Second 2025 VRF Travel Scholarship

Due to further donations from our wonderful VRF community, Vision Research Foundation was able to fund another Travel Scholarship this year. This time the honour went to Auckland University scholar, David Choi. Although didn’t need to go far to attend the conference, David’s scholarship covered the entry fees. David provided the following feedback afterwards:

Attending the 39th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Neuro-Ophthalmology Society of Australia (NOSA) was a real privilege. It was an amazing opportunity to present part of my BMedSc (Hons) thesis, completed under the supervision of Professor Helen Danesh-Meyer, on the Efficacy of Plasma Exchange for Acute Optic Neuritis in MOG Antibody Disease. I was able to share my own research outcomes with leading clinicians and researchers and receive valuable feedback.

The conference offered an invaluable series of talks from experts around the world, and I came away with new knowledge and perspectives that will be extremely valuable for both my developing interest in neuro-ophthalmology and my aspirations in clinical research.

At times, I felt very inexperienced among such accomplished clinicians and researchers, but this only deepened my excitement for the future. It motivated me to continue working hard so that I may one day contribute at the same level. Another highlight was meeting other medical students and junior doctors with similar interests. I look forward to keeping in touch with them as we progress in our careers.

Overall, NOSA 2025 was an inspiring experience that reinforced my commitment to pursue a path in neuro-ophthalmology and academic research.

I sincerely thank the Vision Research Foundation for their generous support, which enabled me to attend this conference.

Kind regards, David Choi