Since 1998, OHSU Casey Eye Institute has offered a comprehensive, AUPO compliant clinical fellowship in Uveitis and Ocular Inflammation. Program length for the fellowship is one year, though qualified/interested individuals have extended their training to pursue additional interests. 

We are world leaders in the training of tomorrow’s generation of uveitis specialists. Our uveitis fellowship gives fully trained ophthalmologists an additional year of training in the diagnosis and management of uveitis and ocular inflammation. It is routinely one of the most sought after training programs in the field of uveitis. We have trained over 25 fellows over the last two decades and have additionally hosted dozens of international observers during that time for periods ranging from weeks to months. Our fellows have gone on to take prestigious faculty appointments all over the country and the world, and many of them are now training their own residents and fellows to pass along the learning they gained here.

Fellows work with our world-renown experts in orbital and ocular inflammatory diseases to train in the clinical management of patients with ocular inflammatory diseases, including uveitis, scleritis, and orbital and ocular surface inflammatory diseases, and are exposed to clinical trials in uveitis as well as basic science research for those who are interested. Fellows will have the opportunity to work with well-renowned and experienced clinical faculty with disparate backgrounds in ophthalmology and rheumatology and will learn all aspects of care for the treatment of patients with uveitis and ocular inflammation, including the prescription and management of  a wide array of local and systemic immune modulating therapies and surgical management of uveitic cataracts. In addition, fellows are exposed to overlap entities in the medical retinal fields such as inherited retinal diseases and retinal vascular disease

We hope to educate leaders in uveitis by providing in-depth, well-rounded training in ocular inflammatory disease. 

Clinical opportunities

The Uveitis Clinic of OHSU Casey Eye Institute serves as a referral center for the entire Pacific Northwest and uveitis fellows should expect to be exposed to a broad range of disease pathology and will gain experience treating patients topically, locally, and systemically. Fellows are exposed to the breadth of management including adult and pediatric patients, systemic and local immunosuppression, including the use of biologics, clinical trial options, as well as surgical options. Oportunities to remove cataracts from patients with uveitis are available to interested candidates with supervision from experienced uveitic cataract surgeons. 

Clinical responsibilities for the fellow include  attendance of faculty uveitis clinics and conducting clinics for clinical research participants. Qualified candidates will also have the opportunity to participate in medical retina clinics. Ad hoc clinical responsibilities may be assigned for urgent or emergent patients during other times.

Research opportunities

Uveitis fellows will have the opportunity to participate in clinical and basic science projects aligning with their personal interest. Research topics pursued by fellows in the recent past have included basic science work relating to the microbiome, informatics, chart reviews of interesting disease processes and/or new imaging pathologies, and participation as a co-investigator in uveitis clinical trials. Fellows are encouraged to attend national uveitis fellow forums, to present their research at national meetings, and to submit their work into peer-reviewed journals. Our fellows commonly present at the ARVO meeting and other national and international meetings, including the yearly AUPO Uveitis Fellows Forum.

Although there is not a required research project, Fellows are expected to carry out a clinical or basic research program during the non-clinical weekday time under the supervision of the fellowship faculty. Interface with other disciplines such as world class rheumatology and infectious disease divisions is plentiful, including with the in-house OHSU infusion center. Participation of the fellows in clinical trials as sub-investigators is also integral to the program.

Educational opportunities

The fellow holds an appointment at OHSU Casey Eye Institute as Clinical Instructor and is an integral part of teaching in the Department of Ophthalmology. The uveitis Fellow is expected to present at monthly uveitis conferences, participate in biweekly posterior segment conferences, attend weekly rheumatology grand rounds and journal club and attend ophthalmology grand rounds. The Fellow provides instructional lectures to the residents, and spends time supervising and/or teaching residents and medical students. 

Application process

Applications for this AUPO fellowship program should be submitted through the US Fellowship Match program.

Prerequisite training requirements include an M.D. or equivalent degree and residency training in ophthalmology. Typical U.S. candidates will have completed residency training, but international candidates who have partially completed training and wish to complete research sabbaticals may be considered. Candidates will have an interest in clinical care of patients with inflammatory disease and basic and/or clinical research training in uveitis and ocular immunology. Interest in pursuing a career in academic ophthalmology is preferred, but not required.  

Fellowship director

Eric B. Suhler, M.D., M.P.H. - Fellowship Director, clinical management of uveitis, clinical research, clinical trials. 

Fellowship coordinator

Sarah Grace at 503-494-3000

Affiliate faculty

John Clements, M.D. - cataract and anterior segment surgery
Christina Flaxel, M.D. - retinal consultation/surgery
Tammy Martin, Ph.D. - basic science
Sirichai Pasadhika, M.D .- clinical care/Devers Eye Institute