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argipso2 Adeseye 9999 Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Clinical-Operations OPT WEB ALL Clinical-Staff
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Alyce Adeseye

Dir, Program 1
malubaid Al-Ubaidi 9999 Joint-UH-Appointment UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff

Muayyad Al-Ubaidi,Ph.D.

Moores Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Joint Appointment in Optometry/Vision Science

Dr. Al-Ubaidi received a Ph.D. from Baylor College of medicine Cullen Eye Institute where he focused on effects of oncogenesis in the retina and then on mouse transgenesis.  As a faculty member at University of Illinois in Chicago (UIC), Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) and most recently at University of Houston (UH), he has generated transgenic mice with mutations in different domains of rhodopsin to investigate their role in the overall function of the molecule.  He also has studied the role of the extracellular matrix in retinal function and structure by studying the effects of eliminating tyrosine sulfation, on extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Currently, his lab is interested in studying the role of SOD3 in combating ECM oxidative stress, and in determining how the retina acquires and retains flavins and the role retbindin (Rtbdn) plays in that. He has more than 25 years of NIH funding for his research. 

mdalvare Alvarez 9999 Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff
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Mary Alvarez

Asst, Optometry 2
raappleg Applegate 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Biomedical-Optics Clinical-Translational-Research Research Vision-Science
Raymond Applegate Image
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics
Interests

Visual optics, ocular aberrations, cataract, refractive surgery, early disease detection.

Raymond A. Applegate,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO

Active Faculty Retiree

Dr. Applegate is Professor Emeritus in Vision Science. Since retiring from full-time service in early 2022, Dr. Applegate is continuing his research and teaching as part-time faculty.  

Dr. Applegate obtained his OD (1975) and MS (1976) from Indiana University. He practiced optometry briefly in Galesburg, IL before continuing his graduate education at UC, Berkeley where he received his PhD (1983) under Anthony (Tony) Adams.  He joined the University of Texas Health Science Center faculty in 1988 from the School of Optometry University of Missouri – St. Louis where he served as an assistant professor of optometry. He rose through the faculty ranks quickly to become a tenured professor of ophthalmology in 1993. In 2002, Dr. Applegate accepted the College of Optometry, at the University of Houston’s offer to become the first Endowed Borish Chair in Optometry (2002=2021). He has served as a feature editor of Journal of the Optical Society of America –A, Applied Optics, and on the editorial boards of Optometry and Vision Science, the Journal of Refractive Surgery, the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and currently serves on the editorial board of Clinical and Experimental Optometry. He served the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology as chair of the Annual Meeting Program Committee for the Vision Science Section, as well as the Board of Trustees representing the Visual Science Section and Vice-president of ARVO.  He is a cofounder of the International Congress on Wavefront Sensing and Aberration-Free Refraction Correction, is widely published in leading journals, consultant, and international lecturer whose NIH funded research interests center on the optics of the eye, visual image quality, as well as, early ocular disease detection, treatment, and prevention. 

amarchi2 Archila 2 Associate-Deans Contact-Lens Primary-Care UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Clinical-Operations OPT WEB ALL Administration Attending Clinical-Sciences

Andrew M M. Archila,O.D., MBA, FAAO

Clinical Professor
Associate Dean for Clinical Operations

Dr. Andrew M. Archila grew up in the Chicagoland area before moving to South Texas. There he obtained his Bachelor of Science and Doctorate in Optometry from the University of Houston College of Optometry. Dr. Archila went on to enjoy a 22-year Naval career attaining the rank of Captain, where he was able to use his administrative and clinical talents. While in an out service Navy program he was able to earn an MBA in Health Care Administration from the City University of New York while concurrently earned a Fellowship in Clinical Administration and Optometric Management at the State University of New York College of Optometry. Dr. Archila has held several naval leadership roles in clinical practice environments, such as Officer in Charge, Executive Officer, and Commanding Officer, which encompassed all aspects overseeing daily operations, budget, and patient care of these healthcare facilities. He was selected as the Navy’s Junior Optometrist of the Year in 2003 and the Armed Forces Optometric Society’s Navy Optometrist of the Year for 2014. In addition, Dr. Archila has earned several Navy service medals.  

Dr. Archila recently joined the University of Houston College of Optometry as Associate Dean for Clinical Operations and as a Clinical Professor. 

rcrattel Armacost 9999 Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Graduate-Studies-and-Research OPT WEB ALL College-Staff
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Renee Armacost

Mgr, Program 2
cravina Avina 9999 Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff
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Claudia Avina

Asst, Optometry 2
kbeach Beach 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Research Vision-Science
jsbenoit Benoit 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Clinical-Translational-Research Research Vision-Science
Julia Benoit Image
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research
Interests

Clinical research - biostatistics

Julia Benoit,Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor

Dr. Benoit is a Research Associate Professor.  She joined the faculty at the University’s College of Optometry in 2014 and also holds a faculty position at the Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics at the University of Houston. She earned her PhD in Biostatistics with a concentration in Epidemiology from the University of Texas Health Science Center-School of Public Health in Houston.  There, she worked within the coordinating center for clinical trials and her graduate work was in the development of statistical methodology on hidden longitudinal processes to study indirectly observable disease processes. Dr. Benoit has expertise in study design and advanced analytics, with >10 years of experience collaborating on multidisciplinary research projects with clinical and research faculty alike.   

jbergma2 Bergmanson 9999 Contact-Lens Specialty-Contact-Lens UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Clinical-Translational-Research Ocular-Biology Attending Clinical-Sciences Research
Jan Bergmanson Image
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Ocular Biology
Interests

contact lens designs and materials, effects on the ocular surface, ocular histopathology

Jan P. Bergmanson,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO

Professor

Jan PG Bergmanson, OD, PhD, PhD h.c., DSc, is the Brien A. Holden Professor of Optometry at University of Houston College of Optometry, founding Director of the Texas Eye Research and Technology Center, is licensed in Texas as a Therapeutic Optometrist and an Optometric Glaucoma Specialist. He is a Fellow of American Academy of Optometry (AAO), where he is a Diplomate in the Cornea, Contact Lens and Refractive Technologies Section and a Fellow of the Scleral Lens Education Society. He is a Lifetime Honorary Member of the Swedish and Dutch Optometric Associations, was elected 2013 to Life Fellowship of The College of Optometrists, United Kingdom. Awards received include British Contact Lens Association’s Gold Medal (1998), Texas Optometric Association’s Educator of the Year Award (2002), AAO Max Schapero Lecture Award (2006), 2014 American Optometric Association Legend Award, IACLE America’s Contact Lens Educator of the Year Award (2017), 2018 Joseph Dallos Award presented by Contact Lens Manufacturers Association and 2019 Pioneer Excellence Award by International Summit of Specialty Contact Lenses. Scholarship encompasses over 160 clinical and scientific publications, 9 chapters in texts, one book, now in its 29th edition and one patent.

dabernts Berntsen 7 Department-Chairs UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Biomedical-Optics Clinical-Translational-Research Administration Attending Clinical-Sciences Research
David Berntsen Image
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics
Interests

myopia, contact lenses, and aberrations of the eye, clinical research

David A. Berntsen,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO

Associate Professor
Department Chair, Clinical Sciences
Golden-Golden Professor of Optometry

David A. Berntsen, OD PhD is an Associate Professor and the Golden-Golden Professor of Optometry at the University of Houston College of Optometry where he teaches in the graduate and professional programs. He is the Chair of the Department of Clinical Sciences and conducts research on myopia, contact lenses, visual performance, and aberrations of the eye. He completed his Doctor of Optometry degree at the University of Houston and a Cornea and Contact Lens Advanced Practice Fellowship, MS, and PhD at The Ohio State University. He conducted the Study of Theories about Myopia Progression (STAMP), a two-year clinical trial evaluating theories of juvenile-onset myopia progression, and is the Principal Investigator of the University of Houston clinical site for the Bifocal Lenses In Nearsighted Kids (BLINK) Study and the BLINK2 Study, a multicenter study sponsored by the National Eye Institute evaluating contact lenses for myopia control. Dr. Berntsen serves on the American Academy of Optometry’s Scientific Program Committee. 

drblack Black 9999 Primary-Care Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Attending Clinical-Sciences
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Rudolph Black,O.D.

Clinical Associate Professor
mabullim Bullimore 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Adjunct-Faculty

Mark A. Bullimore,M.C.Optom, Ph.D.

Adjunct Professor

Mark Bullimore is an internationally renowned scientist, speaker, and educator based in Boulder, Colorado. He received his Optometry degree and PhD in Vision Science from Aston University in Birmingham, England. He spent most of his career at the Ohio State University and the University of California at Berkeley and is now Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston. He is Associate Editor of Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics and the former Editor of Optometry and Vision Science. His expertise in myopia, contact lenses, low vision, presbyopia, and refractive surgery means that he is consultant for a number of ophthalmic, surgical, and pharmaceutical companies. This work has resulted in approval of, among others, Paragon CRT, Alcon’s iLux, and CooperVision’s MiSight lens

aburns Burns 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Ocular-Biology Research Vision-Science
Alan Burns Image
Area of Research
Ocular Biology
Interests

corneal wound healing, corneal inflammation

Alan R. Burns,Ph.D.

McDaid-Vision Source Professor

Dr. Burns received his PhD in Pathology from the University of British Columbia, Canada. He completed his post-doctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine and then joined their faculty where he rose from Assistant to Associate Professor. During this time, he served as the Director of the Cardiovascular Sciences Graduate Program.  His research focused on Leukocyte Recruitment and Inflammation and toward the end of his term with BCM, he began to study corneal inflammation and wound healing.  This interest in the eye lead to his leaving BCM in 2008 to join the faculty at the University of Houston, College of Optometry (UHCO) as a tenured Associate Professor.  In 2012, he became a Full Professor and he now studies the impact of obesity and the metabolic syndrome on corneal health.  His research has been steadily funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for 26 Years and much of that time was also spent as a reviewer for the NIH, the Canadian Institutes of Health and the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program.  He has more than 130 publications, 8 book chapters, and he has mentored 24 PhD, MSc and post-doctoral fellows.  With over 40 years of experience in light and electron microscopic imaging, he also serves as the Director of the Biological Imaging Core at UHCO.  He is a McDaid Vision Source Endowed Professor (2016) and he has received several Faculty Teaching awards during his tenure at the College of Optometry. 

pcass Cass 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Adjunct-Faculty

Peter Cass,O.D.

Adjunct Faculty

Dr. Cass is a full-time associate with MyEyeDr. in Beaumont, TX, a Past President of the Texas Optometric Association and continues to serve on their third party, legal and legislative, and finance committees. He is also the Vice President of Practice Compliance Solutions, a, partner in EDO labs in Dallas, a clinical researcher for Alcon, Adjunct Faculty for UCHO, where he teaches practice management to the third-year students, and an auditor for Medicaid. He is a nationally recognized speaker on topics of billing, compliance, practice management, and anterior segment disease. He can be reached at Peter@PCScomply.com

machand2 Chandler 9999 Pediatrics-and-Binocular-Vision UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Biomedical-Optics Clinical-Translational-Research Attending Clinical-Sciences Research
Moriah Chandler Image
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics
jchelette Chelette 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff
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Justin Chelette,O.D., FAAO

Adjunct Faculty
hcheng Cheng 9999 Primary-Care UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Biomedical-Optics Clinical-Translational-Research Visual-Neuroscience Attending Clinical-Sciences Research
Han Cheng Image
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics Visual Neuroscience
Interests

Noninvasive functional and structural evaluation of the visual pathways under normal and pathological conditions

Han Cheng,O.D., Ph.D.

Clinical Professor

Dr. Cheng earned both her PhD and OD degrees from the University of Houston, College of Optometry. After graduation, she became an associate in a private practice at Sugarland, Texas. She joined the MacGregor Medical Association in 1999 and practiced optometry there until she became a faculty member at the UH College of Optometry in 2002.

drcoates Coates 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Visual-Neuroscience Research Vision-Science
Daniel Coates Image
Area of Research
Visual Neuroscience
Interests

spatial vision, color vision, reading, and statistical and psychophysical methods

Daniel R. Coates,Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Dr. Coates received his PhD in Vision Science from the University of California, Berkeley in 2015, where he studied letter recognition, peripheral visual perception, and crowding, using psychophysics and computational modeling. After postdoctoral appointments in Belgium and Switzerland studying the relationships between crowding, attention, and appearance, he joined the faculty of UHCO in 2017.

His research and teaching interests include spatial vision, color vision, reading, and statistical and psychophysical methods. He is passionate about the use of open source tools for experimentation, analysis, and learning.

cdcole Cole 9999 Admin Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Professional-Relations OPT WEB ALL OPT-CE College-Staff
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Carlos Cole

Mgr, Program 1
jconde Conde 9999 Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Student-Services OPT WEB ALL
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Jacqueline Conde

Coord, Program 2
cotright Cotright 9 College-Directors Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Administration College-Staff

Lasaundra Cotright

Exec Dir, AA (Clinic/Hotel)

LaSaundra joined the College of Optometry in July 2021. Through 20+ years at the University of Houston, she has served in several business management roles, including Executive Director of Business Operations in the College of Pharmacy, College Business Administrator in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Department Business Administrator in the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Mathematics.

LaSaundra obtained a Bachelor degree from Loyola University New Orleans and MBA in Strategic Management from the University of Houston-Victoria. She is the recipient of the 2013 C.F. McElhinney Distinguished Service Award, UH’s highest staff honor, and received the 2011 Staff Excellence Award for Effective Leader. In 2017, she completed the three-year College Business Management Institute (CBMI) program at the University of Kentucky and sponsored by the Southern Association of College and University Business Officers (SACUBO).

vjcoulso Coulson-Thomas 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Ocular-Biology Research Vision-Science
Vivien Coulson-Thomas Image
Area of Research
Ocular Biology
Interests

role of glycosaminoglycans in ocular surface development and pathology

Vivien J. Coulson-Thomas,Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Dr. Coulson- Thomas earned her B.S. in Biomedicine, her M.S. in Biochemistry and PhD. in Molecular Biology at the Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP). Dr. Coulson- Thomas then completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Prof. Winston Kao at the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cincinnati, and then with Prof. James Fawcett at the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge. In 2016 she joined UHCO as faculty in Vision Sciences. Her lab takes a unique interdisciplinary approach to study the extracellular matrix in stem cell biology, corneal development and pathology, corneal wound healing, dry eye disease, and inflammation. The current ongoing projects in her lab are 1. Characterizing the role of the extracellular matrix in Meibomian gland development and pathology, 2. Characterizing the limbal stem cell niche and how it supports limbal epithelial stem cells, 3. Understanding mechanisms that regulate corneal wound healing, and 1. Characterizing how the extracellular matrix regulates inflammatory cell infiltration in the aging lacrimal gland.

mcruz3 Cruz Wiley 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Adjunct-Faculty

Maria Cristina Cruz Wiley,M.Ed., Ph.D.

Adjunct Faculty

Cruz-Wiley, M. Cristina is Adjunct Professor at the College of Optometry at the University of Houston and holds a Ph.D. a M.Ed. in Bilingual Education and Mid Management in Educational Leadership from the University of Sam Houston, and an Advanced Degree in Orthoptics from Orthovision in Bogota, Colombia. Dr. Cruz-Wiley has authored several publications in the areas of optometry and education. He is currently associated with the Colombian Federation of Optometrists, National Association of Teachers of Science, and National Association of Bilingual Educators.   

During her Educational Career Dr. Cruz-Wiley has been an Adjunct and Assistant Professor at the University of St. Thomas and at the University of Houston Downtown. She has also participated as a Member of the State Textbook Review Panel and served as Vice-president of The Texas Association for Bilingual Education. His current study focuses on the success of Students learning the patients’ language to enhance the quality of the examination process.  

As a Houston educator, Dr. Cruz-Wiley has designed and presented Modules for Parental Involvement, has written the ESL curriculum guidelines for secondary grades, and has reviewed and implemented the curriculum guidelines for the Science Curriculum.  

vdas Das 8 Department-Chairs Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Visual-Neuroscience Administration Research Vision-Science
Vallabh Das Image
Area of Research
Visual Neuroscience
Interests

neural mechanisms that are affected in the different forms of strabismus; information processing in neural oculomotor circuits

Vallabh Das,Ph.D.

Professor
Department Chair, Vision Science

I received my undergraduate degree from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India in 1992 majoring in Electronics Engineering. I then moved to the United States for graduate studies and completed a M.S and Ph.D. degree in 1998 in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. My work, carried out under the mentorship of Dr. John Leigh, primarily examined the interactions between visual-oculomotor and vestibular systems. I did post-doctoral work at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University with Dr. Michael Mustari from 1999 to 2002. During this time I learnt the technique of single cell extracellular recording in the awake-behaving monkey and also became interested in examining visual-oculomotor mechanisms in the strabismic primate. I was appointed to the faculty at Emory University in 2002 and received an independent investigator award from the National Institutes of Health in 2004 to study neural circuits mediating binocular coordination of eye movements in the strabismic monkey. I have since maintained continued NIH funding. I joined the faculty of the College of Optometry, University of Houston in 2009. The goal of research in my laboratory is to continue to uncover the disruption of neural processing in various brain areas in the strabismic monkeys. A better understanding of neural mechanisms that are affected in the different forms of strabismus will help develop rationally based therapy.

mkdavis Davis 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Adjunct-Faculty
Mark Davis Image

Mark Davis,O.D.

Adjunct Professor
jdeakins Deakins 9999 Contact-Lens Dry-Eye Medical-Eye Neuro NOVA Pediatrics-and-Binocular-Vision Primary-Care Fort-Worth-Central Fort-Worth-Northside Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Attending Clinical-Sciences

Jennifer Deakins,O.D., FAAO

Clinical Associate Professor

Originally from Houston, TX, Dr. Jennifer L. Deakins attended the University of Miami in Florida for undergraduate studies and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, focusing on public health. She received her Doctor of Optometry Degree from the University of Houston College of Optometry, graduating Magna Cum Laude and completed internships focusing on glaucoma, retinal disease, and LASIK co-management. She completed a year-long residency in Ocular Disease at Cedar Springs Eye Clinic in Dallas, TX. She serves on the Board of Trustees for the Texas Optometric Association and is active in Grassroots and Legislative efforts. Dr. Deakins has presented continuing education on Neuroimaging, B Scan Technology, and Retina Vascular Complications. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry and a candidate for Fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry.

Currently, Dr. Deakins is the Clinic Director of Community Eye Clinic in Fort Worth. An outreach clinic of UHCO, this clinic serves the under-privileged patients of Fort Worth and is a student externship site for UHCO and Rosenberg College of Optometry.

ldellasa Della Santina 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Biomedical-Optics Ocular-Biology Visual-Neuroscience Research Vision-Science
Luca Della Santina Image
Area of Research
Biomedical Optics Ocular Biology Visual Neuroscience
Interests

Neural circuit and synaptic remodeling in retinal development and degeneration.

Luca Della Santina,Ph.D., Pharm.D.

Assistant Professor

Dr. Della Santina received his M.S in medicinal chemistry, Pharm.D. in pharmacy and Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Pisa. He moved to the United States as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington, Seattle under the supervision of Dr. Rachel Wong. Following his postdoctoral training, he was a research faculty at the University of Pisa, Italy and at the University of California, San Francisco before joining the faculty at the College of Optometry, University of Houston in 2021. His research focuses on investigating the functional, circuit and synaptic rearrangements of the retina following to neurodegenerative diseases, to identify novel cellular targets for early detection and treatment. His research laboratory develops novel computational tools for large-scale recording of neurons and identification of neural circuits, as well as computer vision approaches based on deep learning for the automatic detection of ocular diseases in clinical and smartphone photographs.

rldempse Dempsey 9999 Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Professional-Studies OPT WEB ALL College-Staff
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Lee Dempsey

Coord, Program 2
dtdinh Dinh 9999 Contact-Lens Medical-Eye Neuro NOVA Pediatrics-and-Binocular-Vision Primary-Care Specialty-Contact-Lens Dallas Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Adjunct-Faculty Attending

David Dinh,O.D., FAAO

Adjunct Faculty

Dr. Dinh hails from Baton Rouge, Louisiana where he received his undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University in Biological Sciences with a minor in Chemistry. He then received his Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of Houston College of Optometry where he received multiple honors and awards from his colleagues and professors in recognition for his excellence in pediatrics, as well as his leadership. Following optometry school, Dr. Dinh underwent an intensive residency in Ocular Disease at Cedar Springs Eye Clinic in Dallas Texas, where he gained advanced training in the areas of glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and dry eye syndrome. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and maintains active memberships in the Texas Optometric Association, the American Optometric Association, the local Dallas County Optometric Society and the International Gold Key Honor Society. 

kduong7 Duong 9999 Contact-Lens Pediatrics-and-Binocular-Vision Primary-Care SNAPS UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Attending Clinical-Sciences

Kim Duong,O.D., M.S., MPH

Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Duong received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia. She then received her Doctor of Optometry and Masters in Vision Science from The State University of New York. She subsequently taught at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and completed her Master's in Public Health with an emphasis on Maternal and Child Health there. Prior to her time at UHCO, she worked at Rady Children’s Hospital. Currently, she is a Clinical Assistant Professor at UHCO and is a clinical attending in the Pediatric and Binocular Vision Service as well as the Contact Lens and Family Practice Service. Here clinical interests include infants and preschool children, children and adults with neurodevelopment disabilities, and pediatric contact lenses. Her research Interests include eye care accessibility and contact lens-related quality of life. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry.

raenriq2 Enriquez 12 College-Directors Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff

Rene Enriquez

Dir, College IT Support

Mr. Rene Enriquez has joined the college as our new Director of Information Technology (IT) and will lead our college’s advance’s in instructional technology, research computing, health IT infrastructure, and overall system security. 

Mr. Enriquez is an accomplished IT professional who comes to us with over 10 years of senior IT leadership in Higher Education. His background is in Enterprise Applications/Solutions with interests in Enterprise Data Management—Data Modeling/Architecture, and Business Intelligence.  He recently completed doctoral coursework in Educational Leadership with research in Latino Student Success.  

His passion is in helping people pursue their intrinsic talents toward academic and higher education achievement.  He loves spending time with family and friends, traveling and attending sporting events, like Aggie football, Astros baseball, and US Open tennis. 

wdevans Evans 9999 Staff UHCO-Faculty-Staff Dean OPT-STAFF

Wendy Evans

Asst to Dean

Wendy joined the College of Optometry in March 2024. She has been with the University of Houston since September 2019. Wendy was a first generation and non-traditional college student. Wendy obtained a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M – Texarkana in Business.

Before joining UH she worked at Lone Star College System and Texarkana College. Wendy has more than 25 years in higher education. In her spare time, she enjoys land cruising and spending time with her grandkids. Wendy also has a cat named Captain Morgan.

tgferrei Ferreira 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Ocular-Biology Research Vision-Science
Tarsis Ferreira Image
Area of Research
Ocular Biology
Interests

ocular surface, GAGs, drug development for ocular disease, focus on ocular surface?

Tarsis G. Ferreira,B.S., MSc, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Dr. Tarsis Gesteira Ferreira earned his B.S. in Biomedicine and MSc and Ph.D. in molecular biology from the Federal University of Sao Paulo. He went on to complete post-doctoral training at the following locations:

Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati – Developmental Biology
King's College, London - Computational Biology
University of Cincinnati - Ophthalmology

Dr. Ferreira then co-founded the pharmaceutical company Optimvia, which focuses on the in-silico design of enzymes for the in-vitro synthesis of heparin. His research focuses on the role of complex sugars and proteins in different eye pathologies, understanding their mechanism of action in order to explore their drugability. His current research goals are to develop small molecule drugs targeting the inhibition of corneal angiogenesis following injury, treating bacterial and viral keratitis, and wet macular degeneration. We are pleased to have Dr. Ferreira join the department of Vision Sciences as an Assistant Professor (tenure-track).

mafitta Fitta 9999 Primary-Care UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Attending Clinical-Sciences

Meron Fitta,O.D.

Clinical Asst Prof

Dr. Meron Fitta was born and raised in Silver Spring, MD. She was in the Honors Humanities College at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in General Biology and minor in Global Poverty in 2015. She received the College of Optometrists in Vision Development Award for Excellence in Vision and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University in 2021. While at Pennsylvania College of Optometry, she was the President and Founder of the D.C/Maryland/Virginia (DMV)Optometric Student Association, served as Class Council Vice President, and held leadership roles in the National Optometric Student Association and the College of Optometrist in Vision Development. After graduation, she pursued a residency in Ocular Disease at Seidenberg &Protzko Eye Associates in Havre De Grace, MD. Dr. Fitta is a Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometric Honors Society member and a Student Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry.

lfrishma Frishman 3 Associate-Deans Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Graduate-Studies-and-Research OPT WEB ALL Ocular-Biology Visual-Neuroscience Administration Research Vision-Science
Laura Frishman Image
Area of Research
Ocular Biology Visual Neuroscience
Interests

Retinal physiology, non invasive assessment of retina and anterior visual path in normal and disease

Laura J. Frishman,Ph.D., FAAO, FARVO

Professor
Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research

Dr. Frishman has been on the faculty of the College of Optometry since 1990 and  currently serves as the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research.  She received her undergraduate degree from Vassar College  and her MS and PhD in physiological psychology/neuroscience from the University of Pittsburgh. She did postdoctoral training in visual neuroscience at Northwestern University and the University of California San Francisco where she also was a research faculty member. Dr. Frishman has taught in both the professional and graduate programs in the College of Optometry. Her research has focused on refining noninvasive electrophysiological approaches for evaluating retinal and anterior visual pathway function in normal subjects and subjects with inherited or acquired diseases that affect visual function. 

Dr. Frishman currently serves as an Associate Editor for Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, she is on the editorial board of Translational Vision Science and Technology and she is an academic editor for PloS One. Previously she served as Editor-in-chief of the Journals,  Visual Neurocience, and Documenta Ophthalmological. Dr. Frishman has served on federal grant review panels, the NIH/NEI National Advisory Eye Council, and she is a fellow of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (FARVO), American Academy of Optometry (FAAO) and a board member of the International Society for the Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (ISCEV).? 

jgarza6 Garza 9999 Contact-Lens Dry-Eye Medical-Eye Pediatrics-and-Binocular-Vision Primary-Care Houston-Heights Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Attending Clinical-Sciences

Janet Garza,O.D., FAAO

Clinical Asst Prof

Dr. Garza graduated from The University of Texas at Austin prior to obtaining her optometric training at the University of Houston College of Optometry. Dr. Garza then went on to complete a residency in Community Based Family Practice with an emphasis on ocular disease. After working in private practice several years, Dr. Garza joined the UHCO faculty in 2017 as Clinical Assistant Professor where she currently serves as Clinical Director of the UH Eye Center- Heights clinic. The clinic serves as a clinical externship site for optometry students in their last year of training, primarily catering to underserved patient populations and community outreach. In addition to working with students and patients in clinic, she also lectures in courses and is the coursemaster for the Medical Procedures Lab.  

Dr. Garza is a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry, a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and is certified in Texas as an Optometric Glaucoma Specialist.   

She remains an active member of several organizations including Harris County Optometric Association, Texas Optometric Association, Prevent Blindness Texas, American Public Health Association, and American Academy of Optometry.   

algaume Gaume 9999 Contact-Lens Dry-Eye UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Biomedical-Optics Clinical-Translational-Research Attending Clinical-Sciences Research
Amber Gaume Image
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics

Amber Gaume,O.D., FAAO

Clinical Professor

Dr. Gaume Giannoni is a 2001 graduate of the University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO), where she also completed a Fellowship in Cornea and Contact Lens Research with the Texas Eye Research and Technology Center. She is currently a Clinical Professor at UHCO and is the Director of the Dry Eye Center at the University Eye Institute. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, she recently added the role of Director of Infectious Disease for the College.

Dr. Gaume Giannoni teaches in all aspects of the optometry program, including the didactic curriculum, clinical laboratories, and direct patient care, and is a clinical examiner in the NEI-sponsored BLINK2 study (Bifocal Lenses in Near Sighted Kids).  She has received numerous teaching awards, including the prestigious UH System’s Provost Award for Teaching Excellence (2015), the Women’s Gender Resource Center Distinguished Clinical Faculty Award (2016), the Cora and J. Davis Armistead Teaching Excellence Award (2017) and ten “Outstanding UHCO Faculty” Awards, determined by the student body.   

She is a Stage III Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. She serves on the Editorial Boards for Advanced Ocular Care and the Journal for Dry Eye and Ocular Surface Disease and has been the co-editor for Ocular Surface News  and a columnist for Contact Lens Spectrum since 2008.   

rgloyd Gloyd 9999 Primary-Care Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Adjunct-Faculty
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Roosevelt Gloyd,O.D.

Adjunct Faculty
mbgonzal Gonzales 9999 Contact-Lens Dry-Eye Medical-Eye Neuro NOVA Pediatrics-and-Binocular-Vision Primary-Care Specialty-Contact-Lens Dallas Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Attending Clinical-Sciences

Marcus Gonzales,O.D., FAAO

Clinical Assoc Prof

Dr. Gonzales completed his OD degree from the University of Houston College of Optometry in 2006. He then went onto to complete an ocular disease residency at the now Cedar Springs Eye Clinic (formerly Bridge Builders) in Dallas, TX. He currently serves as the clinic director of the inner-city charity clinic caring for the diseased indigent population. He is a fellow in the American Academy of Optometry and was named the 2009 Educator of the Year by the Texas Optometric Association as well as received a President’s Award in 2011. His interests are in ocular disease, specifically glaucoma and retinal disease. 

aticak Gostovic 9999 Contact-Lens Dry-Eye UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Biomedical-Optics Clinical-Translational-Research Attending Clinical-Sciences Research
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Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics

Anita Gostovic,O.D., M.S., FAAO

Clinical Assoc Prof

Dr. Anita Ticak received her combined O.D./M.S. degrees from Ohio State College of Optometry (OSU) in 2008 and completed a Residency in Cornea and Contact Lens at the University of Houston College of Optometry the following year. She is a Clinical Associate Professor devoting her time between didactic teaching, clinical teaching, and translational clinical research. Didactically, she is the course master of two courses that directly target transition of student classroom education into clinical application (Clinical Integration and Contact Lens Theory II). Clinically she is the co-founder and an attending faculty in the Dry Eye Service and is the interim Director of the Cornea Contact Lens Service. Dr. Ticak has a passion for evidence-based practice and prioritizes research that can help answer questions and optimize care to her patients. Her previous research was set in the VOI Lab creating custom wavefront-guided scleral lens solutions for the keratoconic population and for the last 7 years she has been the primary clinical examiner for the BLINK studies which focus on myopia management for children.

Dr. Ticak is certified in Texas as an Optometric therapeutic and Glaucoma Specialist and is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. Dr. Ticak is also the appointed student faculty liaison for the American Academy of Optometry for the University of Houston. She serves as a Topical Associate Editor for Optometry and Vision Science (OVS), and a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Dry Eye and Ocular Surface Disease (JDEOSD).

bharper Harper 9 College-Directors Primary-Care UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Clinical-Sciences

Beth Harper,O.D.

Clinical Assoc Prof
Director of Residency Programs

Dr. Harper is a Clinical Associate Professor with interests in ocular disease, pediatric eye care, and in improving the educational process for future optometrists. She is a native of upstate New York and moved to Texas in 2017. She completed her undergraduate degree in Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester in western New York. Dr. Harper received her O.D. degree from the State University of New York, College of Optometry (SUNY) in 2007, and completed a Residency in Ocular Disease and Primary Care with the Veterans Administration’s Boston Healthcare System the following year. She spent six years as a clinical educator and administrator at the New England College of Optometry, and also held leadership roles in the Massachusetts Society of Optometrists. For her work in membership and advocacy for the profession, she was awarded the Massachusetts Society of Optometrists’ Young Optometrist of the Year Award in 2012. Currently, Dr. Harper is a member of the Texas Optometric Association and the American Optometric Association. She joined the faculty at UHCO in 2018, serving first as adjunct faculty and joining full-time in 2020. Dr. Harper serves as UHCO’s Director of Residency Programs and is the Director of the Family Practice Service. 

wwharris Harrison 9999 Medical-Eye UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Clinical-Translational-Research Ocular-Biology Clinical-Sciences Research
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Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Ocular Biology
Interests

Structural and functional changes in diabetic eye disease

Wendy Harrison,OD., Ph.D., FAAO

Associate Professor

Dr. Wendy Harrison completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at the University of Notre Dame and went on to be the first student to complete a joint OD and MS in Vision Science at Indiana University in four years. Following a residency in Cornea and Contact Lenses, also at Indiana, she completed PhD in Vision Science at the University of California Berkeley. She is currently an associate professor at the University of Houston College of Optometry. Her research focuses on diabetic eye diseases and prediabetes and she runs the electrodiagnostic testing in the clinic. She is a member of ARVO, and a fellow in the American Academy of Optometry. Within the Academy she is the current President of the American Academy of Optometry Foundation and part of the leadership of Fellows Doing Research.

rjherrin Herring 5 Assistant-Deans Primary-Care Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Professional-Studies OPT WEB ALL Administration Attending Clinical-Sciences

Ralph J. Herring,O.D. , M.H.A.

Clinical Professor
Assistant Dean for Professional Studies

Dr. Ralph Herring is a native Texan and third-generation optometrist.   He was born and raised in Amarillo and came to the University of Houston to complete his undergraduate as well as Doctor of Optometry degrees.  This was followed by a Residency in Family Practice Optometry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry.  Following one year of private practice in Lubbock, Dr. Herring returned to his alma mater to join the University of Houston faculty where he has now been for over thirty years.

Dr. Herring currently serves as the Assistant Dean for Professional Studies as well as the Director of External Education and Third-Year Clinic Course master...  As Director of External Education, Dr. Herring administers the senior level clinical training program which utilizes a network of over seventy affiliated public and private clinics located locally, statewide, and across the country.

Dr. Herring is a Clinical Professor and is a clinical instructor in multiple patient services in the University Eye Institute.  He has also served on many college committees.

Dr. Herring became a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry in 2014. He completed a Master of Healthcare Administration degree from Texas Woman’s University in 2001.  Professional memberships include the American Optometric Association, the Texas Optometric Association and Beta Sigma Kappa.

Dr. Herring continues his family’s strong commitment to volunteer service.  He has been a Special Olympics volunteer for nearly 25 years and is now a Regional Clinical Advisor for the Special Olympics Lions Club International Opening Eyes program.  Dr. Herring also serves on the Board of Directors of Special Olympics Texas.  He has been a member of Lions Club International since 1983, and he currently serves on the Endowment Board of the Montrose Center

hdho Ho 9999 Neuro Pediatrics-and-Binocular-Vision Primary-Care UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Attending Clinical-Sciences

Hong Ho,O.D., FAAO

Clinical Asst Prof

Dr. Dieu-Hong Ho is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Houston College of Optometry. She serves as a clinical attending for 2nd, 3rd and 4th year optometry students in the Family Practice Service and Specialty Pediatrics and Binocular Vision Service. Additionally, she sees patients at TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital. She is also the course director for the Pediatric Optometry I laboratory course and co-course director for the Primary Optometry course.   

Dr. Dieu-Hong Ho grew up in Houston, TX. She graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts in Developmental Psychology in June 2012 and received her Doctorate of Optometry degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Houston College of Optometry in May 2016. She continued her optometric training with a residency in pediatric optometry and binocular vision at the University of Houston College of Optometry. 

Prior to joining UHCO, Dr. Ho was an associate optometrist at a private practice, primarily seeing pediatric patients, for three years. Dr. Ho received her fellowship from the American Academy of Optometry in 2017.  

nhooper Hooper 9999 Low-Vision UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Attending Clinical-Sciences

Nicole Hooper,O.D.

Clinical Assoc Prof

Dr. Nicole Hooper received her Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology from University of Wyoming and earned her Doctor of Optometry from Southern California College of Optometry.  She completed a Residency in Low Vision Rehabilitation at University of Houston College of Optometry and is currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor. 

Dr. Hooper has clinical interest in all facets of low vision rehabilitation, with an emphasis on multi-disciplinary collaborative care.  She enjoys teaching and learning, and finds working in low vision rehabilitation is both challenging and rewarding, but what she values most is the relationships she has with her patients.  She has acquired a particular affinity for working with students with multiple impairments, serving as a board member of the Pediatric Cortical Visual Impairment Society, and is part of a multi-disciplinary collaborative work group on PCVI.  She is an Advisor to the Executive Committee for the Houston Area Visually Impaired Network (HAVIN), serves on the Center for Students with DisABILITIES Advisory Board at the University of Houston, and also participates in the Elder Service Provider Network facilitated by the United Way of Greater Houston.  

mishibas Ishibashi 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Vision-Science

Munenori Ishibashi,Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor

Dr. Ishibashi earned his B.S. in Physics at Tokyo Metropolitan University, and Ph.D. in Medicine at Kitasato University, Japan. His long-term interest is the function and dynamics of protein complex at nano scale through physics, single-molecule biophysics, and imaging. He has spent more than 18years using a variety of microscopy techniques, including fluorescence nanoscopy, and electron microscopy. He previously served as Manager of Confocal Microscopy Facility under the mentorship of Dr. Stephen C Massey in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at UTHealth Houston. His intent to educate and support scientists about microscopy led to his joining the University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO) as Associate Director of Biological Imaging Core(BIC) in 2022. Dr. Ishibashi is currently working with Dr. Christophe P. Ribelayga on a Brain Initiative project (RF1 MH127343) to map electrical synaptic connectivity in neural networks, while overseeing the BIC with Drs. Alan R. Burns and Nimesh Patel. His goal is to create an excellent platform providing education and assistance on light and electron microscopy including image analysis for the research community. We are excited to have Dr. Ishibashi a part of our Vision Sciences Department as a Research Assistant Professor.

kkjames James 9999 OSANET Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Student-Services OPT WEB ALL
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KaDarrius James

Mgr, Program 2
njin Jin 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Visual-Neuroscience Research Vision-Science
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Area of Research
Visual Neuroscience
Interests

Gap junctions in the retina, rod-cone coupling

Nange Jin,M.D., Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor

Dr. Nange Jin received his M.D. in Clinical Medicine from Yanbian University College of Medicine in China. He earned his Ph.D. in Medical Science with a major in physiology & biophysics at the Seoul National University in South Korea. Afterwards, he received post-doctoral training in the Department of Physiology & Cell Biology at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno. His research now includes the effects of rod-cone coupling plasticity on downstream retinal circuits that control both the image-forming and the non-image-forming visual pathways. Dr. Jin conducted some of this research within Christophe Ribelayga’s laboratory at the University of Texas Health Science Center. Dr. Jin will be joining the department of Vision Sciences as a Research Assistant Professor.

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Leah Ann Johnson,O.D., FAAO, FSLS

Adjunct Faculty
apjohns7 Johnson 10 College-Directors Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Communications Professional-Relations OPT WEB ALL OPT-CE OPT-STAFF Administration College-Staff Web

Amanda Johnson

Exec Dir, Prof Relations (OPT)

Amanda joined the College of Optometry in October 2013 and currently serves as the Executive Director of Professional Relations. Within this role, Amanda oversees various college initiatives, programs, and services including continuing education, alumni relations, industry relations, fundraising, community engagement, communications, and marketing strategies.

Before joining UHCO, Amanda graduated from the University of Houston Clear Lake with a Bachelor of Arts in Literature while working with the Cooperative for After-School Enrichment at the Harris County Department of Education. She managed a countywide after school website and database and monitored local and federal grant compliance for after school programs through the Greater Houston Area. She has served on non-profit boards while also managing websites, organizing events, and seeking grants for volunteer organizations.

lkehinde Kehinde Darnell 9 Assistant-Deans Dry-Eye Primary-Care UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Administration Attending Clinical-Sciences

Lucy Kehinde Darnell,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO

Clinical Assoc Prof
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs

Dr. Lucy Kehinde attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she earned her B.S. in Integrative Biology with a minor in Chemistry in 2005. She then went on to earn her Ph.D. in Vision Sciences in 2009 and O.D. Degree in 2013 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry in Birmingham, AL. Following the professional program, she completed a Primary Care residency with an emphasis in cornea and contact lens in 2014 at Indiana University School of Optometry in Bloomington, IN. 

Dr. Kehinde is now a Therapeutic Optometrist and Optometric Glaucoma Specialist in Houston, TX. After working in private and corporate practice settings, she joined the faculty at University of Houston College of Optometry as Assistant Clinical Professor in 2015. Dr. Kehinde is involved in research studies focusing on ocular surface and dry eye disease, teaches in lecture and laboratory courses, and serves as a clinical attending in Family Practice Service, Dry Eye Center, and the Cornea and Contact Lens Service. 

apkemp Kemp 9999 Contact-Lens Dry-Eye Medical-Eye Neuro NOVA Pediatrics-and-Binocular-Vision Primary-Care Specialty-Contact-Lens Dallas Fort-Worth-Central Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Clinical-Sciences

Andrew Kemp,O.D., FAAO

Clinical Asst Prof

Dr. Andrew Kemp graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2010 and the University of Houston College Of Optometry in 2014. Dr. Kemp completed an ocular disease residency at the Cedar Springs Eye Clinic in Dallas, TX, a UHCO-affiliated community clinic. Dr. Kemp is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and works with fourth year student externs at the Cedar Springs Eye Clinic and the Community Eye Clinic. Dr. Kemp’s clinical interests include diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, uveitis, keratoconus and the fitting of specialty contact lenses for a variety of corneal abnormalities. Dr. Kemp is a member of the Texas Optometric Association and American Optometric Association. 

tketcham Ketcham 9999 Medical-Eye Primary-Care UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Attending Clinical-Sciences

Tonya Ketcham,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO

Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Tonya Ketcham received her Doctor of Optometry degree from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN.  Her first job out of optometry school was serving in the United States Air Force and then the Air Guard.  After completion of her military service, Dr. Ketcham went back to the Medical Sciences Department of Indiana University and completed a PhD in Pharmacology.  Her research interests were in diabetic retinopathy and oxidative stress.  While working on her PhD, she was involved in didactic and classroom teaching at the Indiana University College of Optometry.  With completion of the PhD, she moved to Houston, TX and became a full time faculty member at University of Houston College of Optometry. Currently, she is on the clinic floor with third and fourth year optometry students in both family practice and medial specialty clinics and has class room responsibilities in Pharmacology and Ocular pathology courses. 

ktkeyzer Keyzer 9999 Contact-Lens Primary-Care UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Attending Clinical-Sciences
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Kathryn T. Keyzer,O.D.

Professor of Practice
jkim86 Kim 9999 Primary-Care UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Attending Clinical-Sciences

Jung-Sun Kim,O.D., Ph.D.

Clinical Asst Prof

Dr. Jung-Sun Kim is a clinical optometrist with interests in primary care, ocular disease, and translational research. Dr. Kim received a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Baylor College of Medicine and completed post-doctoral fellowship training in Epigenetics at Houston Methodist Research Institute. After her biomedical research experience, Dr. Kim decided to pursue her dream of becoming an optometrist. She received her Doctor of Optometry degree, Magna cum laude, from the University of Houston College of Optometry. In addition, Dr. Kim continued her clinical training by completing Family Practice residency at the University of Houston College of Optometry.  

clakkis Lakkis 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Adjunct-Faculty
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Carol Lakkis,O.D., Ph.D.

Adjunct Faculty
klambreg Lambreghts 4 ACOE Associate-Deans Surgical Surgery-Center Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Professional-Studies OPT WEB ALL Administration Attending Clinical-Sciences

Kimberly Lambreghts,R.N., O.D., FAAO

Clinical Professor
Associate Dean For Professional Studies

Dr. Lambreghts is a graduate of Pace University with an RN in Nursing and a BA in Biology. She worked as an orthopedic surgical nurse until entering optometry school. After graduating from SUNY College of Optometry in 1993, Dr. Lambreghts completed a dual residency in rehabilitative and primary care optometry at the Northport Veterans Administration Medical Center in Northport, NY. She served as staff optometrist at the Northport VAMC and an associate in private practice until coming to the UH College of Optometry in 1997. Currently she is a Clinical Associate Professor, Director of the Family Practice Service and serves as Family Practice Residency Director at the University Eye Institute. She is also a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry.

klarin Larin 9999 Joint-UH-Appointment UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff

Kirill Larin,Ph.D.

College of Engineering Distinguished Professor
Joint Appointment in Optometry/Vision Science

Dr. Kirill Larin received an M.S. in Laser Physics and Mathematics from Saratov State University in 1995, an M.S. in Cellular Physiology and Molecular Biophysics from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in 2001 and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in 2002. Before joining UH Department of Biomedical Engineering in 2004, Dr. Larin completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UT-Galveston in the area of Biomedical Engineering and Optics. He has more than 20 years of experience in the development of optical methods for structural and functional imaging of various tissues, cells, and organs. His lab has extensive experience in developing state-of-art imaging systems based on Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Optical Coherence Elastography (OCE), Optical Projection Tomography (OPT), Light-Sheet Microscopy (LSM), Brillouin Spectroscopy, and the development of corresponding multimodalities. Dr. Larin has a solid track record of leading multi-Institutional research programs, supported continuously by NIH for more than15 years.

gllavell Lavelle Watkins 9999 Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Clinical-Operations
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Guaquita L. Lavelle Watkins

Optometry Clinic Administrator
neleach Leach 9999 Contact-Lens Specialty-Contact-Lens Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Adjunct-Faculty
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Norman Leach,O.D., M.S., FAAO

Active Faculty Retiree
Alin Lin 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Adjunct-Faculty
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Albert Lin,M.D.

Adjunct Faculty
cloayza Loayza 9999 Admin Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Professional-Relations OPT WEB ALL OPT-CE
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Cristian Loayza

Mgr, Program 2
amlogan Logan 9999 Contact-Lens Myopia Specialty-Contact-Lens Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Biomedical-Optics Clinical-Translational-Research Clinical-Sciences Research
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Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics

Anna-Kaye Logan,O.D., FAAO

Clinical Associate Professor

Dr. Logan received her Bachelor of Science in Health degree magna cum laude from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida. She then graduated from Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where she completed her Doctor of Optometry degree with Honors and Professional Distinction. She subsequently completed a residency in Cornea and Contact Lenses at the University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO). Currently, she is a Clinical Assistant Professor at UHCO and is a clinical attending in the Cornea and Contact Lens Service including the Myopia Management Service. Dr. Logan is the Residency Program Coordinator for the Cornea and Contact Lenses Residency. 

chlorens Lorensuhewa 9999 Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Clinical-Operations OPT WEB ALL Clinical-Staff
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Chaminga Lorensuhewa

Assoc Dir,External Eye Clinics
kmstaffo Luman 9999 Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Professional-Relations OPT WEB ALL
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Michele S. Luman

Mgr, Program 2
lmgraha2 Macomber 9999 Admin Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Professional-Relations OPT WEB ALL OPT-CE College-Staff
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Lorellye Macomber

Dir, Program 1
rmanny Manny 9999 NOVA Pediatrics-and-Binocular-Vision UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Biomedical-Optics Clinical-Translational-Research Visual-Neuroscience Attending Clinical-Sciences Research
Ruth Manny Image
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics Visual Neuroscience
Interests

Development of vision, Anomalies of Binocular Vision, Refractive Error, and Vision Screening  Clinical research

Ruth Manny,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO

Charles R. Stewart Professor

Dr. Manny received her OD, MS and PhD from the University of Houston, College of Optometry. While earning her graduate degrees she worked part-time in a private practice in Clear Lake, TX. Her clinical expertise is pediatric eye care with an emphasis on infants and preschoolers and those with differing abilities. She has served as the principal investigator for a variety of multi-center studies funded by the National Eye Institute and industry. These studies included clinical trials investigating the development, progression and treatment strategies for myopia (COMET, COMET2, ACHIEVE, CLIP), large collaborative observational studies of myopia (CLEERE, COSMICC), and collaborations with the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group (PEDIG) on treatment strategies for amblyopia and strabismus. She has served on the PEDIG executive committee and as Vice Chair. Additional interests include improving methods to identify young children with or at risk for vision problems. She has served as Chair of the Clinical Science department, and Service Director for the Pediatric Specialty Clinic. Dr. Manny has been on the editorial board of Optometry and Vision Science and served as a topical editor for the journal. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, and the Association for Research in Vision in Ophthalmology and is active in shared governance through the faculty senate serving on the executive committee and many senate committees. 

djmarrel Marrelli 6 Assistant-Deans Medical-Eye UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Administration Attending Clinical-Sciences

Danica Marrelli,O.D., FAAO

Clinical Professor
Assistant Dean for Clinical Education

Danica Marrelli received her Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO), and completed a residency in hospital-based optometry at the Baltimore VA Medical Center in Baltimore, MD.  She is a Clinical Professor at UHCO, where she serves as Assistant Dean of Clinical Education and Service Director of the Ocular Diagnostic/Medical Eye Service.  In the classroom, Dr. Marrelli teaches in the ocular pharmacology, glaucoma and case-based learning courses. Dr. Marrelli became a diplomate in the ocular disease (glaucoma) section of the American Academy of Optometry in November 2009. She is the vice president of the Optometric Glaucoma Society. She serves on the Education and Communication Committee of the Glaucoma Research Foundation. 

jmarsack Marsack 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Biomedical-Optics Clinical-Translational-Research Research Vision-Science
Jason Marsack Image
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics
Interests

Optical aberration of the eye, custom and pseudo-custom correction of optical aberration, visual performance, metrics predictive of visual performance.

Jason Marsack,Ph.D., FAAO

Associate Professor

I am a scientist/ engineer with a strong interest in applied and translational research.  My laboratory focuses on developing and translating optical correction strategies for eyes with poor visual quality (keratoconus, pellucid marginal degeneration, Down syndrome) to the clinical environment and investigating the relationship between optical quality and visual performance.  I teach geometric optics to students in the optometry professional program, advanced optical topics to students in the physiological optics program at The University of Houston College of Optometry and mentor students seeking the M.S. and/or Ph.D. degrees

mmferrei Martinez 9999 Pediatrics-and-Binocular-Vision SNAPS Vision-Therapy Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Attending Clinical-Sciences

Muriel L. Martinez,O.D., FAAO

Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Martinez graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Organismal and Integrative Biology with a double minor in Chemistry and Italian. She went on to obtain her Doctor of Optometry degree and Pediatric residency from the University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO). Dr. Martinez is also a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. She is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at UHCO where her primary interest and focus is in pediatric primary care, specialty pediatric care, binocular vision, and brain injury eye exams. She also teaches in areas of pediatric binocular vision. Dr. Martinez was awarded the 2014 Terrance N. Ingraham Pediatric Optometry Residency Award by the American Optometric Foundation.

amatynia Matynia 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Vision-Science

Anna Matynia,Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Dr. Matynia received her Ph.D. in Cell Biology from Baylor College of Medicine. She then completed a postdoctoral fellow in neuroscience at the University of California, Los Angeles in Dr. Alcino Silva’s group. Dr.Matynia served as research faculty at the University of California, Los Angeles at the Jules Stein Eye Institute before joining the faculty at the College of Optometry, University of Houston in 2023. Her research focuses on neural circuits associated with clinically relevant disease or dysfunction in both the retina and cornea. The current funded projects in her laboratory are 1) investigating role of melanopsin in retinal and trigeminal circuitry underlying photo allodynia (light-induced or -enhanced pain), 2) precision mapping of corneal afferents for blink, lacrimation and nociception, and 3) identification of early retinal biomarkers of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s Disease. Dr. Matynia joins the Department of Vision Sciences as an Associate Professor.

kmeier Meier 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Vision-Science

Kimberly Meier,Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Dr. Meier earned a BA at Simon Fraser University studying how eye movement patterns are optimized during and after learning. At the University of British Columbia she obtained a PhD in Cognitive Psychology studying the typical development of motion perception in children, and how this can be impacted by amblyopia ("lazy" eye) or strabismus (an eye turn). Her current work as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington investigates how the visual system combines signals across the left and right eyes under different conditions, and how these perceptual patterns are related to visual development and disorder. Overall, her work aims to understand how the visual parts of the brain typically develop, how this development is impacted when a person has prolonged atypical visual experience during childhood, and how perceptual abilities change as a function of treatment success. Her research tools include psychophysics, EEG, MRI, and eye-tracking. We are pleased to have Dr. Meier join the Department of Vision Sciences as an Assistant Professor.

hmejia Mejia 9999 Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff
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Hector Mejia

Optician, Senior
scmodi Modi 9999 Low-Vision UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Clinical-Sciences

Swati Modi,O.D., FAAO

Clinical Assoc Prof

Dr. Modi is a Diplomate in Low Vision Rehabilitation, as well as a Fellow, of the American Academy of Optometry, and a member of the American Academy of Optometry, Low Vision Section. She was the President of the Harris County Optometric Society in 2016 and continues to be an active member of the Board of Directors, a member of the Texas Optometric Association, and the American Optometric Association. Dr. Modi practiced in a private optometry office before returning to teaching at the University of Houston College of Optometry.

She is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Houston and teaches clinically in the University Eye Institute’s Center for Sight Enhancement. Dr. Modi is the Course-master of the Low Vision Rehabilitation didactic course and laboratory for optometry 3rd year students and is the Director of the Low Vision Rehabilitation Residency program. She has presented on low vision rehabilitation both nationally and internationally and the recipient of the Corning Low Vision Award and the Feinbloom Low Vision Award. Dr. Modi is an Advisor to the Houston Area Visually Impaired Network (HAVIN) non-profit organization.

Research interests include clinical low vision rehabilitation research, specifically studying the impact of low vision devices on visual function.

mtollet Morales 9999 Medical-Eye Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Adjunct-Faculty
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Marlene Morales,M.D.

Adjunct Faculty
mnaash Naash 9999 Joint-UH-Appointment UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff

Muna Naash,Ph.D.

John S. Dunn Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Joint Appointment in Optometry/Vision Science

Dr. Naash received a Ph.D. from Baylor College of medicine  where she obtained extensive experience in cell and molecular biology of the retina and then used transgenic/knockout/knockin to address causes of retinal degeneration. This has been the focus of her postdoctoral research at Baylor College of Medicine and during her years as faculty member at University of Illinois in Chicago (UIC), Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) and most recently at University of Houston (UH). She has more than 25 years of NIH funding for her research  on photoreceptor biochemistry/molecular biology with focus on outer segment (OS) structure/morphogenesis in health and disease states and more recently in protein transport and non-viral gene therapy.

cjng Ng 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Biomedical-Optics Clinical-Translational-Research Visual-Neuroscience Vision-Science

Cherlyn J. Ng,Ph.D.

Sr Research Scientist

Cherlyn Ng was born and raised in Singapore, where she went on to earn her BSc in neuroscience and PhD in x-ray crystallography from the National University of Singapore. Drawing upon her earlier experiences with audio/visual production, she received postdoctoral training in computational modeling, psychophysics and developed a deep interest in visual perception. Her current interests focuses on how the brain processes and represents sensory information, with particular emphasis on binocular vision. However, traditional psychophysics does not distinguish between percepts that arise from neural mechanisms and visual limitations that are caused by the imperfect optics of the eyes. She addresses this conundrum by coupling psychophysics with adaptive optics technology. This method minimizes optical limitations by correcting for the optical aberrations in the eyes so that percepts brought about by the neural mechanisms can be measured in isolation. These measurements serve the eventual purpose of building a unified model that explains how the brain chooses between selecting and balancing information from the two eyes. 

lcnguye2 Nguyen 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Clinical-Sciences

Chi Nguyen,B.S., M.B.A., EdD.

Assistant Professor, Instruct

Dr. Lan Chi Nguyen obtained her Bachelor of Science in Ophthalmic Medical Technology from the Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans. Following this, she joined the University of Texas Medical Branch, where she excelled in direct patient care, clinical operations, and teaching. To broaden her skill set, Dr. Nguyen pursued a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree from the University of Texas (Brownsville). In 2006, she became a part of the University of Houston College of Optometry in a research and operational capacity, collaborating closely with research scientists, graduate students, optometry students, and mentoring undergraduate students. Dr. Nguyen furthered her education at the University of Houston and obtained her Doctor of Education (EdD) degree in 2022. Her doctoral focus was on teaching methodologies and engaged learning. Dr. Nguyen is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO) and a Research Fellow of the Scleral Lens Education Society (FSLS).

By integrating her diverse expertise, Dr. Nguyen aims to apply her theoretical knowledge from the field of education to enhance the instructional design, implementation, and outcome assessment of optometry teaching in her role as an Instructional Assistant Professor in the Clinical Sciences department.

lbnguye5 Nguyen 9999 Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Administration College-Staff
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Long Nguyen

Lan Administrator
dnguye40 Nguyen 12 Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff College-Staff
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Darrin Nguyen

Mgr, Coll/Div Info Svcs 2

Darrin serves as the Director of IT for the College of Optometry. Prior to UHCO, he worked for Texaco, PricewaterhouseCoopers, HP, IBM, Continental Airlines, and Synagro Technologies. His roles and responsibilities ranged from providing end-user support to managing network infrastructure. Darrin has also traveled to Europe and Latin America countries to design and implement network infrastructures for those regions.

Darrin graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.  Darrin holds certifications in Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA).

ahicks3 Nichols 9999 UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL

Amber Nichols

Clinical Asst Prof

Dr. Nichols earned her Doctor of Optometry from the University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO) and then completed a Fellowship in Cornea and Contact Lenses with the Texas Eye Research and Technology Center (TERTC) at UHCO. During that time, she was involved in various corneal pathology research studies and presented case reports at national meetings. She regularly attends national conferences to continue learning about new technology and innovative ideas. Dr. Nichols thrives to collaborate with other scholars to advance the profession of Optometry. Dr. Nichols has a passion for helping patients with keratoconus and corneal transplants improve their vision with custom scleral lenses. Her goal as an educator is to spread her passion and inspire the future Optometrists of the world to do the same. 

lonurmin Nurminen 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Visual-Neuroscience Research Vision-Science
Lauri Nurminen Image
Area of Research
Visual Neuroscience
Interests

Roles of recurrent connections between cortical areas in visual computation and perception.

Lauri Nurminen,Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

I study cortical mechanisms of visual perception. Currently, I am interested in the roles of interactions between areas of the visual cortex in visual perception.
  
My work contributes to our understanding of how the brain generates subjective experiences, and how disrupted neural circuit function leads to altered visual perception in neuropsychiatric disorders that affect visual perception (e.g. autism, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease).  
  
My laboratory uses a combination of methods including high-density electrophysiology, optogenetics, and behavioral techniques.  
  
Before starting a laboratory at the UH, I did a PhD at the University of Helsinki, and postdoctoral training at the University of Utah and the Salk Institute.

My work is funded by the NIH, University of Houston, and Kavli Foundation.

jobrien3 O'Brien 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Ocular-Biology Visual-Neuroscience Research Vision-Science
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Area of Research
Ocular Biology Visual Neuroscience
Interests

Electrical synapses in retinal neurons, gap junctions

John O'Brien,Ph.D.

Professor

Dr. John O’Brien joined UHCO as a Professor in Vision Science in 2021. Dr. O’Brien earned his B.A. in Biochemistry at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. O’Brien entered the field of vision research in a post-doc with mentors Harris Ripps and Muayyad Al-Ubaidi at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  There he cloned connexins that form electrical synapses in retinal neurons, setting the stage for a large fraction of the research he has performed since then.  In 1998, Dr. O’Brien joined the Ophthalmology faculty at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, in which his lab conducted research on retinal electrical synapses. Dr. O’Brien has published extensively on this topic and has been funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) since 2000. Dr. O’Brien has recently begun to study regeneration of rod photoreceptors in a transgenic zebrafish model of Retinitis Pigmentosa developed in his lab.  His group has applied single-cell transcriptomics to map out transcriptional pathways involved in the proliferation and differentiation of progenitor cells to form new rods and to study the role of microglia in retinal regeneration.  His lab is applying a variety of molecular and genetic techniques to investigate these pathways. 

sgodaibo Odaibo 9999 Medical-Eye Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Adjunct-Faculty Attending
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Stephen Odaibo,M.D.

Adjunct Faculty
lostrin Ostrin 9999 Ostrin Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Biomedical-Optics Clinical-Translational-Research Visual-Neuroscience Research Vision-Science
Lisa Ostrin Image
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics Visual Neuroscience
Interests

Myopia, circadian rythms and eye growth nvironmental and behavioral influences on circadian rhythm and eye growth.

Lisa Ostrin,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO

Associate Professor

Dr. Ostrin is an Associate Professor at the University of Houston College of Optometry. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. She then completed the combined OD/PhD program at the University of Houston College of Optometry. Following graduate work focused in accommodative physiology, she went to John Hopkins University for post-doctoral research in low vision and retinal prosthetics. From there, she worked as a Clinician Researcher at the University of California Berkeley School of Optometry, with a focus on myopia and associations with glaucoma. She returned to the University of Houston as faculty to continue her work in myopia and circadian rhythms. In addition to research, Dr. Ostrin teaches gross and ocular anatomy, and has authored a book, Anatomy of the Human Eye: a Coloring Atlas. Dr. Ostrin is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, Gold Fellow of ARVO, and a recipient of the American Optometric Foundation Ezell Fellowship. 

lpate Pate 9999 Medical-Eye UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Clinical-Sciences
npatel Patel 9999 Medical-Eye UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Biomedical-Optics Clinical-Translational-Research Ocular-Biology Visual-Neuroscience Research Vision-Science
Nimesh Patel Image
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics Ocular Biology Visual Neuroscience
Interests

Optical coherence tomography, structure-function relationships in glaucoma, algorithm development for early detection of optic nerve pathology

Nimesh Patel,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO

Associate Professor

Dr. Patel graduated from the Southern College of Optometry, Memphis Tennessee in 2002, after which he completed a residency in Family Practice at Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry. He completed his graduate work at the University of Houston, earning a PhD in 2012, and has been on the faculty since. His current research is on improving structural measures of the optic nerve head, retinal nerve fiber layer and macula regions using optical coherence tomography, and investigating the relationship between these structural measures and visual function. He also teaches students in the classroom, laboratory and clinical settings. 

mdplauma Plaumann 9999 Pediatrics-and-Binocular-Vision UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Biomedical-Optics Clinical-Translational-Research Attending Clinical-Sciences Research
Maureen Plaumann Image
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics

Maureen Plaumann,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO

Clinical Asst Prof

Dr. Plaumann received her Doctor of Optometry degree in 2015 from the Southern California College of Optometry after earning her B.S. in Anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles. She then completed a residency in Pediatric Optometry and Vision Therapy at the Southern California College of Optometry in 2016. Dr. Plaumann is completing her Ph.D. at Ohio State University. Her dissertation work with her advisor, Dr. Teng Leng Ooi, focuses on adult amblyopia, analyzing fixation patterns and developing translational measures of interocular suppression with the goal of one day developing better treatments for the condition. Dr. Plaumann attends in the Binocular Vision and Pediatrics, Vision Therapy, and Primary Vision Care services of the clinic. Dr. Plaumann is the 2021 Danne Ventura/Essilor Ezell Fellow and the 2019 Baycross Christian Family Foundation Binocular Vision & Pediatrics Ezell Fellow. She is also the recipient of a NIH loan repayment program and research fellowship. Dr. Plaumann joins the department of Clinical Sciences as an Assistant Professor.

jporter Porter 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Biomedical-Optics Clinical-Translational-Research Research Vision-Science
Jason Porter Image
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics
Interests

imaging retinal and optic nerve head structures and vasculature in normal and glaucomatous eyes, as well as in eyes with color vision deficiencies and retinal disease.

Jason Porter,Ph.D., FAAO, FARVO

Associate Professor

Dr. Jason Porter is an Associate Professor in Physiological Optics and Vision Science and in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Houston. He earned his BS, MS, and PhD in Optics from the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics. As a graduate student and postdoctoral fellow with David Williams, he worked in the areas of ocular aberration measurement, customized correction, and high-resolution retinal imaging using adaptive optics. During this time, he was lead editor for the book entitled, “Adaptive Optics for Vision Science,” a collaborative work that describes the principles and practices of adaptive optics in vision science.  

At the College of Optometry, Dr. Porter’s laboratory investigates mechanisms responsible for the development and progression of neuro-ophthalmic and retinal-related conditions (including glaucoma, traumatic brain injury / concussion, and inherited retinal degenerations). Recent work has also examined how foveal structure changes during normal development and in myopia. Dr. Porter’s laboratory has built an adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope to noninvasively image and monitor normal and diseased retinal structure on a cellular level in the same eyes over time. These experiments are often complimented with the use of clinical imaging techniques and visual function examinations to investigate structure-function relationships. The laboratory also conducts engineering research, often to facilitate its scientific goals, in areas such as optimizing methods of adaptive optics control and developing neural networks to automatically segment perfused retinal vasculature.  

gqin Qin 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Ocular-Biology Research Vision-Science
Guoting Qin Image
Area of Research
Ocular Biology
Interests

ocular homeostasis and to characterize the host response to environmental stress and disease progression using mass spectrometry-based omics tools.

Guoting Qin,Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor

Guoting Qin is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Vision Sciences of the University of Houston, College of Optometry. She received a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Science and Technology of China, and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Houston.  

Her research focus is to understand ocular homeostasis and to characterize the host response to environmental stress and disease progression using mass spectrometry-based omics tools. These tools, including crosslinking mass spectrometry, proteomics, lipidomics, metabolomics, and glycomics, are used to map the interactome of the ocular surface at a molecular level.  

rredfern Redfern 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Clinical-Translational-Research Ocular-Biology Research Vision-Science
Rachel Redfern Image
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Ocular Biology
Interests

ocular surface inflammation/infection, the impact of contact lenses (e.g. scleral gas permeable lenses) on normal and diseased eyes

Rachel Redfern,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO

Associate Professor

Rachel Redfern received her bachelor's degree in biology from Texas A&M University and then her OD/PhD from the University of Houston, College of Optometry. In 2006, Dr. Redfern received the Institutional Ruth Kirschstein National Research Post-doctorate Award and the ARVO/Alcon Early Career Clinician-Scientist Research Award. Dr. Redfern is a member of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, the American Academy of Optometry and the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society. She is also a past William C. Ezell Fellow.

Her laboratory is interested in ocular surface inflammation/infection, the impact of contact lenses (e.g. scleral gas permeable lenses) on normal and diseased eyes and the functional and anatomical changes that occurs in the meibomian glands with age and disease. They perform human subject, animal and in vitro studies. Dr. Redfern’s laboratory is NIH funded to examine the impact of toll-like receptors on the production of damaging cytokines and matrix metalloproteases and beneficial antimicrobial peptides on the ocular surface.

cpribela Ribelayga 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Ocular-Biology Visual-Neuroscience Research Vision-Science
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Area of Research
Ocular Biology Visual Neuroscience
Interests

Circadian clocks and retinal development, plasticity in network of coupled photoreceptors.

Christophe Ribelayga,M.S., Ph.D.

Professor
Foundation for Education & Research in Vision (FERV) Professor

Dr. Ribelayga received his M.S. (1995) and Ph.D. (2000), both in Neuroscience, from the University Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg, France. He then did post-doctoral work at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) (1999-2005). During this time, he used techniques of single cell recording in the retina to examine how circadian clocks within the retina control the light responses of retinal cells. He joined The Ohio State University (OSU) School of Medicine in Columbus, OH as a Research Assistant Professor (2005-2009) and subsequently moved to The University of Texas at Houston (UTHealth) McGovern Medical School as an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology. Dr. Ribelayga was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2016 and awarded the Bernice Weingarten Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology in 2019. Dr. Ribelayga joined the University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO) in 2021, where he is Professor of Physiological Optics and Vision Science. His work has long focused on two areas of research: 1) the role of circadian clocks in the development, maintenance, and function of retinal cells, and 2) the functional architecture of the network of coupled photoreceptors, its plasticity, and the impact of this plasticity on retinal circuit processing and visual perception. Although Dr. Ribelayga’s research accomplishments are primarily in basic science, his work may have important clinical relevance and has been continuously supported by NIH. 

erritche Ritchey 9999 Contact-Lens Myopia Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Biomedical-Optics Clinical-Translational-Research Ocular-Biology Clinical-Sciences Research
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Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics Ocular Biology
Interests

Contact lens, Meibomian gland disease and treatments.

Eric Ritchey,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO

Assistant Professor

Eric Ritchey, OD, PhD, FAAO is a 2001 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Optometry. After graduation, Eric completed a 2-year Advanced Practice Fellowship in Cornea and Contact Lenses at Ohio State, where his research focused on overnight orthokeratology and extended wear contact lenses. Following fellowship, Eric served as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri-Saint Louis College of Optometry before beginning his PhD training at Ohio State. During his PhD training, Eric’s research in the laboratory of Dr. Andy Fischer focused on the mechanisms behind refractive error development. After completing the PhD, Eric joined Johnson and Johnson Vision Care as a Principal Research Optometrist in the Emerging Technologies Group, where he worked on contact lens technologies to control myopia progression. After 4 years in industry, Eric decided to return to academia and will teach Ophthalmic Optics to 2nd year optometry students. Eric’s clinical interests are in specialty contact lens fitting, anterior segment disease and ocular prosthetics. His research activities will focus on myopia development and contact lenses.

aksalem Salem 9999 Surgical Surgery-Center Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Cataract Glaucoma Pterygium Refractive-Surgery Adjunct-Faculty Attending Surgical
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Andrew Salem,M.D.

Adjunct Faculty (Surgical)

Dr. Andrew Salem was born and raised in San Diego, California. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a B.S. in Psychobiology and earned his Doctor of Medicine degree at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. He completed an internship in Internal Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center and an Ophthalmology residency at Tulane University in New Orleans. Dr. Salem also completed a Fellowship in Cornea, External Ocular Diseases, and Refractive Surgery at the world-renowned Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA.

msander6 Sanders 9999 Surgical Surgery-Center Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Cataract Glaucoma Pterygium Refractive-Surgery Adjunct-Faculty Attending Surgical
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Marc Sanders,M.D., FACS

Adjunct Faculty (Surgical)

Dr. Marc Sanders is a recognized leader in cataract and refractive surgery. Among the first surgeons to perform laser vision correction over fifteen years ago, Dr. Sanders has stayed at the forefront of this rapidly changing field. He was one of the first surgeons to offer new techniques, such as femtosecond all-laser LASIK, custom wavefront optimized LASIK, refractive lens exchange, laser assisted cataract surgery with the LenSx and Catalys lasers, and presbyopic intraocular lenses. Dr. Sanders is a part-time professor at Baylor College of Medicine where he teaches surgeons in training. Committed to education and research, Dr. Sanders has published articles in the leading ophthalmic journals and has participated in clinical trials.

kasapozn Sapoznik 9999 Medical-Eye UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Biomedical-Optics Clinical-Translational-Research Ocular-Biology Attending Clinical-Sciences Research
Kaitlyn Sapoznik Image
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics Ocular Biology
Interests

high resolution imaging, retinal vascular remodeling in diabetes and aging

Kaitlyn Sapoznik,O.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Dr. Kaitlyn A. Sapoznik received her Doctor of Optometry from Illinois College of Optometry in 2013 and then completed a one-year ocular disease residency at Indiana University School of Optometry in Bloomington, IN. Following her residency, she completed her Ph.D. in Vision Science at Indiana University. Her research uses high-resolution retinal imaging techniques like adaptive optics retinal imaging to better understand retinal microvascular remodeling in aging and disease with an emphasis on diabetic retinopathy. Dr. Sapoznik was awarded the Vision Impact Institute Ezell Fellowship for two-consecutive years.

dnsayah Sayah 9999 UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Biomedical-Optics Ocular-Biology Visual-Neuroscience Clinical-Sciences Research
Diane Sayah Image
Area of Research
Biomedical Optics Ocular Biology Visual Neuroscience
Interests

Human subjects, imaging, glaucoma, ocular disease, myopia

Diane N. Sayah,O.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Dr. Diane N. Sayah is an optometrist with special interests in ocular biomechanics and hemodynamics. She obtained her Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of Montreal. She then completed her PhD in glaucoma and biomechanics research at the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital (University of Montreal) and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard Retinal Imaging Lab (Massachusetts Eye and Ear).

Dr. Sayah served as lecturer and clinical instructor at the University of Montreal School of Optometry for over seven years before joining the University of Houston College of Optometry as an Assistant Professor (tenure-track).

As a clinician-scientist, Dr. Sayah's interests are directed towards neurodegenerative diseases of the eye, particularly glaucoma, as well as myopia. Benefiting from cutting-edge technology and innovative methods for probing biomechanical and choroidal involvement in eye diseases, her objective is to lead translational research which will directly improve clinical care.

psegu2 Segu 9999 Contact-Lens Dry-Eye Medical-Eye Primary-Care Houston-Heights Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Attending Clinical-Sciences
jsimbula Simbulan 9999 Medical-Eye Primary-Care Surgical Surgery-Center UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Attending Clinical-Sciences

Justin Simbulan,O.D.

Clinical Asst Prof

Dr. Justin Simbulan graduated from the University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO) with Magna Cum Laude in 2017. After graduation, he completed a residency in Primary Care at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where his training focused on ocular disease, specialty contact lenses, and low vision rehabilitation. After residency, Dr. Simbulan served as a full time staff optometrist at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center where he was involved with direct patient care and acted as an attending for optometry residents and intern students. In 2020, Dr. Simbulan joined UHCO as clinical faculty. 

Dr. Simbulan enjoys a practice style that involves diagnosis and treatment of ocular disease such as glaucoma and macular degeneration, as well as participating in the overall management of patients with systemic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension to evaluate for ocular complications. He maintains strong interest in the fitting of specialty contact lenses such as scleral lenses and gas permeable contacts, and involvement in the management of low vision rehabilitation. 

llsorren Sorrenson 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Adjunct-Faculty
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Laurie Sorrenson,O.D., FAAO

Adjunct Faculty
scottbs Stevenson 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Visual-Neuroscience Research Vision-Science
Scott Stevenson Image
Area of Research
Visual Neuroscience
Interests

Vergence eye movements and binocular coordination, stereoscopic depth perception, modeling of binocular image matching processes.

Scott B. Stevenson,Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Scott Stevenson received his PhD in Experimental Psychology from Brown University in 1987 for studies of visual suppression during eye blinks. He was an NRSA post-doc at UC Berkeley School of Optometry for three years, and then joined the research faculty there. Dr. Stevenson joined the faculty at UH in 1995.

Dr. Stevenson’s research concentrates on the visual control of eye movements, with emphasis on visually driven eye movement reflexes, such as for the control of eye alignment. Dr Stevenson is also active in the development of eye trackers based on high magnification retinal imaging in a broad collaboration involving researchers at a number of other institutions.

Dr. Stevenson teaches in courses on Vision Science, Perception, Optometry, Eye Movements, and Matlab for Vision Science.

jmtasca Tasca 9999 Low-Vision Primary-Care UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Attending Clinical-Sciences

Jennifer Tasca,O.D., FAAO

Clinical Asst Prof

Dr. Tasca graduated from NOVA Southeastern University College of Optometry in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  She then completed a residency in Low Vision Rehabilitation at the Feinbloom Center at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, followed by an additional year of residency in Ocular Disease at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami.  Upon completion of the residency, she served on staff at he Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, specializing in Low Vision Rehabilitation.  In addition, she was an Adjunct Professor at NOVA College of Optometry.  

She then moved to Anchorage, Alaska to serve the Native Alaskan population for three years.  In 1999, she joined a private practice in Colorado, providing primary care and low vision rehabilitative services.  In 2011, after relocating to the Houston area, she returned to her love of teaching at the University of Houston College of Optometry.   

dltate Tate 12 OSANET College-Directors Staff UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Student-Services OPT WEB ALL Administration College-Staff

Lyle Tate

Dir, Student Srvcs (OPT)

Lyle has been with the College of Optometry since February 2013 and is currently Director of Student Services. Lyle completed a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1999 and a Master of Science in Counselor Education/Student Affairs in Higher Education in 2011, both at Mississippi State University.

Outside of UHCO, Lyle has been active in community theatre for the past 23 years, volunteering locally with Baytown Little Theater and Theatre Network of Texas and nationally with the Southeastern Theatre Conference and the American Association of Community Theatres.

mdtwa Twa 1 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Dean Biomedical-Optics Clinical-Translational-Research Administration Clinical-Sciences Research
Michael Twa Image
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics
Interests

Deep learning, clinical informatics, ocular imaging, glaucoma, and corneal biomechanics

Michael D. Twa,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO

Dean
Humana Endowed Dean's Chair of Optometry

Dr. Twa is a clinician scientist and Dean of the University of Houston College of Optometry since June 1, 2019. He previously served as a faculty member at the college from 2007 to 2014. From 2014 to 2019, Dr. Twa served as the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry. His undergraduate training in biology was completed at UC San Diego and his clinical doctoral training in optometry was completed at UC Berkeley. He practiced for more than 10 years in the department of ophthalmology at UC San Diego before pursuing a Ph.D. in machine learning, data sciences, and biomedical image analysis at the Ohio State University. Dr. Twa is also the Editor in Chief of Optometry and Vision Science.  

aveerapp Veerappan 9999 Primary-Care Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Clinical-Sciences

Anuradha Veerappan,O.D., M.S.

Adjunct Faculty

Dr. Veerappan completed her B.S. in Neurobiology/Physiology at the University of Maryland, College Park. She then completed her Doctor of Optometry & Master's in Vision Science at State University of New York (SUNY)in 2012. She continued her education with a residency in Ocular Disease/Primary Care at the Veterans Affairs Hospital (VAMC) in Hudson Valley, NY. She had the opportunity to move overseas to Singapore where she completed a 1-Year Postdoctoral fellowship in Dry Eye Research at the Singapore Eye Research Institute. While in Singapore, she also worked at an Orthokeratology private practice. Her clinical interests include specialty contact lenses, pediatrics, and treatment and management of ocular disease. She is an active member of the American Optometric Association and World Council of Optometry. Dr. Veerappan has currently been working at the University of Houston College of Optometry as an adjunct faculty member. She will now serve as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences.

mkwalker Walker 9999 Specialty-Contact-Lens UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Biomedical-Optics Clinical-Translational-Research Ocular-Biology Attending Clinical-Sciences Research
Maria Walker Image
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics Ocular Biology
Interests

Anterior segment physiology, scleral contact lens complications, and contact lens optics - specifically for presbyopia and myopia control modalities.

Maria Walker,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO

Assistant Professor

Maria K Walker, OD, PhD is a clinician scientist who specializes in anterior segment inflammatory diseases and specialty contact lenses. She graduated with an OD/MS degree from The New England College of Optometry (NECO) in 2013 and went on to complete a one-year Cornea & Contact Lens Residency at Pacific University in Portland, OR. She came to UHCO as an Assistant Professor in 2014 and in 2021 completed a PhD in Physiological Optics with a dissertation entitled: “The Impact of a Scleral Lens on the Eye”. Throughout her education and early career, Maria has won several merit-based awards including the VSP student clinical excellent award (2013), the Sheldon Wechsler contact lens residency award (2014), the Founders’ Grant from the International Society of Contact Lens Specialists (2017), as well as two Ezell fellowships in 2017 and 2018 and the Minnie Turner Award for Vision Researchers in 2019. She is an active Fellow in the American Academy of Optometry, a Fellow and a Past President of the Scleral Lens Education Society, as well as an advisory board member of the Gas Permeable Lens Institute. Maria is currently a tenure-tracked Assistant Professor at UHCO, and the Walker lab is focused on studying the role of immune cells in inflammatory diseases of the cornea and tear film (i.e., keratoconus), as well as the impact of a scleral lens on the eye in diseased and normal eyes.

awallace Wallace-Tucker 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Adjunct-Faculty Attending

Ashley Wallace-Tucker,O.D.

Adjunct Faculty

Dr. Ashley Wallace Tucker?graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology and Cell Science before going on to graduate from the University of Houston College of Optometry where she earned her Doctorate of Optometry.?Dr. Tucker completed a Cornea and Contact Lens Residency at UHCO where she received extensive training and experience in the diagnosis and treatment of corneal diseases and in complex contact lens fits including patients with keratoconus, corneal transplants, and refractive surgery.?Currently, Dr. Tucker is the course master for the Ophthalmic Optics laboratories at UHCO.  

Dr. Tucker has earned Fellowships from both the American Academy of Optometry and the Scleral Lens Education Society. Dr. Tucker is honored to be a member of the Speaker’s Bureau for the specialty division of Bausch & Lomb, a member of the Professional Advancement consultant team for CooperVision, a consultant for SynergEyes and a lecturer for the STAPLE (Soft Toric and Presbyopic Lens Experience) program. 

Dr. Tucker also serves on the advisory board for the Gas Permeable Lens Institute, is a council member for the Contact Lens and Cornea section of the AOA, and is the Community Outreach Chair for the Scleral Lens Education Society.  

mksain Walters 9999 Contact-Lens Dry-Eye Medical-Eye Neuro NOVA Pediatrics-and-Binocular-Vision Primary-Care Fort-Worth-Northside Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Attending Clinical-Sciences

Mary Kate Walters,OD, FAAO, Diplomate ABO

Professor of Practice

Originally from Brenham, Texas, Dr. Mary Kate Sain attended Texas A&M University for undergraduate studies and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Leadership, Education and Development. She received her Doctor of Optometry from the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN and then completed an ocular disease residency at the Community Eye Clinic in Fort Worth, TX.  

Dr. Sain is a licensed Therapeutic Optometrist and Glaucoma Specialist, a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry and a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. She serves on numerous optometric committees at the local and state level, is the Co-Leader for the Health Professionals and Outcomes Workgroup on the Texas Diabetes Council, is an Advisory Board member for the Lighthouse for the Blind of Fort Worth, provides educational seminars to the public regarding eye health and delivers Continuing Education lectures to colleagues. Dr. Sain remains an active member of the Tarrant County Optometric Society, Texas Optometry Association, American Optometric Association, American Academy of Optometry, and Texas Public Health Vision Care Section among other organizations. Her favorite part of practicing is being able to help patients of all ages achieve their visual needs as well as helping students become excellent doctors of optometry.  

Currently, Dr. Sain is the Clinic Director of the Northside Eye Care Center in Fort Worth. A partnership clinic of UHCO located inside of a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC) that serves the under-privileged patients of the Tarrant County community and is a student externship site for UHCO. 

swang56 Wang 9999 Contact-Lens Primary-Care UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff OPT WEB ALL Attending Clinical-Sciences

Samantha Wang,O.D.

Clinical Asst Prof

Dr. Samantha Wang grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida and graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition in 2016. She then moved to Texas for her optometric education at the University of Houston College of Optometry where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. After graduation, she completed a residency in Primary Care at the Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida where she received extensive exposure and training on the management of ocular disease such as glaucoma and macular degeneration. Her residency also allowed her to rotate through specialty clinics including uveitis, retina, oculoplastic, and neuro-ophthalmology. Following her residency, she returned to UHCO to serve as clinical assistant professor. Her clinical interests include primary care optometry and ocular disease, especially diseases associated with systemic conditions.  

jlwheat Wheat 9999 Medical-Eye UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Attending Clinical-Sciences

Joe Wheat,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO

Clinical Assoc Prof

Joe Wheat received his Bachelor of Science in Biology from The University of Texas at Austin, followed by his Doctor of Optometry from The University of Houston College of Optometry. He completed an optometric residency at the Baltimore Veterans Administration Medical Center affiliated with Salus University Pennsylvania College of Optometry before returning to the University of Houston College of Optometry to complete a Ph.D. in Vision Science. Past honors include the William C. Ezell fellowship award, the Institutional Ruth Kirschstein National Research Post-Doctorate Award, and the NIH Mentored-Clinician K award. He has also held a position at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Administration Medical Center in Houston, Texas where he was director of the optometric residency program. In 2017, he joined the University of Houston College of Optometry faculty and is currently the director of the ocular disease optometric residency program and an instructor for Ocular Pathology of the Posterior Segment course and the Grand Rounds and New Developments course. He is a member of the Optometric Glaucoma Society and a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. 

jwolffsohn Wolffsohn 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Adjunct-Faculty
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James Wolffsohn,Bsc, MBA, Ph.D.

Adjunct Professor
ssyalama Yalamanchili 9999 Medical-Eye UH-Main-Campus Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Adjunct-Faculty Clinical-Sciences
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Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics Visual Neuroscience
Interests

Optical quality of the eye and to improve visual performance by correcting the optical defects in the eye

Geunyoung Yoon,Ph.D

Professor
Irvin M. Borish Professor

Dr. Geunyoung Yoon is currently appointed as the Irvin M. Borish Chair Professor at the University of Houston College of Optometry. He previously served as a faculty at the University of Rochester. His laboratory’s overarching research goal is to enhance our understanding of optical and neural mechanisms underlying vision and eye problems by conducting human-based translational research. To achieve this goal, his laboratory has been developing various state-of-the-art technology including advanced ocular aberrometers, wavefront-guided vision correction methods, binocular adaptive optics visual simulator, and in-vivo cornea/anterior segment imaging modalities. These capabilities have been used for studying mechanistic interactions between the optics of the eye and the neural system, vision improvement for patients with corneal pathologies, diagnosis and treatment of corneal diseases, presbyopia correction, and myopia development/control. Dr. Yoon’s laboratory is funded by NIH, other non-profit funding agencies, and the industry. He is a recipient of the Dolly Green Special Scholars Award, Research to Prevent Blindness, and David E. Bryant Trust Research Award. He is a panel member for the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health and serves as a member of the Editorial Boards of Frontiers in Ophthalmology, Annals of Optometry and Contact Lenses, and Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society.

 

Visit Dr. Yoon's Lab Website

fzaman Zaman 9999 Medical-Eye Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Adjunct-Faculty
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Fiaz Zaman,M.D.

Adjunct Faculty
zzhang77 Zhang 9999 Faculty UHCO-ALL UHCO-Faculty-Staff Visual-Neuroscience Research Vision-Science
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Area of Research
Visual Neuroscience

Zhijing Zhang,Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor

Dr. Zhijing Zhang received his B.S. in Clinical Medicine from Tianjin Medical University, China, and a master’s degree in neuroscience from Peking Union Medical College. Dr. Zhang also holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He had post-doctoral training at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center where he focused on epigenetics and the development of the nervous system. Dr. Zhang worked as a research associate in Dr. Christophe Ribelayga’s lab at the University of Texas Health Science Center to study retinal functions.  

Dr. Zhang joined the Department of Vision Sciences as a Research Assistant Professor. Dr. Zhang’s research interests focus on how circadian mechanisms and gap junctions affect retinal functions.