Endpoint Preclinical Expands Ophthalmology Expertise with Laura Belen

October 20, 2026

With more than 15 years of experience in preclinical ophthalmology, Laura Belen brings technical expertise, project leadership, and a strong background in training to Endpoint’s growing ophthalmology program.

Endpoint Preclinical is pleased to welcome Laura Belen, MS, to our Expert Network. Laura’s career has given her a unique view of preclinical ophthalmology. She spent more than a decade within preclinical research organizations, advancing from research associate and study director roles into project management and ophthalmology department leadership before managing a preclinical portfolio from the sponsor side. She now works with research teams across study planning, execution, oversight, and nonclinical documentation.
View Laura’s Profile.

Laura’s technical experience spans ocular model and endpoint development, specialized routes of administration, ophthalmic examinations, imaging, electrophysiology, and ocular tissue collection. She has analyzed OCT, ERG, clinical grading, and histopathology-derived datasets and has contributed to the nonclinical sections of multiple IND submissions. That experience allows her to understand not only how ophthalmic data are generated, but also how study design, execution, and interpretation affect the larger development strategy.

“Laura adds a different dimension to an ophthalmology team that already includes deep expertise in ocular therapeutics, safety assessment, imaging, and veterinary ophthalmology,” says Cole McLarty, CEO Endpoint Preclinical. “Her career has placed her in the middle of study execution, CRO operations, sponsor-side program management, and consulting. That perspective is especially valuable when a client needs someone who can look across the different pieces of an ophthalmic program, identify where support is needed, and work effectively with the scientists, vendors, and internal teams involved.”

Training has also been a consistent part of Laura’s career. She has trained scientists and technicians in ocular dosing, imaging, examinations, electrophysiology, and model development, and today works with both research organizations and internal sponsor teams looking to build their own ophthalmology capabilities. She believes complex ophthalmic techniques are best learned through sustained observation, repetition, and close mentorship, an approach that supports greater consistency while reducing unnecessary animal use during technique development.

“What I enjoy most is helping a client get unstuck,” says Laura. “Sometimes that means troubleshooting a technique or reviewing a study design, and other times it means helping a team make sense of their data and translate it into a clear development story. I like being able to step into a program wherever the challenge is and help find a practical path forward.”

We’re pleased to welcome Laura to Endpoint and to add her technical, operational, and training experience to our expanding ophthalmology team.