2024 Annual Report

EDUCATION TRANSFORMING RESEARCH

Prestigious NIH Grant on Myopia’s Impact Dr. Carol Lin, OD/MS, ‘20 was awarded a four-year K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Career Development

CVRC Study Leads to FDA Breakthrough Device Designation The Clinical Vision Research Center study sponsor, SightGlass Vision, received Breakthrough Device designation from the FDA for their

DOT spectacle lenses earlier this year. Dr. Xiaoying Zhu has been the principal investigator on these studies at the College since 2018. SUNY Optometry alumnus Dr. Joseph Rappon, ‘00, served as the chief medical officer of Sight Glass, overseeing clinical developments and medical affairs initiatives.

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Investigator Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Lin’s K08 research project focuses on understanding the

Research Spotlight SUNY Distinguished Professor Qasim Zaidi and the research team in his Perceptual Neuroscience Laboratory at the College employ mathematical and computational models to understand the neural mechanisms underlying visual perception. One ongoing research project, supported by two NIH grants, involves Dr. Zaidi, his graduate students, and several

cellular mechanisms by which myopia increases glaucoma susceptibility in the retina.

faculty researchers investigating the cortical basis of amblyopia. Amblyopia is a visual condition characterized by an imbalance in visual input from the two eyes due to ocular misalignments,

defocus, or unilateral cataracts. This imbalance results in persistent visual deficiencies even after the underlying cause has been corrected. The Zaidi laboratory’s computational models are currently being developed to elucidate the functional deficits associated with amblyopia and help the design of effective treatments.

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Dr. Robert McPeek’s current research project uses cutting edge techniques to reveal the neural mechanisms that enable us to move the eyes to the right place at the right time. Rapid and accurate eye movements are crucial for performing a wide range of tasks including reading, cooking, and driving. A

Scan to learn more: Nicholas Premnauth and Rebecca Treen, Class of 2026, were part of a research team that was published in Review of Optometry , “Nutrition and Lifestyle Choices for Neuroprotection in Glaucoma.” This article and collaboration Students Publish Article on Nutrition and Glaucoma

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was made possible by Dr. Neda Gioia, ‘06, and California based ophthalmologist Steven Pratt, MD.

dysfunctional eye movement system impairs all of these everyday activities.

12 SUNY OPTOMETRY ANNUAL REPORT