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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 under Dr. Jan Bergmanson and Dr. Norman Leach 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. 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. She is a Stage III Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry, a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a Board member of the Ocular Surface Society of Optometry. She serves on the Editorial Board for Advanced Ocular Care and the Journal for Dry Eye and Ocular Surface Disease. Dr. Gaume Giannoni also writes for Contact Lens Spectrum and is the co-editor and contributing columnist for Ocular Surface News.

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) and nine “Outstanding UHCO Faculty” Awards, determined by the student body.

Dr. Gaume Giannoni’s primary interests include specialty contact lens fitting, myopia control, and the treatment of anterior segment disease with an emphasis on dry eye and Juvenile Arthritis-associated ocular conditions. Personally, Dr. Gaume Giannoni was born and raised in Western Canada and loves winter sports, including downhill skiing. She earned a NCAA Division I athletic scholarship in women’s golf, and has two teenaged daughters with her husband of 20 years.

Originally from Dallas, Texas, Dr. Kinate specializes in primary eye care with an emphasis in therapeutic scleral contact lenses. After her Marine Corps service, she earned her Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO), where she completed a primary care rotation at the Heights Eye Clinic and an ocular pathology rotation through the Katy VA Outpatient Clinic. She currently serves as the Corneal and Contact Lens Fellow in the Texas Eye Research and Technology Center at UHCO. She is an active leader of the Texas Public Health Association Vision Care Section and a member of the American Optometric Association, Texas Optometric Association, Harris County Optometric Association, and a volunteer for the Women Marines Association. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, gardening, attending sporting events, and spending time with her friends and family.

Dr. John Goosey graduated from the Medical University of Charleston, in South Carolina. After graduating with his Medical Degree, he completed a one-year fellowship at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, where he extensively studied the mechanism for cataract formation and treatment. Following this, Dr. Goosey completed a three-year residency at the University of Texas, Department of Ophthalmology in Houston. He completed another fellowship at Louisiana State University Eye Center, where he received his sub-specialty training in corneal and external disease.

In 1993, he began studying the use of lasers for the correction of nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism. He has trained many corneal specialists and has spoken around the world. He continues to perform surgeries in Houston, Texas. He performs corneal and refractive surgeries, and cataract surgeries using the latest technologies available.

Dr. Goosey has presented his work on corneal transplantation and refractive surgery, at the World Cornea Congress in Washington, DC, the European Refractive Society in Lisbon, Portugal, the American Academy of Ophthalmology in Chicago, and the Pan American Ophthalmology Congress in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He has written numerous medical textbook chapters on innovations in corneal transplantation that have proven to be vital resources for the training of resident ophthalmic surgeons and ophthalmic fellows.

Dr. Leah Johnson is the Director of Professional Affairs for CooperVision Specialty EyeCare, Americas. She is responsible for the development and implementation of clinical and educational programs supporting current and future eye care practitioners across the Americas and China.

She is a graduate of the University of Houston, College of Optometry where she also completed a post-doctorate fellowship in Cornea & Contact Lens. Afterwards, she practiced in Houston, Texas with a concentration in specialty contact lenses. She currently serves at the University of Houston, College of Optometry as clinical adjunct faculty, focusing on Myopia Management Services. Dr. Johnson is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and the Scleral Lens Education Society.

Dr. Johnson has spent extensive time in China, which contains the highest numbers of myopic children. There she works collectively with key opinion leaders and eyecare professionals to bring a better understanding of myopia and supports selecting the best treatment options that enhance patient outcomes and care.

Dr. Tom Arnold is a graduate of the University of Houston College of Optometry. During his training he participated in vision outreach programs in Mexico, Guatemala and with the Bureau of the Indian Health Service. Dr. Arnold spent two years as a research assistant for the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston.

Dr. Arnold is passionate about scleral contact lenses and their ability to help patients struggling with compromised vision related to the cornea. He is a Fellow of the Scleral Lens Education Society and an associate member of the International Society of Contact Lens Specialists. Dr. Arnold, along with Dr. Melissa Barnett, are co-chairs of the International Congress of Scleral Contacts (ICSC), the first meeting in the world dedicated solely to scleral contact lenses. They also host a monthly podcast, GlobalEyes, where they speak with practitioners from around the world.

A member of the Gas-Permeable Lens Institute Advisory Board, he is a contributing columnist to Contact Lens Spectrum and Review of Optometric Business.

An international speaker, he has presented in Russia, Poland, India, Jordan, South Africa, Colombia, Mexico, Italy, the UK, Australia and at major meetings in the US.

Dr. Arnold is in private, group practice – Memorial Eye Center Sugar Land- in Sugar Land, Texas.

Jessica Mathew is the Director of Medical Affairs North America for Contact Lenses and Refractive Lasers at Alcon. She is responsible for developing and executing the medical strategy for claims development, post-market clinical trials, investigator-initiated trials, medical education and publications, medical support for customers, medical promotional review and scientific/medical KOL management.

She has over 15 years of experience in eye health including direct patient care, clinical research, education and medical device management. Dr. Mathew earned her Doctor of Optometry degree and Doctorate in Physiological Optics & Vision Science degree from The University of Houston College of Optometry, where she also completed a post-doctorate fellowship in Cornea & Contact Lenses and Clinical Research. Dr. Mathew is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, a member of the American Optometric Association (AOA) and a former William C. Ezell Fellow.

Dr. Barr is an Emeritus Professor of The Ohio State University College of Optometry. From July 2007 through June 2014 Dr. Barr was with Bausch + Lomb, primarily leading clinical and medical affairs teams and as a member of the Vision Care Leadership Team and most recently as vice president, medical affairs, Pharmaceuticals & Vision Care. He returned to Ohio State in 2014 to start a clinical research group and retired in 2017.

Prior to that, he was with Ohio State for 24 years in various capacities including associate dean for clinical services and professional programs. During his tenure with Ohio State, Dr. Barr also spent two decades as editor of the professional journal Contact Lens Spectrum. He was founding editor of the first electronic newsletter for eye care professionals, Contact Lenses Today. He has over 50 peer reviewed publications primarily in cornea, contact lenses and dry eye.

He is a former Chair of the Section on Cornea and Contact Lenses and Refractive Technologies of the American Academy of Optometry and received its Max Schapero Memorial Lecture Award. He was a member of the executive committee and Director of the Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluation of Keratoconus Photography Reading Center sponsored by NEI/HIH.

Dr. Barr also spent three years as manager of clinical and materials research for Dow Corning Ophthalmics from 1989-1983.

He received his doctor of optometry degree and MS in physiological optics (vision science) and residency in cornea and contact lenses at the Ohio State University in 1977 and 1979.

In January of 2020 he received the Global Specialty Contact Lens Congress Outstanding Achievement Award.

He is a founding board member for Lentechs, LLC which has multiple patents on a contact lens which is designed based on natural structures of the eye to be suspended from the upper eyelid to provide spectacle-like vision for presbyopia as well as astigmatism.

Dr. Christina Abuata was born and raised in Houston, TX. She completed her BostonSight PROSE Clinical Fellowship and joined the faculty at Baylor College of Medicine in 2021. She is currently practicing at the Alkek Eye Center at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston where she is managing and treating patients with specialty contact lenses.

She graduated with honors from Houston Baptist University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She then received her Doctorate of Optometry degree from the University of the Incarnate Word Rosenberg School of Optometry in San Antonio, TX in 2019. She received numerous awards including academic scholarships, Beta Sigma Kappa Honors, and the Award of Excellence in Contact Lens Patient Care.

Dr. Abuata continued her training by completing a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Cornea and Contact Lenses with the Texas Eye Research and Technology Center at the University of Houston College of Optometry. During that year she gained training and experience in fitting specialty contact lenses on complex corneas including patients with keratoconus, corneal transplants, ocular surface disease, and dry eyes. She also participated in a variety of clinical research projects. After completing her Fellowship, she stayed on as Clinical Adjunct faculty at the University of Houston.

In her spare time, she enjoys exercising, biking, hiking, and spending time with her loved ones.