Medical student earns ophthalmology scholarship
Congratulations to second-year medical student Seung Won Jenna Shin, who has been awarded a scholarship from the Lass Medical Student Ophthalmology Research Endowment Fund at Case Western Reserve University SOM/University Hospitals Eye Institute.
As a recipient of the award, Shin has been invited to present a poster on her project, titled “M64HCl-Driven FAK Activation Accelerates Human Corneal Epithelial Wound Healing,” at CWRU’s annual Ophthalmology Research Day on Monday, May 18.
“Last summer, I had the opportunity to work on this project with my classmates Lindsey Nichols [M2] and Anas Bakdalieh [M2] under the close mentorship of Dr. Ahmed Adham Elsayed [NEOMED research scientist] and the oversight of Dr. Marc Basson [dean of the College of Medicine],” said Shin.
She noted that Dr. Basson’s prior work demonstrated intestinal mucosal healing using M64HCl, a small molecule used in research on cell repair and an activator of the protein focal adhesion kinase (FAK). When the Basson Lab received human donor corneas through Eversight, an eye bank in Cleveland, the research team was able to extend this work to the corneal epithelium.
“Using both donor corneas and corneal epithelial cell lines, we found that M64HCl significantly enhanced wound healing and FAK activation in ex vivo and in vitro models, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic approach for corneal epithelial repair,” Shin said.
She is looking forward to presenting at the CWRU/UH conference.
“I am incredibly grateful and excited to have received the Lass Medical Student Ophthalmology Research Endowment Fund, as it means that the work we put in over those eight weeks was recognized by local experts in the field of ophthalmology,” she said. “This was a perspective we didn't have access to during the project itself, since the three of us were first-year medical students and our mentors’ primary expertise is in general surgery. The award funds will provide travel support to a scientific meeting, as our abstract has also been accepted for presentation at the 2026 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado.”
Shin plans to pursue residency in ophthalmology, a decision she made even before coming to NEOMED.
“I developed my interest in the field while working as a scribe for just over two years before starting medical school,” she explained. “Ophthalmology is one of the few specialties where nearly everyone requires annual exams, meaning I can build long-term relationships with my patients over years and decades. That continuity is powerful, especially because people tend to take visual disturbances seriously; the fear of losing vision motivates people to seek care who might not otherwise see a doctor, including immigrants like my own family, refugees, and the financially disadvantaged. Through ophthalmology’s position as a front-line specialty, I hope to encourage patients to feel more comfortable engaging with the healthcare system to care for their overall health.”
Congratulations, Jenna!