Fliesler receives Distinguished Postdoc Mentor Award

Steven J. Fliesler, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology, is the recipient of the 2021-22 Distinguished Postdoctoral Mentor Award, which recognizes UB faculty members who excel in the mentoring of postdoctoral scholars.

The annual award, established in 2009, is presented by The Graduate School’s Office of Postdoctoral Scholars. It supports faculty members who not only teach their mentees, but also serve as an advocate, adviser and positive role model.

“The Office of Postdoctoral Scholars seeks to support all postdocs seeking the excellent training experiences available at UB but we cannot do our job effectively without the dedication of faculty role models and mentors like Dr. Fliesler,” says Kristen Ashare, director of the Office of Postdoctoral Scholars. “I am so pleased his dedication is being recognized with this award.”

An internationally renowned vision scientist, Fliesler is Meyer H. Riwchun Endowed Chair Professor, and vice chair and director of research in the Department of Ophthalmology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He is considered the world’s leading expert on cholesterol metabolism in the retina.

He was nominated for the award by Lara Skelton and Sriganesh Ramachandra Rao, both postdoctoral scholars in his lab. In their nominating letters, both mentees stressed the importance of Fliesler’s role as an adviser.

“As a postdoc, it is ever more important to have both direction and guidance through the multiple facets of academia with clear goals and high standards for scientific research,” Skelton wrote.

Rao believes the quality of work he produced was significantly influenced by Fliesler’s methods of encouragement and guidance.

“Steve always encourages his mentees to bring independent ideas to the table, and then guides us in shaping those ideas into testable, strong hypotheses. Short-term expectations are made clear during weekly lab/joint-lab meetings,” Rao wrote. “Periodic one-on-one meetings serve to set long-term goals, and assess progress toward that end. Steve is a strong proponent of ethical conduct of research — the importance of responsible conduct of research is frequently laid out in no uncertain terms to all trainees in lab.”

Furthermore, Fliesler encourages his mentees to strive for excellence by improving academic skills, procuring independent research funding and expanding their professional network for more research opportunities.

“For each individual, Fliesler is able to identify the talents and specific career strengths for that particular person,” Skelton wrote, adding that he provides “careful guidance” while “opening opportunities to meet and fostering wider scientific collaborations, contacts, and critical and lateral thinking.”

Under Fliesler’s guidance, Rao said he honed his writing skills by authoring scientific publications and learning how to write successful Research Project Grant (RO1) applications. Rao procured three highly competitive national-level grants for early career scientists, and presented at national and international conferences. He also helped coordinate the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) workshop series for three years (2019-present), conducted by Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) at UB.

“More importantly,” Rao added, “he is an amazing, empathetic human being and a great friend.”

Rao said he was going through a difficult time in his life due to the loss of his father, who suffered a sudden traumatic brain injury.

“Steve was extremely kind and helpful during those significant hardships and rocky transitory phases,” he wrote.

According to Rao, Fliesler understands the difficulties that young scholars — domestic or foreign — encounter. He aspires to alleviate the weight on their shoulders, no matter the ordeal, through counseling or intervention.

“The three years of fruitful postdoctoral training in the Fliesler lab has molded me into a confident, young scientist — and a significant credit goes to the unparalleled mentorship of Dr. Steven J. Fliesler,” Rao wrote.