This award recognizes outstanding basic or clinical research by a NANOS candidate or active member, based on the originality and scientific merit of their work and a representative new manuscript. Selected by the Research Committee at the Annual Meeting, it is not awarded annually and is not open to NANOS Fellows.

Listed below are all past recipients.

2026

• TBA

2025

• Michael James Gilhooley, MB, PhD, FRCOphth — Features & surgical management of acquired esotropia associated with high myopia

2024

• Benson Chen, MBChB, MSc, FRACP — Vision-Related Quality of Life in LHON Patients Treated with Lenadogene Nolparvovec Gene Therapy: Analysis of the VFQ-25 using Rasch Measurement Theory

2021

• Eric Gaier, MD, PhD — Digital Therapeutic Improves Visual Acuity and Encourages High Adherence in Amblyopic Children

2019

• Ahmara G. Ross, MD, PhD — Development of a Retinal Ganglion Cell Specific Gene Therapy Using SIRT1 Signaling

2018

• Ghislaine L. Traber, MD — The untuned visuo-temporal cortex in patients with visual snow

2017

• Kimberly Gokoffski, MD, PhD — Physiological Electrical Fields Direct Retinal Ganglion Cell Neuritis Growth

2015

• Heather E. Moss, MD, PhD — The Photopic Negative Response in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension

2014

• Patrick Yu-Wai-Man, BMedSci, MBBS, PhD, FRCOphth — The molecular and neuro-ophthalmological features of autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS)

2013

• Robert A. Avery, DO —  Hand-Held Optical Coherence Tomography During Sedation Detects Visual Acuity and Visual Field Loss in Young Children with Optic Pathway Gliomas

2012

• Beau B. Bruce, MD, MS — Non-mydriatic Ocular Fundus Photography Read by Emergency Department (ED) Physicians: FOTO-ED Study

2011

• Y. Joyce Liao, MD, PhD — Laser-Assisted Transplantation of Stem Cells into the Adult Eye

2009

• Michael S. Salman, PhD, MRCP — Characteristics of the Cerebellar Dysplasia in Chiari Type II Malformation as Revealed by Ocular Motor Functions

2008

• Kenneth Schindler, MD — Orally Administered SIRT1 Activator SRT501 is Neuroprotective for Retinal Ganglion Cells and Suppresses and Neurological Dysfunction in a Mouse Model of Multiple Sclerosis

2007

• Fiona Costello, MD, FRCP — Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Measurements in Optic Neuritis:  Determining the Role of OCT in Predicting Visual Recovery and the Future Risk of MS

2005

• Steven F. Stasheff, MD, PhD — Alterations in Spontaneous and Light-evoked Ganglion Cell Activity During Retinal Degeneration in rd1 Mice

2004

• John B. Kerrison, MD — Candidate Gene Analysis in X-linked Congenital Nystagmus (NYS1)

2003

• Agnes M.F. Wong, MD, PhD, FRCSC — Early Versus Delayed Correction of Infantile Strabismus in Macaque Monkeys: Effects on Cerebral Ocular Motor Circuits

2002

• Valerie Biousse, MD — The Eyes of Mito-Mouse

2000

• Sean Donahue, MD — Skew Deviation and Inferior Oblique Palsy

1999

• Wolf Lagrese, MD — Neuroprotection with Memantine, Cerestat,and Riluzole in a Rat Model of Acute Retinal Ischemia

1998

• Jason J. S. Barton, MD — Ocular Tracking of Step-Ramp Targets by Patients with Unilateral Cerebral Lesions

1997

• Leonard A. Levin, MD, PhD — Induction of Gene Expression after Retinal Ganglion Cell Axotomy