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Q&A: Reflecting on Residency Research Support
The Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation of Utah is marking 15 years of enhancing America’s national and local capacity for research and innovation in science and technology.
At the University of Utah, the group provides scholarships to promising students in two departments: the Moran Eye Center and the College of Engineering. ARCS awards $15,000 annually to incoming Moran residents to pursue research with the hope they will choose careers that continue their scientific investigations. Moran matches the award for the following two years of residency, providing a total of $45,000.
Former Moran resident Brian Stagg, MD, one the first ARCS scholars, joined Moran as a faculty member in 2019. Now a glaucoma specialist and population health researcher, he reflects on the honor.
What was your ARCS research project, and how did it feel to receive the award at that stage in your education?
I used the funds to support my research on improving glaucoma decision-making using big data with mentors from the University of Michigan. This ended up being a huge support for my career as I went on to become a National Clinician Scholar research fellow studying population health there. I still collaborate with those mentors.
Since then, what have you considered the highlight of your career as a researcher?
Receiving a career development award from the National Eye Institute to study clinical decision support for glaucoma.
What are you most proud of in terms of your research?
I am using data analytics to help ensure that patients with glaucoma receive the care they need. My goal is to enhance the provider-patient relationship by allowing glaucoma doctors to more quickly assess the data and adapt it to their patient’s needs. It is personalized medicine at the point of care.
