  • 2016                Xi Chen, MD, PhD
  • 2014                Francisco Folgar, MD
  • 2013                Glenn Yiu, MD, PhD
  • 2012                Lejla Vajzovic, MD
  • 2007                Sai Chavala, MD


The Robert Machemer Foundation Scholarship Award

  • 2019                Ananth Sastry, MD


AAO Retina Subspecialty Day "Coolest Surgical Videos"

  • 2017                Akshay Thomas, MD
  • 2016                Dilraj Grewal, MD


AAO Retina Subspecialty Day Women in Retina Travel Grant 

  • 2017               Avni Finn, MD, MBA
  • 2016               Xi Chen, MD, PhD


ASRS Film Festival Rhett Butler Award for Best Surgical Video

  • 2019                Ananth Sastry, MD          
  • 2017                Scott Walter, MD and Xi Chen, MD, PhD
  • 2015/16          Dilraj Grewal, MD                        
  • 2011                Phoebe Lin, MD, PhD


(ASRS) Fellow in Training (FIT) Section Co-Chair

  • 2020                Jordan D. Deaner, MD

Detroit 2020 Motor City Retina Travel Grant

  • 2020                Sophie Cai, MD


Members-in-Training (MIT) Outstanding Poster Award, ARVO

  • 2019                Cindy Cai, MD

Heed Foundation Fellowship

  • 42 previous winners were Duke Vitreoretinal Fellows

FIRST (Fostering Innovative Retina Stars of Tomorrow) Program

  • 2018               Akshay Thomas, MD
  • 2017               Xi Chen, MD, PhD
  • 2016               Dilraj Grewal, MD


Retina World Congress Travel Grants

  • 2017               Akshay Thomas, MD and Scott Walter, MD


The Macula Society Evangelos S. Gragoudas Award

  • 2014                Glenn C. Yiu, MD, PhD

VitreoRetinal Surgery Foundation Award

  • 2021                 Grant Justin, MD
  • 2021                 Nita Valikodath, MD
  • 2019                 Sophie Cai, MD, 
  • 2018                 Cindy Cai, MD and Ananth Sastry, MD
  • 2017                 Mohsin Ali, MD


Vit-Buckle Society Travel Grants

  • 2019                 Cindy Cai, MD and Ananth Sastry, MD
  • 2018                 Mohsin Ali, MD and Akshay Thomas, MD
  • 2017                 Xi Chen, MD, PhD and Avni Finn, MD, MBA 
  • 2016                 Scott Walter, MD and Dilraj Grewal, MD
  • 2020                 Frank Brodie, MD, MBA