Lindsay Klofas Kozek, MD, PhD

Future Plans: Director of Resident Academics at Harvard Ophthalmology and Director the Eye Trauma Service at Mass Eye and Ear

Dr. Lindsay Klofas Kozek graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College with a BA in Biological Sciences with High Honors. As an undergraduate, she studied regulation of Wnt/Wingless signaling in Drosophila, and was inducted into the Sigma Xi Scientific Honor Society and the Order of Omega, Lambda Rho Chapter.

Dr. Kozek simultaneously earned her MD from Vanderbilt School of Medicine and PhD in Neuroscience from Vanderbilt University. Her neuroscience dissertation focused on the generation of novel models of genetic epilepsies caused by mTOR pathway mutations using genetic mouse models and patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells, the results of which were published in four manuscripts and presented at national conferences. She performed additional research in the fields of oncology, neuro-oncology, and ocular tumors, including a project analyzing paired germline and retinoblastoma tumor specimens to evaluate mechanisms of RB1 gene inactivation in retinoblastoma.

She held several leadership roles as a graduate student, including co-leader of the Ophthalmology Interest Group, co-director of Medical Scientist Training Program Women in Training Committee, and Neurology Clinical Director of the Shade Tree Student-Run Clinic. She received the Russell G. Hamilton Graduate Leadership Institutes Award.

Dr. Kozak’s work has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as American Journal of Ophthalmology, Neurobiology of Disease, and Human Molecular Genetics. She has presented nationally at conferences such as American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting and Child Neurology Society Annual Meeting. After medical school, she completed a Transitional Year Internship at Newton Wellesley Hospital as part of Harvard Ophthalmology’s four-year integrated residency program.