Member News — Member & Society News
Foundation of the ASRS Announces the Inaugural M. Gilbert Grand ASRS Vitreoretinal Fellowship Awardee
The perpetual award was established by Dr. Grand to expand access to retina specialist fellowship training opportunities by helping offset some of the financial burden incurred by 2nd-year trainees during fellowship.
“I am deeply grateful to Dr. Grand and the Foundation of the ASRS for their generous support through this award, that exemplifies Dr. Grand’s lifelong dedication to training retina specialists,” Dr. Yu said. “I have been the beneficiary of similarly incredible mentors throughout my residency and fellowship, whose invaluable support, guidance, and teaching have not only cultivated my passion for retina but have also inspired me to contribute, through mentorship, to the future of the field.”
Prior to his fellowship, Dr. Yu attended the University of Pennsylvania, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Engineering specializing in biomedical engineering. He received the Rose Research Award given annually to the top 10 senior research projects at Penn, as well as the Robert J. Holtz Research Award, the Vagelos Research Grant and was a finalist in the Penn Bioengineering Senior Design Competition. He received his medical degree from the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and completed his ophthalmology residency at Stanford University.
A prolific researcher who is currently involved in multiple ongoing clinical trials, Dr. Yu has published 26 peer-reviewed articles, ten as first author. He has also written six book chapters and presented at numerous conferences, including the ASRS, the Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, Bioengineering Research Symposium, Jefferson Sigma Zi Research Symposium, Jefferson AOA Research Symposium, Atlantic Coast Retina Club, Wills lntraocular Tumor Symposium, ARVO, and the International Society of Ocular Oncology.
The M. Gilbert Grand ASRS Vitreoretinal Fellowship Award is made possible by the generosity of ASRS member M. Gilbert Grand, MD, and his family, as well as Dr. Grand’s prior retina fellows, colleagues and his patients.
The named endowment will generate a perpetual award each year of $2,500 at this time and has been established to assist retina fellows with the hope that the recipients will be inspired to give back similarly later in their careers.
"I am delighted to learn that the first M. Gilbert Grand ASRS Vitreoretinal Fellowship Award has been bestowed upon Dr. Michael Yu, a very accomplished and most deserving Retina Fellow,” said Dr. Grand. “The progress we make in diagnosis and treatment as retina specialists is vitally important to the health and well-being of so many who suffer from sight-threatening retinal disease. I am proud of the past accomplishments of retina fellows and am hopeful that this award may facilitate training of fellows whose future accomplishments will continue to advance our specialty."
The President of the Foundation of ASRS, Judy E. Kim, MD, FARVO, FASRS, added, “The ASRS Foundation is grateful to Dr. Grand and those who are honoring Dr. Grand for establishing a named endowment that will support our brightest and most promising young colleagues. We applaud their generosity, vision and setting an example for others for the future of our field. We congratulate our inaugural award recipient, Dr. Yu, and look forward to his future accomplishments!”
To support the M. Gilbert Grand ASRS Vitreoretinal Fellowship Award, visit www.asrs.org/foundation/donate-now and select the M. Gilbert Grand Award from the Donation Category dropdown menu.
To learn more about the Foundation’s activities supporting next-generation retina specialists visit https://www.asrs.org/foundation/our-vision-in-action.
Are you interested in setting up a named award opportunity? Please contact Shelly Vanover at Shelly.Vanover@asrs.org
(Published 7.9.24)