Stanford
Ophthalmic Informatics and Artificial Intelligence Group

Ophthalmic Informatics Fellowship

Overview 

The Stanford Ophthalmic Informatics Fellowship is a one-of-a-kind, 12-month program designed for U.S.-trained ophthalmologists who want to lead at the intersection of clinical care and data science. Fellows gain hands-on experience using large datasets, advanced analytics, and digital health tools to transform how eye care is delivered.

Program Structure

  • Duration: Standard yearlong fellowship beginning July 7, 2027
  • Optional second year: Applicants who are concurrently accepted into the Stanford Master’s in Biomedical Data Science may extend their fellowship to a 2-year experience.
  • Clinical activity: Fellows may devote approximately one day per week to direct patient care at Stanford. 

Learning Environment & Opportunities 

Fellows will have unparalleled access to data resources and mentors, including:

  • Rich data assets: Electronic health record data from Stanford, SOURCE, IRIS® Registry, MarketScan®, Cosmos, and more.
  • Advanced analytics training: Work with structured EHR data, apply natural language processing techniques and large language models (LLMs) to free-text clinical data, and use computer vision and foundation models on an extensive corpus of ophthalmic imaging (photography, OCT, and other modalities).
  • Formal didactics and coursework: Structured teaching and access to Stanford’s courses in biomedical data science, AI, and informatics support each fellow’s personalized learning plan.
  • Collaborative innovation hubs: Fellows can engage with the many Stanford cross-campus programs supporting AI, including Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine & Imaging (AIMI), Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) , Responsible AI for Safe and Equitable Health (RAISE), and others across a vibrant informatics and AI ecosystem. and a robust ecosystem supporting informatics and AI research, translation, and deployment.
  • Professional development: Guidance in research design, implementation, grant writing, and leadership for academic and health-system careers.
  • Vision: The fellowship structure is envisioned as a truly hands-on-data experience, where the fellow will design, execute, and write-up for publication a substantial research project from beginning to end, with support and mentorship with our faculty. While being an expert coder before starting is not strictly necessary, some familiarity and a lot of enthusiasm would go a long way. This is not a "high-level" fellowship that focuses on concepts - this is "on the ground" and a true deep-dive into real-world data, becoming comfortable with databases, building cohorts, training models, and using cloud computing tools for computation. 

Eligibility: Applicants must have completed an ACGME-accredited ophthalmology residency in the United States by the start of the fellowship.

Application Instructions: Please prepare:

  • A current CV
  • A one-page personal statement describing your goals for the fellowship year and career following the fellowship

Send materials to: Sophia Wang, MD, MS, Fellowship Director Email: sywang@stanford.edu