University of Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补 student Elizabeth Rooks is earning national recognition for her research on retinoblastoma, a pediatric eye cancer, during a dedicated research year.
Rooks was awarded the Research to Prevent Blindness Medical Student Eye Research Fellowship, a competitive program supporting students advancing the understanding and treatment of eye disease.
“It’s an incredible honor,” she said. “This fellowship feels like an investment in my future, but more importantly in work that directly impacts patients.”
Advancing retinoblastoma research
Collaborating with researchers at the University of Washington, Rooks examines the genetic mutations behind the retinoblastoma and how they are inherited.
“Some patients also go on to develop osteosarcomas or other cancers in their 40s and 50s, while others never do,” she said.
Her work uses long-read genetic sequencing, which can identify not only mutations but also which parent passed them on.
“Unlike traditional sequencing methods, long-read sequencing lets us see the parental origin of a mutation without needing to test the parents. This is important because earlier research shows that mutations inherited from the father can make retinoblastoma more aggressive,” she said.
Rooks also helps collect and sequence DNA from patients and return findings to clinicians, potentially informing care in a fast-progressing cancer. Understanding the origin may help identify high-risk children earlier and guide more precise treatment.
After her research year, Rooks will return to Hawaiʻi to complete her medical training.
“I am so grateful for this fellowship and for my team,” she said. “Working with them has taught me so much and has shown me the kind of physician I want to become.”
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