Biomedical Optics
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical OpticsInterests
Visual optics, ocular aberrations, cataract, refractive surgery, early disease detection.
Raymond A. Applegate,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO
Active Faculty RetireeDr. 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.
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical OpticsInterests
myopia, contact lenses, and aberrations of the eye, clinical research
David A. Berntsen,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO
Associate ProfessorDepartment 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.
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical OpticsArea of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics Visual NeuroscienceInterests
Noninvasive functional and structural evaluation of the visual pathways under normal and pathological conditions
Han Cheng,O.D., Ph.D.
Clinical ProfessorDr. 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.
Area of Research
Biomedical Optics Ocular Biology Visual NeuroscienceInterests
Neural circuit and synaptic remodeling in retinal development and degeneration.
Luca Della Santina,Ph.D., Pharm.D.
Assistant ProfessorDr. 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.
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical OpticsAmber Gaume,O.D., FAAO
Clinical ProfessorDr. 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.
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical OpticsAnita Gostovic,O.D., M.S., FAAO
Clinical Assoc ProfDr. 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).
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical OpticsAnna-Kaye Logan,O.D., FAAO
Clinical Associate ProfessorDr. 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.
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics Visual NeuroscienceInterests
Development of vision, Anomalies of Binocular Vision, Refractive Error, and Vision Screening Clinical research
Ruth Manny,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO
Charles R. Stewart ProfessorDr. 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.
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical OpticsInterests
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 ProfessorI 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
Cherlyn J. Ng,Ph.D.
Sr Research ScientistCherlyn 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.
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics Visual NeuroscienceInterests
Myopia, circadian rythms and eye growth nvironmental and behavioral influences on circadian rhythm and eye growth.
Lisa Ostrin,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO
Associate ProfessorDr. 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.
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics Ocular Biology Visual NeuroscienceInterests
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 ProfessorDr. 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.
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical OpticsMaureen Plaumann,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO
Clinical Asst ProfDr. 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.
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical OpticsInterests
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 ProfessorDr. 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.
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics Ocular BiologyInterests
Contact lens, Meibomian gland disease and treatments.
Eric Ritchey,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO
Assistant ProfessorEric 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.
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics Ocular BiologyInterests
high resolution imaging, retinal vascular remodeling in diabetes and aging
Kaitlyn Sapoznik,O.D., Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorDr. 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.
Area of Research
Biomedical Optics Ocular Biology Visual NeuroscienceInterests
Human subjects, imaging, glaucoma, ocular disease, myopia
Diane N. Sayah,O.D., Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorDr. 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.
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical OpticsInterests
Deep learning, clinical informatics, ocular imaging, glaucoma, and corneal biomechanics
Michael D. Twa,O.D., Ph.D., FAAO
DeanHumana 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.
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics Ocular BiologyInterests
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 ProfessorMaria 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.
Area of Research
Clinical Translational Research Biomedical Optics Visual NeuroscienceInterests
Optical quality of the eye and to improve visual performance by correcting the optical defects in the eye
Geunyoung Yoon,Ph.D
ProfessorIrvin 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.