Advancements in eye disease research and medical education took center stage in New Orleans as Shay Nakahira, a fourth-year student at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补 (JABSOM), presented her work at two national ophthalmology conferences in October 2026.
Nakahira collaborated with Stanford University researchers on six projects during a six-month research experience at the Byers Eye Institute. All of the projects were presented at the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) and American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) conferences.
Nakahira contributed to research addressing thyroid eye disease, health disparities, surgical complications and virtual reality (VR) education.
“Getting to present some of our work together [at these conferences] was especially meaningful for me after seeing how much teamwork and collaboration went into these projects,” said Nakahira.
Research with real-world impact
One project, a VR-based 3D orbital anatomy atlas developed with Stanford fellow Chad York Lewis, received Best Poster in AAO’s Medical Education subcategory. The atlas combines historic stereoscopic anatomical photographs with interactive VR technology to enhance anatomy training.
Nakahira was particularly passionate about an eight-institution study examining long-term outcomes of using the drug teprotumumab to treat thyroid eye disease, including relapse and retreatment patterns.
“What makes this work meaningful to me is its potential to improve our understanding of how patients do after treatment and how they are managed if they relapse,” Nakahira said.
Nakahira’s interest in ophthalmology began while working as a clinical and surgical ophthalmic technician at the Cataract and Vision Center of Hawaiʻi after studying communications at the University of Connecticut.
As she completes medical school, Nakahira hopes to carry forward the mentorship and collaboration that shaped her research experience.
“This experience gave me more confidence to ask questions, explore new ideas and take on things I hadn’t done before,” she said.
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