California native Jack Thomas earned a degree in math from University of California, Berkeley, and didn’t know what to do next. He decided on medical school, and a job working in an ophthalmic practice opened his eyes to new possibilities.

“They really were so nice to me,” Thomas says. “They knew I was going to go to school in six months, and they were essentially paying me to shadow physicians. They let me observe in the operating room a couple of times, and my experience working in their practice is what sparked my interest in ophthalmology.”

Once he started medical school at California University of Science and Medicine in Colton, Thomas started looking for research opportunities and ended up in the lab of Dr. Andrew Browne at University of California, Irvine. Ever since, he’s been working on a project using a device that scans the eye then converts the scans into a 3D ultrasound image. Thomas is currently writing a manuscript that will serve as a proof of concept, so they can move from lab to clinic. The researchers are also looking at different uses for the device, including being able to scan the anterior part of the eye.

While working with Browne, Thomas applied for and received an award from DEF’s Excellence in Research Scholar Program to continue working on the 3D project. This program recognizes young scientists who are involved in eye research and are excelling at their individual projects. Award recipients have included medical students, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows at the beginning of their careers.

“The kind of research I do can be challenging, because it’s trial and error, and there are a lot of roadblocks,” Thomas says. “Receiving the award was like an external recognition that what I was doing is important and that it matters. It’s a reason to keep going. I feel honored to have worked with Drs. Browne and Kenney and the other faculty at UC Irvine. And I’m just very grateful for the support of Discovery Eye Foundation.”