Research | Our Research Faculty

Dr. Jan P.G. Bergmanson received his optometric training and PhD at the City University, London. In addition, he obtained a Doctor of Optometry degree from Pennsylvania College of Optometry. Currently, Dr. Bergmanson is Professor of Optometry at the University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO), where he is the founding Director of the Texas Eye Research and Technology Center (TERTC). He has extensively researched and lectured internationally on subjects of corneal morphological response to contact lens wear, tear and ophthalmic solution effects on the ocular surface, histopathology of ocular tissues damaged by ultraviolet radiation, and the effects of the Excimer Laser on the cornea. In addition to private optometric practice, Dr. Bergmanson, certified in Texas as a Therapeutic Optometrist and as an Optometric Glaucoma Specialist, has provided patient care in several hospital and university clinics. Dr. Bergmanson is a Foundation Fellow of the College of Optometry in United Kingdom, where he remains licensed to practice, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, where he is a Diplomate in the Cornea and Contact Lens Section. He is a member of the Texas Optometric Association (TOA), American Optometric Association (AOA), Association of Contact Lens Educators, and International Association of Contact Lens Educators. He is a council member of the International Society for Contact Lens Research and a lifetime honorary member of the Swedish and Dutch Optometric Associations, to which he also serves as a consultant. Dr. Bergmanson is the recipient of the 1998 British Contact Lens Association Gold Medal Award, the 2002 Texas Optometric Association's Educator of the Year Award, the University of Houston College of Optometry 2003 Cora and J. Davis Armistead Faculty Teaching Award and the 2005 Swedish Optometric Association's Mark of Honor Award.

David A. Berntsen, OD, PhD, FAAO completed his Doctor of Optometry degree in 2002 at the University of Houston College of Optometry in Houston, TX. He then completed a Cornea and Contact Lens Advanced Practice Fellowship at The Ohio State University College of Optometry in Columbus, OH. The fellowship program combined a two-year residency with a Master of Science degree in Vision Science, which Dr. Berntsen completed in 2004. He then completed a PhD in Vision Science at Ohio State in 2009.

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.

Yuzo Chino, Ph.D. is Professor of Vision Sciences in the College of Optometry at the University of Houston. Dr. Chino joined the College of Optometry in 1988, and prior to that, was a faculty member at the Illinois College of Optometry following completion of his Ph.D. in 1973. His research interest is centered around the visual system development and plasticity in the visual brain and the effects of abnormal visual experience on the postnatal development of binocular functions. An internationally-recognized vision scientist, Dr. Chino has received continuous support from the National Eye Institute since 1975 for his work entitled ""Amblyopia."" After moving to the United States in 1965, he completed a BS degree at St. Norbert College in DePere, Wisconsin. In 1973, he obtained a Ph.D. from Syracuse University in Syracuse New York. A current member of the research Council of the University of Houston, Dr. Chino's articles and papers frequently appear in leading scientific journals. In addition to his research, Dr. Chino continues to teach and mentor candidates in UHCO's Graduate program in addition to teaching Neuroanatomy and Neurophysiology to first-year optometry students.

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.

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.

Karen Fern received her Doctor of Optometry from Pacific University College of Optometry and completed a residency in pediatric optometry at the University of Houston College of Optometry. She is a fellow in the American Academy of Optometry and a member of the American Optometric Association and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. Dr. Fern's teaching includes the areas of pediatric optometry and binocular vision and involves both classroom and clinical attending. She serves as Director of Residency Programs and Director of the Pediatric and Binocular Vision Service. Dr. Fern's research interests include vision development, binocular vision, myopia, and quality of life instruments. She was the recipient of the American Academy of Optometry Garland Clay in 1987 recognizing her outstanding publication in the Journal of Optometry and Physiological Optics. 

Dr. Frishman received her undergraduate degree from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie N.Y. and her MS and PhD in psychology 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. She joined the Optometry faculty in the College of Optometry in 1990, and she has taught in both the professional and graduate programs. 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 is on the editorial board of Translational Vision Science and Technology (TVST) an academic editor for Plos One, and she was Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Visual Neuroscience (2001-2007), and Documenta Ophthalmologica (2006-2013). She 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). 

Ronald S. Harwerth, OD, PhD, is the John and Rebecca Moores Professor of Optometry at the University of Houston, where he has been a member of the faculty since 1970. Prior to joining the UHCO faculty, Dr. Harwerth received his training in optometry at the University of Houston and his graduate research training at the University of Texas Houston, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. His research involves behavioral studies of monkeys with experimentally induced vision or ocular disorders that model common clinical conditions of humans. His current projects involve investigations of relationships between neural losses and visual defects caused by glaucoma. Dr. Harwerth has maintained research from the National Eye Institute for 28 years and Alcon Research, Ltd. for 16 years. The results of his studies have produced over 130 publications. His active memberships include the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, the International Perimetry Society, the American Academy of Optometry and the Optometric Glaucoma Society. Among his honors are the Glenn A. Fry Award and the Garland W. Clay Award from the American Academy of Optometry, an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the State University of New York, an Alumnus of the Year of the University of Houston, College of Optometry, the International Glaucoma Review Research Award, and the UHCO Outstanding Graduate Faculty Award.

Li-Fang Hung, B.Med.., Ph.D., O.D. Research Scientist E-MAIL: Lhung2@uh.edu PHONE: (713)743-2038 Bio Dr. Hung received his B.Medicine degree from Chung-Shan Medical and Dental College in Taiwan. In addition, Dr. Hung received his PhD and OD degree from the University of Houston, College of Optometry. Before he came to Houston, he had two years OBGYN clinical experience in military service, four years residency training in ophthalmology at National Taiwan University Hospital in Taiwan, and two years post-doctoral training in infectious diseases in the Department of Medicine at Stanford University, CA. He is currently working with Dr. Earl Smith OD, PhD as a research scientist on experiments that investigate visual/environmental influences on the development of refractive errors in monkeys. Research Interests Emmetropization and myopia Clinical Interests All eye diseases and vision problems Publications Please see C. V. 

Dr. Manny received her OD and PhD from the University of Houston, College of Optometry. She has been teaching in the clinic and classroom since 1981. Prior to earning her PhD she worked part-time in a private practice. Her clinical expertise is pediatric eye care with an emphasis on children under the age of 6 years and those with special needs. As a clinician scientist she has served as the principal investigator for a variety of multi-center clinical studies funded by the National Eye Institute as well as industry. These studies included clinical trials looking at the development, progression and treatment strategies for nearsightedness (myopia) (COMET, COMET2, ACHIEVE, CLIP), large collaborative observational studies of myopia (CLEERE, COSMICC), and collaborations with the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator network (PEDIG) studying different treatment options for amblyopia and strabismus. Other research interests include improving screening methods used to identify infants and preschool children with vision problems or at risk for vision problems. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, and serving as a Vice chair of PEDIG (2014-2016).

Lisa Ostrin 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 in 2006. 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 has returned to the University of Houston as an Assistant Research Professor to continue her work in myopia and glaucoma. Dr. Ostrin is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a recipient of the American Optometric Foundation Ezell Fellowship.

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.

Marcus G. Piccolo, O.D. received his optometric training in Philadelphia, where he attended the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. He moved to Houston in 1980 to join the faculty of the University of Houston College of Optometry. While at the University of Houston, Dr. Piccolo held posts as the Director of the Contact Lens Services, Chief of Primary Care Services, Coordinator of Ophthalmology Services and Chair of the Department of Clinical Sciences. Dr. Piccolo is currently an Associate Professor, and the Associate Dean for Professional Advancement at the University of Houston College of Optometry. He is certified as a Therapeutic Optometrist and an Optometric Glaucoma Specialist and his interests include contact lens practice, diagnosis and management of ocular disease and laser and other refractive procedures. In addition, Dr. Piccolo is a Past President of the Texas Optometric Association and currently serves as the Chair of the TOA Legal and Legislative Committee. Dr. Piccolo was honored in 1991 by being named the ""Young Optometrist of the Year"" and in 1999 by being named the “Optometrist of the Year” by the Texas Optometric Association. Dr. Piccolo received the William D. Pittman Leadership Award for outstanding leadership and unflagging support for the Optometric Profession and the prestigious Cora and J. Davis Armistead Faculty Teaching Award in 2002 both from the University of Houston College of Optometry. He is also a member of the American Optometric Association, where he is the past Chair of the AOA New Technologies Committee and a sitting member of the Federal Relations Committee. He is a Fellow in the American Academy of Optometry and is a Past President of the South West Council of Optometrists. Dr. Piccolo currently sits on the American Medical Association Eye Care Work Group, which is responsible for developing quality standards for eye care providers in the US. In addition to his academic pursuits, Dr. Piccolo maintains a private practice in Houston, Texas. 

Visual quality is limited by a host of factors, including imperfections (or aberrations) in the optics of the eye and the health of various cell types in the retina used to detect light and process this information for subsequent delivery to the brain. Using psychophysical, optical and functional imaging techniques, my primary goal is to better understand how the eye's optics and structure of the retina and optic nerve head affect vision in normal and diseased eyes. After completing my BS degree in Optics from the University of Rochester in 1997, I continued my graduate work in Optics at the University of Rochester's Institute of Optics under the advisement of David Williams. My graduate research focused on constructing a clinical wavefront sensor to measure the optical quality of a large population of normal and postoperative laser refractive surgery eyes, and on investigating the sources of aberrations induced in conventional and customized LASIK (laser in-situ keratomileusis) procedures. In collaboration with Ian Cox (Bausch & Lomb) and Scott MacRae (University of Rochester), I examined changes in the eye’s optical quality after cutting a corneal flap and after performing a laser ablation, how aberrations were induced due to static shifts of the pupil (such as changes in pupil center location with dilation), and characterized dynamic eye movements that occur during surgery. I also assisted in the design of the Rochester Adaptive Optics Ophthalmoscope, an instrument capable of both imaging individual photoreceptors and of conducting visual psychophysics in living human eyes.

Upon receiving my PhD in Optics in 2004, I conducted my postdoctoral work with David Williams at the Center for Visual Science (University of Rochester) in the area of high-resolution retinal imaging using adaptive optics. Adaptive optics is a relatively new technology that can measure and correct for the eye’s aberrations, leading to substantial improvements in image quality when a subject looks through an adaptive optics system. Conversely, the same instrument can provide an extremely sharp view of a subject’s retina with the capability of imaging individual cells in a living eye. As a postdoc, I contributed to the construction of a fluorescence adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope (AOSLO) that can noninvasively acquire in vivo reflectance and fluorescence images of individual photoreceptors, ganglion cells and retinal pigment epithelium cells. In September 2006, I joined the faculty at the University of Houston’s College of Optometry.

Dr. Raghunathan received his first degree in Biomedical Engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University, India, and subsequently his M.Sc and Ph.D in Bioengineering from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, UK. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Bristol, UK investigating the safety of tribological wear released from orthopaedic implants. He then made his foray into vision science by completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California Davis, jointly in Drs. Chris Murphy and Paul Russell’s laboratories, investigating the principles underlying the mechanobiology of the trabecular meshwork and cornea.

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.

Professor Smith received his OD (1972) and PhD (1978) from the University of Houston and subsequently joined the faculty of the UH College of Optometry. During his tenure in the College of Optometry, he has served as the Chair of the Basic Sciences Department and as the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research. Professor Smith currently holds the Greeman-Petty Professorship in Vision Development and is serving as the Dean of the College of Optometry.

Professor Smith’s research interests are focused on the optics of the eye. He received the Glenn Fry Award (1996) and the Prentice Medal (2010) from the American Academy of Optometry for his research on the role of vision in regulating refractive development and eye growth. Professor Smith has published over 150 referenced papers and received 29 years of research funding from the National Institute of Health's (NIH) National Eye Institute (NEI). He is also an accomplished lecturer, having received teaching awards at the department, college and university level and in 2003 was selected by the Texas Optometric Association as its Educator of the Year.

Professor Smith is an active member of the vision science community. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, an ARVO Fellow (inaugural class), a past President of the American Optometric Foundation (2002), a past Member and Chair of NIH NEI's Central Visual Processing Study Section (1998-2003) and a past member of NIH's National Advisory Eye Council (2005-2008). Professor Smith currently serves on the Board of Directors of Prevent Blindness Texas, as the Secretary of the Partnership Foundation for Optometric Education, and as the Past-President of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry.

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.

Dr. Stevenson serves on the Editorial Board for Vision Research, and is a member of the Vision Sciences Society.

Janice Wensveen received her Doctor of Optometry from the University of Waterloo School of Optometry, Canada, and her Ph.D. in Physiological Optics from the University of Houston College of Optometry. Dr. Wensveen is currently Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Houston where she teaches binocular vision in class, lab, and in the clinic. Her research interests center on compromised binocular function resulting from early image degradation and strabismus.