Rachel Downes, MD

• 2024 Best Fellow Presentation – Yannuzzi Rounds, December 2024 
• 2023-2024 Heed Ophthalmic Foundation Fellowship 
• 2022-2023 Chief Resident, Cole Eye Institute, elected in a combined resident and faculty vote 
• 2022 Best Poster Award, American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting 
• 2022 Best Poster in Oncology and Pathology, Women in Ophthalmology Summer Symposium 
• 2022 Heed Ophthalmic Foundation Residents Retreat 
• 2022 Advocacy Ambassador, American Academy of Ophthalmology 2022 Mid-Year Forum Recipient of the Ohio Ophthalmological Society Mark D. Lemeo, DO, Scholarship 
• 2019  Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, NYU School of Medicine Class of 2019 
• 2019 Lynne and Jack Dodick Prize in Ophthalmology, “for excellence in ophthalmology” at NYU 
• 2019 Arthur Zitrin Award in Bioethics, “for NYU medical student with exemplary interest in bioethics”  
• 2019 Alex Rosen Award, “for excellence in medicine and the humanities” at NYU 
• 2015-2019 J. Ira and Nicki Harris Scholarship, full cost of attendance merit-based scholarship, NYU School of Medicine 

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Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists collaborate with industry to advance medical breakthroughs. These partnerships help commercialize discoveries for public benefit while maintaining scientific integrity. To ensure transparency and minimize potential bias, Cleveland Clinic reviews these relationships and publicly discloses when physicians/scientists receive significant compensation for consulting, serve in fiduciary roles, receive royalties, or hold equity interests related to their work. We manage potential conflicts through approval processes, annual reporting, and targeted management plans.

As of 2026-03-20, Dr. Downes has reported the financial relationships with the companies listed below.

Consulting and/or Speaking. Dr. Downes receives fees of $5,000 or more per year (or, in rare cases, equity or stock options) as a paid consultant, speaker or as a member of an advisory committee for the following companies:

• Eyepoint Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Public Health Service-Reportable Financial Conflicts of Interest. Cleveland Clinic scientists and physicians engage in basic, translational and clinical research activities, working to solve health problems, enhance patient care and improve quality of life for patients. Interactions with industry are essential to bringing the researchers' discoveries to the public, but can present the potential for conflicts of interest related to their research activities. Click here to view a listing of instances where Cleveland Clinic has identified a Public Health Service (PHS)-Reportable Financial Conflict of Interest and has put measures in place to ensure that, to the extent possible, the design, conduct and reporting of the research is free from bias.

* Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists subscribe to the guidance presented in the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals and the AdvaMed Code of Ethics on Interactions with Health Care Professionals. As such, gifts of substantial value are generally prohibited.