Graduate Education and Research
Graduate education can lead to satisfying careers in academia and research, as well as in industry, the military, government and private practice. Scroll down to see current topics of research at schools and colleges of optometry, descriptions of research classifications, funding opportunities, and information on the translational science spectrum.
List of Graduate Programs
List of graduate programs at optometry schools and colleges
Graduate Programs & Enrollment Figures
More detailed descriptions of graduate programs and enrollment figures
Careers in Optometric Research
Watch a video to learn more about careers in optometric research
Research Topics
| Schools and Colleges of Optometry with Graduate Research Training Programs (MS/ PhD) | |||
| Program | Program Contact | Focus Topics | T35 (Yes/No) |
Arizona College of Optometry, Midwestern University
|
|
Public Health
|
No |
| Chicago College of Optometry, Midwestern University |
Arijit Chakraborty, PhD (achakr@midwestern.edu) |
Binocular Vision, Amblyopia, Acquired Brain Injury, Oculomotor Function, Visual Neuroscience, Pediatrics |
No |
| Indiana University, School of Optometry | Dr. Steve Burns (staburns@indiana.edu) | Molecular Biology, Systemic Diseases and the Eye, Contact Lenses, Cornea and Anterior Segment, Dry Eye, Imaging and Instrumentation, Optics, Refractive Error, Visual Neuroscience, Retina and Posterior Segment, Glaucoma, Optic Nerve, Pharmacology, Binocular Vision, Low Vision and Visual Development, Pediatrics, Sports Vision, Amblyopia, Acquired Brain Injury, Oculomotor Function | Yes |
| Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, School of Optometry | Carly Levy, MPH (carly.levy@mcphs.edu) Nancy Coletta, OD, PhD (nancy.coletta@mcphs.edu) |
Public Health | No |
| Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University | Daniel Taylor, OD, EdD, MS (DanielTaylor@ferris.edu) |
Contact Lenses, Optometric Education, Sports Vision, Refractive Error, Ocular Pharmaceuticals, Imaging and Instrumentation, Pediatrics, Public Health |
No |
| New England College of Optometry | Fuensanta A. Vera-Diaz, OD, PhD, FAAO (vera_diazf@neco.edu) |
Anatomy and Physiology, Systemic Diseases and the Eye, Contact Lenses, Cornea and Anterior Segment, Dry Eye, Imaging and Instrumentation, Optics, Refractive Error, Myopia, Visual Neuroscience, Retina and Posterior Segment, Glaucoma, Low Vision & Rehabilitation, Visual Development, Pediatrics, Binocular Vision, Amblyopia, Acquired Brain Injury, Oculomotor Function, Sports Vision, Optometric Education, Public Health, Health Disparities |
Yes |
| NOVA Southeastern University, College of Optometry | Bin Zhang, MD, PhD (bz52@nova.edu) | Amblyopia, Oculomotor Function, Visual Neuroscience, Binocular Vision, Refractive Error | No |
| The Ohio State University, College of Optometry | Heather Anderson, OD, PhD (Anderson.3881@osu.edu) | Histology, Anatomy and Physiology, Molecular Biology, Systemic Diseases and the Eye, Contact Lenses, Cornea and Anterior Segment, Dry Eye, Imaging and Instrumentation, Optics, Refractive Error, Visual Neuroscience, Retina and Posterior Segment, Glaucoma, Optic Nerve, Pharmacology, Binocular Vision, Low Vision & Visual Development, Pediatrics, Sports Vision, Public Health, Optometric Education, Amblyopia, Acquired Brain Injury, Oculomotor Function, Health Disparities | Yes |
| Pacific University, College of Optometry | Yu-Chi Tai, PhD (ytai@pacificu.edu) Sarah Feigel (sarah.feigel@pacificu.edu) |
Systemic Diseases and the Eye, Contact Lenses, Cornea and Anterior Segment, Dry Eye, Imaging and Instrumentation, Refractive Error, Visual Neuroscience, Retina and Posterior Segment, Glaucoma, Optic Nerve, Pharmacology, Binocular Vision, Low Vision & Visual Development, Pediatrics, Sports Vision, Amblyopia, Acquired brain injury, Oculomotor Function |
No |
| Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Drexel University, Elkins Park Campus | Mitchell Scheiman, OD, PhD, FAAO (Dipl) (ms5758@drexel.edu) | Anatomy and Physiology, Molecular Biology, Systemic Diseases and the Eye, Pediatrics, Binocular Vision, Amblyopia, Acquired Brain Injury, Low Vision & Visual Development, Contact Lenses, Cornea and Anterior Segment, Imaging and Instrumentation, Optics, Visual Neuroscience, Retina and Posterior Segment, Optometric Education | No |
| Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University | Jason S. Ng, OD, PhD, FAAO (jng@ketchum.edu) | Contact Lenses, Cornea and Anterior Segment, Dry Eye, Imaging and Instrumentation, Optics, Refractive Error, Visual Neuroscience, Retina and Posterior Segment, Pediatrics, Binoculor Vision, Low Vision & Visual Development, Amblyopia, Acquired Brain Injury, Oculomotor Function | No |
| State University of New York, College of Optometry | Dr. Stewart Bloomfield (sbloomfield@sunyopt.edu) | Histology, Anatomy and Physiology, Molecular Biology, Systemic Diseases and the Eye, Contact Lenses, Cornea and Anterior Segment, Dry Eye, Imaging and Instrumentation, Optics, Refractive Error, Visual Neuroscience, Retina and Posterior Segment, Glaucoma, Optic Nerve, Pharmacology, Binocular Vision, Low Vision & Visual Development, Pediatrics, Sports Vision, Public Health, Optometric Education, Amblyopia, Acquired Brain Injury, Oculomotor Function | Yes |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Optometry | Lawrence Sincich, PhD (sincich@uab.edu) |
Anatomy and Physiology; Molecular Biology; Systemic Diseases and the Eye; Contact Lenses; Cornea and Anterior Segment; Dry Eye; Imaging and Instrumentation; Refractive Error; Visual Neuroscience; Retina and Posterior Segment; Glaucoma; Optic Nerve; Binocular Vision; Low Vision & Visual Development; Pediatrics; Sports Vision; Public Health; Amblyopia; Acquired Brain Injury; Oculomotor Function |
No |
| University of California-Berkeley, Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science | Dr. Rowland Taylor (wrtaylor@berkeley.edu) Patrik Donahue (vision@berkeley.edu) | Anatomy and Physiology; Molecular Biology; Contact Lenses; Cornea and Anterior Segment; Dry Eye; Imaging and Instrumentation; Optics, Refractive Error, Visual Neuroscience; Retina and Posterior Segment; Glaucoma, Optic Nerve; Pharmacology; Binocular Vision; Low Vision & Visual Development; Pediatrics; Sports Vision; Amblyopia; Acquired Brain Injury; Oculomotor Function; Public Health; Systemic Diseases and the Eye; Optometric Education | Yes |
| University of Houston, College of Optometry | Dr. Laura Frishman (lfrishman@uh.edu) | Histology, Anatomy and Physiology, Molecular Biology, Systemic Diseases and the Eye, Contact Lenses, Cornea and Anterior Segment, Dry Eye, Imaging and Instrumentation, Optics, Refractive Error, Visual Neuroscience, Retina and Posterior Segment, Glaucoma, Optic Nerve, Pharmacology, Binocular Vision, Low Vision & Visual Development, Pediatrics, Public Health, Optometric Education, Amblyopia, Acquired Brain Injury, Oculomotor Function | Yes |
| University of the Incarnate Word, Rosenberg School of Optometry | Jeffrey Rabin, OD, PhD (rabin@uiwtx.edu) | Hereditary and Acquired Color Vision and Interventions, Contact Lenses, Cornea and Anterior Segment, Dry Eye and Interventions, Imaging and Instrumentation, Refractive Error Including Myopia Control, Visual Neuroscience including Multi-dimensional Electrophysiology, Retina and Posterior Segment, Glaucoma, Low Vision & Visual Development, Pediatrics, Sports Vision, Optometric Education, Traumatic and Acquired Brain Injury, Assessment of Cortical Visual Impairment |
Yes
|
NIH/NEI (T35) National Research Service Award, Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grants: The goal of this training program is to support short-term research training for students in health professional schools during the summer, or for predoctoral and/or postdoctoral training in focused, often emerging scientific areas: researchtraining.nih.gov/programs/training-grants/T35
Research Types
| Research Classifications | Descriptions |
| Basic | Scientific research to improve understanding or prediction of phenomena |
| T0 | Basic biomedical research, including preclinical and animal studies, not including interventions with human subjects |
| T1 | Translation to humans, including proof of concept studies, Phase 1 clinical trials, and focus on new methods of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention in highly-controlled settings |
| T2 | Translation to patients, including Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials, and controlled studies leading to clinical application and evidence-based guidelines |
| T3 | Translation to practice, including comparative effectiveness research, post-marketing studies, clinical outcomes research, as well as health services, and dissemination & implementation research |
| T4 | Translation to communities, including population level outcomes research, monitoring of morbidity, mortality, benefits, and risks, and impacts of policy and change |
| Clinical | Scientific research on clinical healthcare practices to establish or implement safety and efficacy of devices, medications, or interventions. |
| Education | Scholarly activates related to improving optometric pedagogy |
Reference: https://ncats.nih.gov
Funding Your Graduate Training
Optometry Students Grad Students Faculty
Other funding resources can be found at ARVO’s funding guide: https://www.arvo.org/journals-and-publications/arvo-funding-guide/
Training Pathways
The full spectrum of biomedical research ranges from basic laboratory discoveries to clinical applications and public health policy. Eye and vision research programs at schools and colleges of optometry span the entire range of translational research possibilities—from the fundamental basis and mechanisms of vision, to eye diseases, their diagnosis and treatment, and the impact of public health policies on our communities.
NIH Graphic: https://ncats.nih.gov/translation/spectrum#translational-science-spectrum
