Jen Tourtellot, CRA, OCT-C
Jen Tourtellot, CRA, OCT-C, is a Managing Director specializing in ophthalmic imaging, clinical research operations, and large-scale clinical trial management. With more than 15 years of experience in ophthalmology, she began her career as an ophthalmic photographer at the New England Eye Center at Tufts Medical Center, where she developed a strong foundation in diagnostic imaging, patient care, and the scientific principles behind ophthalmic photography. Her background in photography and imaging, combined with a growing technical understanding of optics and diagnostic technology, helped shape her passion for ophthalmic clinical research and medical imaging.
She later became the first employee at Boston Image Reading Center and has grown alongside the organization for more than a decade, helping support its evolution into a global ophthalmic image reading center serving pharmaceutical, biotech, and device clinical trials. Over the years, her role expanded from hands-on project management into executive operational leadership, overseeing project teams, client partnerships, workflow strategy, and organizational development.
Jen’s work focuses on building scalable, high-quality operational systems that support complex multi-center clinical research while maintaining strong collaboration across teams and sponsors. She is especially passionate about mentorship, professional development, and advancing imaging standards within the ophthalmic community.
In addition to her leadership role, Jen serves as Chair of the Ophthalmic Photographers’ Society Board of Education and is involved in broader professional and mentorship initiatives through organizations including Ophthalmic World Leaders, ARVO, and AAO. Her work reflects a commitment to collaboration, lifelong learning, and helping shape the future of ophthalmic imaging and clinical research.
• Optical Coherence Tomography - Certified (OCT-C)
• Certified Retinal Angiographer (CRA)
• Ophthalmic Photographers’ Society Exhibit - Honorable Mention, Third Place Winner
• Ophthalmic Photographers' Society Exhibit - Honorable Mention
• Tufts Medical Center "True Blue" Recipient
• Ophthalmic Photographers Society
• Ophthalmic World Leaders
• Ophthalmic World Leaders New England Chapter
• Association for Research and Vision in Ophthalmology (ARVO)
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to continue learning throughout every stage of my career. Some of the most meaningful growth opportunities I’ve had came from stepping outside my comfort zone, taking on new challenges, and being open to evolving alongside a rapidly changing industry.
I also believe strong professional relationships and mentorship play a huge role in long-term success. I’ve been fortunate to learn from talented colleagues, physicians, and industry leaders throughout my career, and those experiences have shaped both my leadership style and my commitment to supporting others as they grow professionally.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One of the best pieces of career advice I’ve received is that if you’re always the smartest person in the room, you may be in the wrong room. That mindset has stayed with me throughout my career and has encouraged me to keep learning, seek out new perspectives, and surround myself with people who challenge and inspire me.
I’ve also learned that you don’t need to have everything figured out in order to take the next step. Some of the most meaningful opportunities in my career came from being willing to say yes, stay curious, and grow through experiences that initially felt outside my comfort zone.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don’t underestimate the value of your perspective, even early in your career. It can be easy to feel like you need to have all the answers before speaking up or taking on new opportunities, but growth often happens through experience, not perfection.
I would also encourage young women to stay curious, build strong relationships, and seek out mentors and communities that genuinely support their growth. Some of the most meaningful parts of my own career have come through collaboration, mentorship, and learning from people around me.
Finally, give yourself permission to evolve. Your career path does not have to look exactly the way you imagined it would when you started, and sometimes the most rewarding opportunities are the ones you never planned for.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest opportunities in ophthalmic clinical research right now is the continued advancement of imaging technology, artificial intelligence, and data-driven workflows. These innovations have the potential to improve efficiency, expand access to care, and generate deeper clinical insights than ever before.
At the same time, the industry is navigating important challenges around scalability, standardization, data quality, and maintaining the human expertise needed to support accurate clinical interpretation and patient-focused research. As technology continues to evolve, I believe there is tremendous opportunity for organizations to thoughtfully integrate innovation while still prioritizing collaboration, scientific rigor, and high-quality operational execution.
It is an exciting time to be part of the field, especially as imaging and clinical research continue to play an increasingly important role in the future of ophthalmology.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in both my work and personal life are integrity, curiosity, and kindness. I believe in treating people with respect, continuing to learn, and approaching both leadership and teamwork by dancing that fine line between empathy and accountability. It’s also important to me that the work I do feels meaningful and has a lasting, positive impact beyond myself.
Outside of work, I value spending time with those closest to me, including being present in the lives of my brothers and nephews. I was my younger brother’s legal guardian during an important period in our lives, which deeply shaped my sense of responsibility, compassion, and perspective. I also value lifelong learning and balance through art, culture, hands-on creative activities, and travel, all of which help keep me grounded and inspired.