Scholarly Project Profile: Noor Basharat

Meet Noor Basharat

Born in Pakistan, Noor Basharat and her family moved to the United States when she was just a year old. Since then, she has called Arizona home — even attending Arizona State University to earn a bachelor’s degree in biology.

Basharat’s early work with underserved populations sparked her interest in medicine, which was then reinforced during her time as a scribe in the emergency department. Her biggest inspirations to pursue medicine were her two older brothers, who have shown unwavering support throughout her journey.

Basharat chose to attend the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix because of the strong sense of community and supportive culture she observed from both faculty and students.

Once Basharat began medical school, she knew she was interested in ophthalmology due to the combination of medicine and surgery, as well as the balance of clinical expertise and technical skill that the specialty offers.

Basharat recently matched into that specialty at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, and she is excited to start a new chapter. She is also thrilled for her classmates, each of whom has been a huge source of inspiration, and she knows they will accomplish amazing things.

About Her Research

What did you think about completing a four-year research project as part of your medical education?

The scholarly project is an instrumental part of our medical school curriculum because having a structured, longitudinal process that begins early was incredibly helpful in getting our foot in the door for future research opportunities.

It also served as a great way to connect with a supportive mentor. In my case, that was Majid Moshirfar, MD, who was a huge advocate for me throughout medical school, especially during the residency application process.

What did you learn from the research process?

I learned to expect the unexpected! Research does not always go as planned, whether that means failed experiments, redesigned methods, surprising results or manuscript rejections. It’s important to be persistent, flexible and willing to learn from setbacks in order to move forward. 

How did you choose this specific research focus? And what was the outcome of the research?

Cataract surgery is one of the most performed surgeries worldwide, and posterior capsular opacification (PCO) is one of its most common complications. PCO occurs when a cloudy layer forms behind the newly implanted lens, causing blurry vision.

The treatment for PCO is a YAG capsulotomy, a laser procedure that creates a small opening in the cloudy layer behind the lens to allow light to pass through clearly again.

We investigated whether patients’ refraction, or glasses prescription, changes after undergoing YAG capsulotomy, to determine whether a follow-up eye exam is necessary to update their prescription.

We found a statistically significant improvement in cylinder, or astigmatism, after YAG capsulotomy that we hypothesized may be attributed to a shift in lens position, a change in lens tilt or improved visual acuity allowing patients to perceive the degree of their astigmatism more accurately.

We found no statistically significant difference in sphere, which measures nearsightedness or farsightedness, or in axis, which indicates the direction of astigmatism. As expected, visual acuity improved significantly postoperatively, consistent with the purpose of the procedure in clearing the visual axis. 

Based on our results, we recommended that patients undergo a follow-up eye exam for an updated prescription after YAG capsulotomy, especially given the rising number of cataract surgeries and the associated increased risk of PCO formation.

Did your research influence your choice of specialty for residency?

Early on, I knew that I was interested in ophthalmology, which is why I wanted to explore research projects within the field, but this project reaffirmed my interest. In addition to the invaluable research experience I gained, the mentorship I received through this project played a significant role in my decision to pursue ophthalmology.

How do you think this project helped to prepare you for your career in medicine?

My work taught me a lot about the process of completing a research project from start to finish, as well as how to critically analyze existing literature. Because medicine is evidence-based and constantly evolving, it is important to evaluate new research critically to ensure that clinical decisions are safe, well-informed and up to date. 

If there is one piece of advice you could give to incoming medical students about this project, what would it be?

The biggest piece of advice I would give to incoming medical students would be to get involved and take initiative early! Start exploring opportunities as soon as you feel like you have settled into the pace of school because being proactive gives you time to find a project that genuinely interests you.

Equally important is finding a mentor who is supportive, accessible and invested in your growth. A good mentor can make a significant difference in guiding you through the research process and getting your project to the finish line. 

Lastly, follow through! Research can be challenging, especially with all the other responsibilities of medical school, but staying committed to your project is key to bringing it to completion and making an impact.