{"id":232609,"date":"2026-04-20T15:53:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T01:53:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=232609"},"modified":"2026-04-20T15:53:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T01:53:50","slug":"pediatric-eye-cancer-fellowship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/20\/pediatric-eye-cancer-fellowship\/","title":{"rendered":"ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½<\/abbr> medical student earns fellowship for pediatric eye cancer research"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> < 1<\/span> minute<\/span><\/span>
\"two
Elizabeth Rooks (right) holds her fellowship award with a University of Washington research partner.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> at M\u0101noa John A. Burns School of Medicine<\/a> student Elizabeth Rooks is earning national recognition for her research on retinoblastoma, a pediatric eye cancer, during a dedicated research year.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s an incredible honor,” she said. “This fellowship feels like an investment in my future, but more importantly in work that directly impacts patients.”<\/p>\n

Advancing retinoblastoma research<\/h2>\n

Collaborating with researchers at the University of Washington, Rooks examines the genetic mutations behind the retinoblastoma and how they are inherited.<\/p>\n

“Some patients also go on to develop osteosarcomas or other cancers in their 40s and 50s, while others never do,” she said.<\/p>\n

Her work uses long-read genetic sequencing, which can identify not only mutations but also which parent passed them on.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

Rooks also helps collect and sequence DNA<\/abbr> 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.<\/p>\n

After her research year, Rooks will return to Hawaiʻi<\/span> to complete her medical training.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

Read more at JABSOM<\/abbr><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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