Care • Lead • Advance
CONTENTS President’s Message..................................................................................................3 Student-Centered Experience...................................................................................4 Academic Excellence...............................................................................................10 Service to Our Patients and Community................................................................18 Community and People............................................................................................24 Effective Foundational Support..............................................................................30 Financials...................................................................................................................34 Leadership.................................................................................................................35 2018-2023 Strategic Plan: Care • Lead • Advance Student-Centered Experience • Enhance the student experience through programs that promote student and alumni success Academic Excellence Service to Our Patients • Deliver a dynamic curriculum that engages and Community students and advances contemporary optometry • Deliver unparalleled care to our • Grow the graduate and research programs Student Success University Eye Center patients to increase the institutional impact on the • Provide service to the advancement of knowledge and to produce greater community leaders in vision research Community and People Effective Foundational Support • Cultivate institutional culture that encourages a sense of community, inclusion, • Attract the brightest and most motivated institutional pride, collective purpose and students with demonstrated leadership potential shared responsibility • Provide the financial foundation, • Promote the growth and development of all administrative support and environment members of the College community to achieve the College’s mission 2 SUNY OPTOMETRY
President’s Message David A. Heath, OD, EdM This is a rather exciting time for the SUNY College of Optometry community. We celebrated many accomplishments in 2018 and solidified new initiatives and partnerships to advance visual health and patient care. These strides would not have been possible without the commitment of our faculty, staff, students and supporters. Our 2018-2023 strategic plan, Care, Lead, Advance, launched in September and is a compelling, new direction for the institution that prioritizes student success. Our distinguished faculty is increasingly thoughtful about how we train the next generation of leaders and scholars in patient care, education and research. We will continue to cultivate programs and opportunities to prepare our students and residents for the future of optometric practice. An even more dynamic curriculum with individualized options will augment the already world-class academic offerings of both the professional and research programs. It has been a pleasure to witness recent improvements to the patient experience and quality of care at the University Eye Center. The College’s patient care facility provides extraordinary eye and vision care to a broad range of communities throughout the New York City metropolitan area, including all five boroughs, regardless of patients’ resources. We successfully completed fundraising efforts to build the new 5,000 sq. ft. Center for Pediatric Eye Care thanks to the College’s generous supporters. This will be a pediatric service unlike any other in the country. Construction will begin in February 2019 and we look forward to a grand opening by the end of the calendar year. The College faculty’s basic, translational and clinical research efforts have never been more robust. Their scholarly contributions have increased steadily with more articles in high-impact publications, conference presentations and invited talks to their credit than ever. We not only study the most complex eye and vision challenges, but also collaborate with industry sponsors, the National Institutes of Health and clinical investigators to pilot solutions through the Clinical Vision Research Center. Half the optometrists in New York State are SUNY Optometry alumni, but we live in an increasingly global community. Our many international partnerships foster cross-cultural understanding between eye care professionals and extend the College’s reach beyond our borders. We also recognize the importance of providing international service learning experiences and encourage our students to be global citizens and practitioners. While we have much to celebrate, we recognize the challenges ahead – the lack of diversity in the optometric workforce and vision research, increased student indebtedness across the health professions, the dearth of care for vulnerable, at-risk and rural populations – but this has been SUNY Optometry’s work for nearly 50 years. It is work that is bolstered by our institutional values of leadership, professionalism, inquiry, innovation, diversity and service. The College has proven itself a powerful and important voice for the optometric profession, patients and vision research since its inception in 1971. Ours is one of the finest institutions of its kind in the world and its leadership truly makes for healthier communities in New York and around the world. This year’s Annual Report is a testament to our unrelenting determination and creativity and we have organized this summary of an exceptional year in the College’s history according to our priorities for the next five years. I also invite you to peruse the new strategic plan in its entirety on our website, www.sunyopt.edu/about/strategic-plan, to learn more about our goals. 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 3
STUDENTCENTERED EXPERIENCE Class of 2022 Class of 2022 • Total Enrollment: 100 • Average GPA: 3.5 • Average Science GPA: 3.4 • OAT Academic Average: 345 • OAT Total Science Average: 350 • Residency: 53 New York State 45 Out of State 2 Canada We attract the brightest and most motivated students with demonstrated leadership potential. MacKenzie Bradley, Class of 2020 MacKenzie is a student representative on the Optometric Center of New York board of trustees and vice president of her class. “My coursework has allowed me to step outside my own personal experience and to approach my care with awareness of the intersectionality that exists in my patient population.” • Underrepresented Students of Color: 11 • Gender: 73 Female 27 Male • Advanced Standing: 2 • Final Yield: 64% 4 SUNY OPTOMETRY Michael Contento, Class of 2020 Michael began his career as a private banking analyst for JP Morgan Chase. Today, the SUNY Optometry legacy student is a student member of the Optometric Center of New York board. “After working in asset management, I felt that I wanted a more rewarding career. Growing up with parents who love their jobs and who are passionate about patient care certainly inspired me.” Kyra Dorgeloh, Class of 2019 Kyra received the highest score of any student at the College on Part One of the National Board Exams. “The biggest thing I’ve learned—and am still learning—is to be flexible…it takes some flexibility to do your best no matter what comes your way.”
STUDENT CENTERED EXPERIENCE - Erin Lutley, Class of 2020 Erin is the student representative on SUNY Optometry’s College Council, which consists of 10 members; the Governor appoints nine and one is a peer-elected student. “The best part of being a Council member has been meeting so many people who truly care about the advancement of SUNY Optometry and the betterment of its students, faculty and patient population.” Danielle Mirzokandova, Class of 2021 Danielle questioned the influence of corporations on optometric education. “Optometry has come a long way in its brief history. It is now our turn as the next generation of optometrists to continue that fight.” Samuel Stack, Class of 2020 Samuel received the 2018 J. Pat Cummings Scholarship from Johnson & Johnson Vision in collaboration with the American Academy of Optometry Foundation. “I wanted to be an optometrist from the moment I watched my mother fit a keratonic patient with an RGP lens and saw the patient’s face light up because he could finally see clearly.” Brenda Tan, Class of 2019 Brenda received the 2018 Practice Excellence Scholarship from the American Academy of Optometry Foundation and VSP Global. The OD/MS student researches the pathogenesis of myopia. “The interest stemmed from being myopic myself and watching the incidence of myopia skyrocket in Hong Kong and China, which is where my parents are originally from.” Hannah Medwin, Class of 2020 The current Student Council president almost didn’t apply to SUNY Optometry. Hannah received her undergraduate degree from The University of Alabama (roll tide!) and thought she would stay in the South forever. “I applied to the College mostly to make my mom happy, and honestly didn’t even know if I would get an interview because it is such a competitive school,” she says. It turned out to be a wonderful decision. “I was immediately sold when I came for my interview. Everyone was so friendly and the facilities are impressive.” If you ask most alumni about their fondest memories of their time at SUNY Optometry, they will point to when they got to interact with their classmates outside the classroom and the lab. Many of those moments are courtesy of the Student Council, which works to deepen the sense of community on campus. It’s labor that Hannah—who has always been drawn to leadership positions—relishes. “Serving on Student Council has allowed me to get to know more people, which is something I just love to do. And I like knowing what happens behind the scenes and being involved in making changes and improvements. I have an amazing team of other council members who make everything even more fun.” “The OD program is obviously rigorous and time-consuming, but we plan events to help students kick back and relax, which I think is so important.” – Hannah Medwin 411 total enrollment in professional and graduate programs, 2018 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 5
STUDENT CENTERED EXPERIENCE - We enhance the student experience through programs that promote student and alumni success. Graduation to Optometric Stardom Career Symposium The College’s Career Development Center presented its seventh annual career symposium on April 8. The event’s 13 presenters included nine College alumni and represented the five modes of optometric practice, including private practice, corporate, hospitals, academia and industry. “Our goal is to ensure that 90 percent of our graduates will be in an employment situation of their choice six years after graduation,” said Dr. Quy Nguyen, director of career development and minority enrichment. Topics beyond mode of practice ranged from life as a new OD, budgeting and retirement planning, marketing to different demographics and interviewing. Prospective employers also attended the event for the first time. Dr. Benjamin Arthur ’13 shares stories from his life as a new OD. SUNY OPTOMETRY Work in Progress: Innovative Teaching Labs on the Lower Lobby Level The College is renovating the space to create new student teaching labs, including a preclinical virtual reality simulation lab and an anatomy/biomedical science lab. Current status: Under construction; demolition completed and framing is underway Budget: $3,702,785 Projected completion date: August 2019 Summer Flex Program The College offers many opportunities for students to customize their academic experiences, including electives and clinical rotations in advanced topics. First-year students now have the option to lighten their schedule in the spring semester by taking a course during the following summer. They may also take one second-year fall course during the preceeding summer. High-Tech Classroom: Learning with Virtual Human Anatomy SUNY Optometry’s gross anatomy course has gradually incorporated digital dissections and specimens that will ultimately replace the use of human cadavers. This transition began when the College purchased multiple modules of the Panasonic 3D Multiview Anatomy System, which allows multilayered dissections of actual cadaver images at a very high resolution. “The system provides greater autonomy to choose more views and angles than are possible in traditional cadaverbased instruction,” said Dr. Suresh Viswanathan, associate professor and chair of biological and vision sciences. The College will also add the Anatomage Table, a touch interactive display system for teaching and learning human anatomy. 6
STUDENT CENTERED EXPERIENCE - SUNY Optometry Students Join VOSH International Mission to Grenada Members of the College’s student chapter of Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH) International traveled to Grenada this July to help provide eye exams to 1,286 Grenadians alongside optometrists from the organization’s North Carolina chapter. Many patients visit VOSH vision clinics every year and rely on these services for their eye care. Amanda Crane, Tara Damani, Kim Fung, Rebecca Heaps, Laura Karle and McKenzie Symons displayed confidence and empathy beyond their clinical years while epilating 40 eyelashes from a patient misdiagnosed with a persistent eye infection, independently diagnosing a branch retinal vein occlusion and other tasks. Dr. Jill Scullion, president of VOSH North Carolina, commended the College’s six participants. “We could not be more proud of [the students’] work ethic, compassion and clinical skill,” she said. “They should be proud of the way that they carried themselves and how they represented SUNY.” “We’re very proud of our students not only because of the knowledge and skills they develop during their training, but also their compassion, humanity and commitment to treating every patient with dignity and respect.” – President David A. Heath SUNY Optometry students helped provide more than 400 eye exams in one day in Grenada Thanksgiving 2018: Mission Trip to Jamaica Assistant clinical professor and international programs coordinator Dr. Jennifer Hue ’13 accompanied third-year students Constadina Manettas and Monique Mohammad and Christian Alberto, who is the College’s associate director of admissions, on a mission trip to Hanover, Jamaica in November. Dr. Hue’s connection to Jamaica made the trip and work quite special. “My father was born and raised in Jamaica,” she says. “As a first-generation American, I am fortunate to be able to return to my parent’s home country to provide a service that is needed.” The experience was facilitated by The Eye Health Institute, which has returned to the same clinic for 18 years to provide comprehensive eye care, including surgical referrals, glaucoma treatment, made to order eyeglasses and more. The nonprofit organization also works with Jamaica’s Ministry of Health to promote the profession of optometry, which is not well defined on the island nation. Monique Mohammed, Class of 2020 4,103 Student Community Service Hours, 2017-18 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 7
STUDENT CENTERED EXPERIENCE - Alumni Success Dr. Tristan Barrueco ’18 Dr. Barrueco received the 2018 Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. He entered SUNY Optometry after serving as an officer in the United States Navy. He flourished academically and clinically and placed at the top of his class. Dr. Jennifer Nguyen ’18 Dr. Nguyen received the 2018 Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. She received a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering from the University of California, Los Angeles and excelled academically while pursuing an optometry degree and a master’s degree in vision science. Dr. Sarah Gleason ’18 Dr. Gleason received the Abram A. Hubal, OD Student Service Award for her service as president of the Student Society of the New York State Optometric Association. Dr. Ayah Ahamed ’18 Dr. Ahamed received the 2018 Johnson & Johnson Vision Award of Excellence in Contact Lens Patient Care. The award recognizes outstanding student clinicians who demonstrate excellent overall knowledge of the contact lens field and skillful, considerate and professional care of contact lens patients. 8 SUNY OPTOMETRY Dr. David Damari ’93 The dean of Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University and current president of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry focuses on how technology impacts the profession—and how students and schools can best meld the demands of optometry with the rapidly changing tech world. Dr. Diane Russo ’10 As an associate professor of optometry at New England College of Optometry, she trains the next generation of optometrists. And as the instructor of record for NECO’s public health course, she flexes her newly acquired Master of Public Health degree—which she earned from Harvard University while working full-time. Dr. Matt Geller ’13 and Dr. Antonio Chirumbolo ’13 The classmates started OptometryStudents.com during their first year at the College. After being acquired by the American Optometric Association, it is the largest online publication for optometry students. New Grad Optometry is the next chapter of their digital publishing careers and is the top-ranked eye care publication on Alexa. Dr. Cheryl G. Murphy ’04 The mother of preteen triplets divides her time between working at Sachem Eye Care and North Island Ophthalmology and writing freelance science-focused articles to serve her mission of patient education. She is contributing editor for Review of Optometry and 20/20 and was honored with the New York State Optometric Association Communications Award.
- Dr. Joseph Boorady ’93 2018 Alumnus of the Year Dr. Boorady currently serves as global vice president, ocular surface disease for Johnson & Johnson Vision. He began a decade-long stint working at his alma mater in 1996. The role grew into becoming vice president for clinical affairs and executive director of the clinic. He went on to attend Harvard Business School and learned the skills necessary to flex his entrepreneurial muscles, which he used to start and buy several optometry practices and continuing medical education companies. Dr. Joseph Boorady, SUNY Optometry President David A. Heath and Alumni Association President Dr. Anna Marie Fernandez “I was able to use many of the lessons I gained over the years and prescribe them to the business and watch them work,” Dr. Boorady said. “It required strategy, change management, fundraising, commercial execution, team building and transformative leadership.” He has also served as chief operating officer of a health care software company, Eyemaginations, and senior vice president at Carl Zeiss Meditec, but he counts his tenure as president and CEO of TearScience—which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson Vision in September 2017—as his proudest accomplishment. “I hope that people see me as an example of what you can do with your OD degree and are inspired to become leaders in business.” – Dr. Joseph Boorady ’93 STUDENT CENTERED EXPERIENCE Alumni Association Merges with the Optometric Center of New York The New York State Secretary of State certified the merger at the end of June 2018 after securing approval from both boards and getting 95 percent of voting alumni to agree to the change. College leadership hopes the new arrangement will combine the resources and strengths of both organizations as well as coordinate fundraising and relationship-building activities. Alumni association board members “A powerful, united structure will bring the best of all parties to the table.” – Dawn Rigney 92 ODs awarded, 2018 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 9
ACADEMIC Student Innovator of the Year award winners Elkie Fung and Tara Mahvelati EXCELLENCE We deliver a dynamic curriculum that engages students and advances contemporary optometry. New MS/Residency Program Accredited by Accreditation Council on Optometric Education SUNY Optometry’s two-year concurrent residency and graduate degree program merges an accredited residency program with a Master’s degree and is the first of its kind in the country. Typically, residency programs prepare optometrists to specialize in a certain area over a one-year period. This new initiative takes their expertise a step further by combining the residency certificate with the M.S. in vision science over two years. Led by vice president and dean for academic affairs Dr. David Troilo, residency director Dr. Diane Adamczyk and residency supervisor Dr. Joan Portello, the program aims to develop clinician scientists who will actively contribute to new, effective patient care methods. The College excels in several areas, including ocular disease, myopia control, contact lens and head injury. This new program is a collaborative effort between clinical care and the research faculty to train future optometrists according to their research interests. 40 Residency Certificates 9 MS degrees awarded, 2018 awarded, 2018 10 SUNY OPTOMETRY
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Advanced In-Office Procedures Workshop Prepares Students for the Future Days before SUNY Optometry’s third-year students head into summer, they receive one of their most dynamic lessons of the year: a workshop on laser and surgery provided by TLC Laser Eye Centers and College faculty. The instruction is provided to ensure that our graduates can practice in any state. “Changes in the optometric profession in which certain laser and surgical procedures can be performed by optometrists in Louisiana, Kentucky and Oklahoma led to our decision to provide the training,” said Dr. Richard Madonna, chair of clinical education. Students are divided into groups that rotate among six different stations representing different phases in laser surgery, including one in which students can laser an “eye” that was created as a simulation exercise for the training. NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health Vanderbilt SUNY Optometry Partners with Vanderbilt Medical on Staten Island New York City Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health Vanderbilt is the borough’s first full-service clinic. The $28M health care center opened in July, and its eye clinic opened two months later. “The College was approached as a result of our successes in other Health + Hospitals facilities, including Gouverneur, East New York and Woodhull,” said Dr. Richard Soden, the College’s director of health care development. There are two examination rooms for comprehensive eye exams and treatment for any diagnosed diseases. “Many patients are underserved on Staten Island and will now be able to obtain eye care.” Currently, an optometrist is on duty at the new facility two days a week, but the plan is to staff the clinic full-time and add an external rotation for students. 2018 Capstone The annual event provides newly minted doctors with current information on their rapidly changing profession and starts them on the path toward lifelong learning. Dr. Mark Wright, a nationally recognized contributor on optometric practice, delivered the keynote address, “Practicing in a World of Disruptive Technologies.” The event continued with updates on pharmaceuticals led by Dr. Diane Adamczyk, licensing and board certification by Dr. Daniella Rutner and Dr. Jennifer Gould and continuing professional education by Dr. Richard Madonna. Dr. Richard Madonna 110 degrees and certificates granted, 2018 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 11
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE The Dean Yager Award The Dean Yager Award recognizes MS and PhD students and postdoctoral fellows for outstanding research papers published or accepted for publication by a peer-reviewed journal. Carmen Pons Torres, doctoral student Neuronal Mechanisms Underlying Differences in Spatial Resolution Between Darks and Lights in Human Vision Dr. Kaushambi Roy ’18 Gap Junctional Coupling Between Retinal Amacrine and Ganglion Cells Underlies Coherent Activity Integral to Global Object Perception Dr. Nefeli Slavi ’18 Suppression of Connexin 43 Phosphorylation Promotes Astrocyte Survival and Vascular Regeneration in Proliferative Retinopathy 2018 Summer Research Fellows Supported by a T35 training grant from the National Eye Institute, the 10-week program introduces optometry students to basic, translational and clinical vision research, as well as to critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential for research, clinical practice and patient care. Dr. Franklin Bui, Residency/MS Class of 2019 Effects of Low Dose Atropine on Choroidal Thickness and Other Ocular Structures Christina Cherny, Class of 2021 Clinical Tests as Predictors of Digital Eye Strain Stephen Dellostritto, Class of 2021 Role of Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1 (HIF-1) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A (VEGF-A) in High Myopia Raymond Farmer, Class of 2021 Intensity Response Function of the Pupillary Light Reflex Chana Haimowitz, Class of 2021 Factors Affecting the Utility of a Virtual Reality Supra-threshold Visual Field Test Shazib Haq, UC Berkeley, Class of 2021 Geometrical Structure of Dichromatic Color Space in the Yellow-Violet and Light-Dark Plane 12 SUNY OPTOMETRY Summer Research Fellows Sherry Shang, Class of 2021 Association Between Endothelial Cell Density and Corneal Swelling in Post-Penetrating Keratoplasty Scleral Contact Lens Wear Kent Uehara, Class of 2021 Effect of Mean Luminance on Contrast Sensitivity in mTBI Patients Chloe Keying Yan, Class of 2021 Digital Eye Strain and the Critical Flicker Fusion Frequency Peter Yoon, Class of 2021 Temporal Integration of Negative Lens Wear
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Dr. Kevin Willeford MS ’13, OD ’14, PhD ’18 As an undergraduate neuroscience major at the University of Miami, Kevin Willeford didn’t plan to end up in optometry—or in New York City. “My classmates were looking into applying for medical school; I didn’t feel a desire to do the same,” he says. “I decided to pursue a career in optometry because I had grown up at the eye doctor and had very positive memories associated with him. I chose SUNY Optometry for several reasons: my boyfriend and I both had family in the Northeast, it had the highest average entering GPA of all the optometry schools and it was the cheapest.” Since arriving at the College, he’s earned his OD in optometry and MS in vision science and recently defended his dissertation to complete his PhD. “There is a theory that says two types of attention, with and without eye movements, are programmed in the same area of the brain; however, it is not that simple,” he says. “My dissertation examines some of the complexities regarding how these two types of attention could operate independently and how neurons in the superior colliculus help enact attentional processes.” While Dr. Willeford’s dissertation topic–An Analysis of the Neural Mechanisms Underlying Covert and Overt Spatial Attention–excites him, the most important lesson he has learned so far is that, he says, “there is beauty in pain.” He failed his first practical in the graduate program and experienced anxiety about having blank faces stare back at him when he teaches. “I’ve had to learn how to be fluid and explain things in many different ways. We all get hurt when we don’t feel like we have ‘achieved’ what we set out to, but I’ve started to convey to students that it’s a natural 5 PhDs awarded, part of the process.” 2018 Dr. Kevin Willeford, a three-time alumnus, introduces first-year OD students to the research process. 2018 Schnurmacher Colloquium Series Speakers Dr. Darlene Archer University of California, Davis Dr. Hadas Ben Eli Hadassah Academic College Dr. Vivian Choh University of Waterloo Dr. Christopher Dainty University College London Dr. Winrich Freiwald The Rockefeller University Dr. Mateusz Jaskulski Indiana University Bloomington Dr. Ian Nauhaus University of Texas Dr. Denis Pelli New York University Dr. Ning Qian Columbia University Dr. Tonia Rex Vanderbilt Eye Institute Dr. Bas Rokers University of Wisconsin–Madison Dr. Seang Mei Saw National University of Singapore Dr. Frank Schaeffel University of Tübingen Dr. Falk Schroedl Paracelsus Medical University Dr. Gregory W. Schwartz Northwestern University 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 13
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Clinical Cases in Eye Care, edited by Rosenfield, et al. SUNY Optometry professor Dr. Mark Rosenfield edited Clinical Cases in Eye Care (Wolter Kluwer, October 2018) with Dr. Denise Goodwin, Pacific University, and Dr. Eunice Myung Lee, Southern California College of Optometry. The textbook provides more than 120 clinical case examples to illustrate the current scope of primary eye care practice. Experts discuss a wide range of conditions commonly seen in today’s practice, including refractive, perceptual, binocular vision, anterior and posterior segment, neurological and systemic disorders. Contributors include College faculty–Dr. Harriette Canellos, Dr. Julia Canestraro, Dr. Kenneth Ciuffreda, Dr. Myoung-Hee Han, Dr. Tamara Petrosyan, Dr. Joan Portello, Dr. Jerome Sherman, and Dr. Barry Tannen–and alumni. 14 SUNY OPTOMETRY Dr. Nefeli Slavi ’18 and Dr. Stewart Bloomfield during the annual scholars’ dinner We grow the graduate and research programs to increase the institutional impact on the advancement of knowledge and to produce leaders in vision research. Vivid Vision to Employ Patented Device Invented by SUNY Optometry Faculty The San Francisco-based eye care start-up has signed an exclusive license agreement with The Research Foundation for The State University of New York to employ a new device to treat lazy eye and other disorders of binocular vision invented by Dr. Benjamin Backus, an associate professor at the College, with his colleagues Dr. Kenneth Ciuffreda and Dr. Diana Ludlam. The patented system uses eye tracking to provide direct and precise binocular visual stimulation at known locations on the retinas of both eyes simultaneously. “It’s exciting to see this basic science research idea being developed in a real-world product to help people see better.” – Dr. Benjamin Backus Dr. Benjamin Backus Dr. Kenneth Ciuffreda Dr. Diana Ludlam
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Troilo, Benavente-Pérez: Gene Changes Driving Myopia Reveal New Focus for Drug Development Myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness) develop through different molecular pathways, according to a study published October 9 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Dr. David Troilo and Dr. Alexandra Benavente-Pérez and collaborators at Columbia University. The finding provides a new understanding of eye growth and the development of myopia, the most common form of visual impairment worldwide, and opens the way for the development of new treatments and drugs to prevent it. Myopia is expected to affect nearly half the world’s population in the next three decades; reducing its progression is a public health priority. The condition occurs when the eye grows too long, increasing the distance between lens and retina such that the image produced by the eye comes into focus at a point in front of, rather than on, the retina. In hyperopia, the opposite occurs; the eye is too short, and the focal point is behind the retina. Research has shown that these defocus signals alter the rate of eye growth, and things occasionally go wrong resulting in myopia. Gene expression in the retina is different when exposed to either myopic or hyperopic defocus The cellular signaling pathways controlling eye growth are not well understood, however, and may be the key to understanding myopia development. To explore those pathways, the authors experimentally induced either myopia or hyperopia using lenses to shift the focal point to behind the retina (“hyperopic defocus”) or in front of the retina (“myopic defocus”). In each case, the eye changes shape, elongating or shortening, to compensate by moving the retina closer to the focal point. The activity of genes in the retinas exposed to different defocus conditions changed compared to the non-exposed retina (used as a control). The molecular pathways affected, however, were for the most part different between the two types of defocus. While both types of defocus induced changes in cellular signaling pathways, with the scores of genes affected in each case, only a handful were affected by both types of defocus. There were also differences in gene activity over time in each type. The authors found that 29 of the genes whose activity changed in response to defocus were localized within certain chromosomes (quantitative trait loci) previously found to be associated with human myopia in largescale genetic studies, suggesting that variations in the expression of genes involved in the normal regulation of eye shape in response to defocus contribute to the development of nearsightedness. “Identification of these pathways provides a framework for the identification of new drug targets and for the development of more effective treatment options for myopia.” – Dr. David Troilo 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 15
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Clinical Vision Research Center Study Helps Secure FDA Nod for New Imaging Tech SUNY Optometry’s Clinical Vision Research Center technology is now available to use with SPECTRALIS (CVRC) sits at the intersection of government-, foundation- diagnostic imaging devices to provide 3-D visualization and industry-sponsored research to advance vision care of perfused ocular vasculature. for all. One of its latest projects is set to change the way doctors diagnose and manage ocular abnormalities. Dr. Mitchell Dul served as the principal investigator on the study, with sub-investigators Dr. Danielle Iacono, Dr. Daria The Heidelberg OCT-VIS Study, conducted from April 2018 Borah, L. Wayne Spencer and Valerie Leung, who was to August 2018, led to 510(k) clearance from the United also the study coordinator. The study involved testing the States Food and Drug Administration on September 17 for OCTA module’s ability to assess the flow of blood through Heidelberg Engineering’s Optical Coherence Tomography vessels at the back of the eye in patients with healthy eyes Angiography (OCTA) module. The noninvasive imaging and retinal vascular diseases. CVRC Receives PEDIG Performance and Quality Award The CVRC received a Performance and Quality Award from the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group (PEDIG) for having the highest pediatric patient volume in the network and an outstanding quality index. PEDIG is a collaborative network dedicated to facilitating multicenter clinical research in strabismus, amblyopia and other eye disorders that affect children. The network formed in 1997 and is funded by the National Eye Institute. There are more than 100 participating sites with 300+ pediatric ophthalmologists and pediatric optometrists in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom participating in the network. The CVRC streamlines the process of clinical research by serving as a single point of contact between sponsors and SUNY Optometry. The Clinical Vision Research Center has the highest pediatric patient volume in the PEDIG network 14 Contact lens, drug, therapy and ophthalmic device studies $2,857,201 conducted by the CVRC, 2018 Grant Activity, 2017-18 16 SUNY OPTOMETRY
SUNY Optometry Welcomes Dr. Stefanie Wohl ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Dr. Stefanie Wohl, a molecular biologist, arrives at the College as an assistant professor and grant recipient in the Empire Innovation Program, a state-funded program dedicated to groundbreaking researchers. She will also teach basics in molecular biology and genetics, including aspects of retinal development. “The cells I am interested in are called glia cells, more precisely Müller glia. Müller glia are the predominant glia in the neural retina. Glia cells are known as the support cells in the central nervous system, but have a variety of other functions including protection and maintaining the homeostasis of the tissue,” Dr. Wohl says. “For my future research, I will investigate the role of microRNAs in the glial response to injury or disease.” Dr. Wohl was intrigued by genetics and molecular biology as early as high school. Her specific research interest began during a lecture about nerve regeneration in the spinal cord during her final year at Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany. She found a lab as a postgraduate that worked on axonal regeneration in the optic nerve and ultimately joined a lab at the University of Washington in Seattle as a postdoctoral research scientist, working with a professor who is an expert in the field of retinal development and regeneration. This new role also presents an exhilarating challenge to Dr. Wohl outside of the classroom. “I grew up in a little town in Germany where everyone knows everyone. The biggest city I ever lived in so far was Seattle, which is one seventh of the New York City population,” she says. “At the same time, NYC is a world-renowned, fascinating metropolis and I have the honor to live and work here.” Dr. Stephanie Wohl describes her work during the 2018 Research Open House 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 17
Dr. Sabina Oboukova, ocular disease resident SERVICE TO UniversityEyeCenter.org OUR PATIENTS AND COMMUNITY Clinical administration collaborated with the College’s director of communications We deliver unparalleled care and 6IX, an interactive and web development agency, to create to our University Eye Center a fresh, compelling online presence for the College’s patients. patient care facility. The new site features a modern responsive design that adapts to any screen size and includes a scalable backend system. Improved features of the advanced interface include direct access to EyeConnect Patient Portal and additional patient resources. 87% Patients residing in New York City Dr. Diane Calderon-Villanueva Dr. Diane Calderon-Villanueva, the University Eye Center’s new chief of primary care, was drawn to optometry after she was paired to work with an undergraduate classmate with low vision. “I was intrigued by the devices and techniques he used to assist him to perform his daily activities,” says the Queens native. “Once I shadowed an optometrist, I was fascinated by how much one can actually help a person through a comprehensive eye exam. It isn’t simply an evaluation of a person’s refractive status. It encompasses binocularity, accommodative function, ocular and systemic health.” Before joining SUNY Optometry this summer, Dr. Calderon-Villanueva spent a decade working at Fromer Eye Centers. She launched a College-affiliated residency program in 2012. The program is currently the only ocular disease residency program in the state of New York that takes place in an OD/MD private practice setting. 18 SUNY OPTOMETRY
SERVICE TO OUR PATIENTS AND COMMUNITY Dr. Jennifer Gould ’13 Dr. Jennifer Gould ’13 is the University Eye Center’s new chief of advanced care. She joined the College’s primary care faculty in 2014 and moved into advanced care a year later. “I’ve always known I wanted to do advanced care longterm,” she says. “I completed a residency in ocular disease at East New York Eye Clinic in Brooklyn and glaucoma is my passion. I also value the rapport I can establish with my patients since the condition requires frequent visits.” Dr. Gould actively pursued her new role and finds its administrative duties comfortable thanks to the organizational skills honed during her initial career as a mechanical engineer. “It’s also energizing to be engaged with the people making change and advancing the institution.” She looks forward to providing more services for the UEC’s patients, particularly those with diabetes and macular degeneration, and new opportunities for telehealth and updated technology. Work in Progress: Adult Primary Care Services A total redesign of the seventh floor Primary Care clinical operations Current status: Under design; three concept layouts were recently presented to the College Budget: Construction budget still being finalized, but the design budget is $1,055,000 Projected completion date: Design in Summer 2019, Construction TBD 14,328 Referral Visits, 2017-18 Innovative Vision + Social Work Collaboration Serves Patients Often Relegated to the Margins SUNY Optometry has embarked on a new journey to provide coordinated vision and social services for visually impaired older adults and low-income children in collaboration with Stony Brook University’s School of Social Welfare (SBUSSW), which is hosted by the College in Manhattan. The care coordination program brings together optometry and social work professionals to provide wraparound care for University Eye Center (UEC) patients. “Our faculty, staff and students have provided educational seminars and trainings to SUNY Optometry faculty and students on a range of topics, including identifying child and elder abuse, mandated reporting, depression, and grief and loss in patients with vision loss,” says Shelley Horwitz, assistant dean for SBUSSW’s Manhattan operations. “We are also discussing joint research projects around traumatic brain injury, vision impairment and developmental disabilities.” But first up is the care coordination initiative. “The hypothesis is that many of the homebound patients and children with special needs served through the UEC have unmet needs that could be addressed through care management and lead to better health outcomes.” Stony Brook adjunct professor Marion Wise counsels UEC patients 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 19
SERVICE TO OUR PATIENTS AND COMMUNITY New Clinical Faculty Dr. Daria Borah ’16 Dr. Daria Borah was born in Moscow and moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, at the age of 10. She completed an ocular disease and primary care residency in the VA Boston Healthcare System after graduating from the College. “Ocular disease is complicated and intertwined with the patient’s systemic health, and it forces the clinician to integrate the entirety of the patient as opposed to isolating and focusing on the eyeball alone. I find it to be a rewarding challenge of putting together puzzle pieces that, in their final product, shed light on the complete picture of the patient’s health.” Dr. Irene Frantzis ’16 Assistant clinical professor Dr. Irene Frantzis ‘16 spent a year working with the U.S. Air Force as a clinical and research optometrist investigating quality of vision outcomes in patients undergoing corneal cross-linking before joining the University Eye Center’s Myopia Control Clinic. “Myopia control is one of many fields in optometry where we can play an enormous role in helping our patients—even potentially preventing eye diseases such as glaucoma that have a higher prevalence in myopes.” Dr. Shelby Leach Assistant clinical professor Dr. Shelby Leach is a graduate of Arizona State University and UC Berkeley School of Optometry. The Calgary-native specializes in pediatrics, including serving children with special needs. “I enjoy my work with children at PS 180 in Harlem and Birch Early Childhood Center in Long Island City. Birch is a special needs preschool and serves multicultural children with disabilities from all over the City. It’s really gratifying to play a role in maximizing the children’s independence.” Dr. Azinda Morrow ’17 Assistant clinical professor Dr. Azinda Morrow ’17 returned to teach at the College in August, and the decision was a natural extension of the time she spent as an OD student. “I was heavily involved in the tutoring programs, and really enjoyed being able to help fellow students and lowerclassmen in understanding concepts. During my residency training, I was afforded the opportunity to be a clinical preceptor in both the cornea/contact lens and urgent care clinics, where my passion for teaching grew.” Dr. Mandy Polacco Assistant clinical professor Dr. Mandy Polacco’s came to the College in 2017 for a residency in vision therapy and rehabilitation after graduating from the Southern California College of Optometry. She works in head trauma and neuro-optometric rehabilitation. “It’s an incredible environment where I can continue to learn from the extremely experienced faculty and have high-volume exposure to unique and challenging cases.” Dr. Alexandria Tilley ’16 Assistant clinical professor Dr. Alexandria Tilley ’16 completed her vision therapy and rehabilitation residency at the College before joining the faculty to teach a binocular vision lab, an optometric procedures course and an acquired brain injury elective. She also supervises fourth-year students and residents in vision therapy and rehabilitation. “Nothing brings me more joy than seeing a child with a binocular vision issue, who avoids reading because it provides discomfort, start to read more and succeed academically after having trained them in our vision therapy clinic.” 20 SUNY OPTOMETRY
SERVICE TO OUR PATIENTS AND COMMUNITY We provide service to the Health and Wellness greater community. Expo 2018 SUNY Optometry Joins Annual Senior Resource Fair Co-hosted by State Senator Brad Hoylman Optometrists from the University Eye Center conducted vision screenings during the second annual senior resource fair cohosted by State Senator Brad Hoylman (D, WF-Manhattan) and 32BJ SEIU on July 10. Participating organizations offered free services to more than 500 seniors, caregivers and family members from State Senator Hoylman’s district, including assistance with affordable housing programs, legal advice and enrollment in government programs. Attendees also received a senior resource guide to help identify important benefits, services and information across the community. “Despite the myriad programs available to seniors in New York, many go unused just from lack of awareness.” – State Senator Brad Hoylman Partnership with CUNY Nursing Explores Emerging Health Issues in Vulnerable Populations SUNY Optometry began a collaboration with the CUNY School of Professional Studies and its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Students in two CUNY courses, NURS 303 (Community Nursing) and NURS 499 (Capstone in Leadership and Management) embed with University Eye Center team members for clinical experience. The curriculum prepares nurses for increasingly complex and varied roles in interdisciplinary teams to ensure the best possible health care outcomes. State Senator Brad Hoylman and VP for Institutional Advancement Dawn Rigney Lifeways Nutrition presentation More than 800 New Yorkers attended the University Eye Center’s open house on August 4. The expo brings community partners together to promote healthy behavior changes and reduce risk factors for disease. This year’s exhibitors included the American Red Cross, FDNY, NYPD, Lifeways Nutrition, Hunger Free NYC, YMCA, the Department of Aging, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Visiting Nurse Service of New York and The Floating Hospital. American Red Cross representative and young expo participants 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 21
SERVICE TO OUR PATIENTS AND COMMUNITY Clarissa Burroughs: Community Outreach Coordinator Clarissa Burroughs and VP for Clinical Administration Liduvina Martinez-Gonzalez The University Eye Center has approximately 70,000 patient visits a year, making it one of the largest eye and vision care clinics in the United States. And because of Burroughs’ dedication, it now has a greater reach, meaning more people benefit from the research, teaching and patient care facility. Her duties put her in contact with students, professors and the public. She coordinates health fairs, public healthrelated events in the lobby and external vision screenings for second-year students at the College. Outside organizations also host events at the UEC; many have come because of relationships formed by Burroughs since she joined SUNY Optometry in 2016. “I bridge the gap to ensure the community is aware of the UEC’s services, both in-house and throughout New York City.” – Clarissa Burroughs 2018 Community Outreach 4,052 Community Screenings, 2018 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building Baruch College BASE High School Battery Park School Bethel Holy Church of God Beulah Church of the Nazarene Borough of Manhattan Community College Carnaval del Barrio Children’s Aid Society Community Life Head Start Community Resource Fair Coop City Dreiser Senior Center Department for the Aging Dream Charter School Drew Hamilton Child Learning Center Explore Charter School Fire Department of the City of New York 22 SUNY OPTOMETRY Food Bank for New York City The Graduate Center Health Fair Guttman Community College Hamilton Innovative Senior Center Harlem Asthma Center of Excellence HealthFirst Health & Wellness Expo Henry Street Settlement Hope for All Outreach Christian Center Independence High School Isabella Geriatric NORC Resource Center Jacob Riis Neighborhood Settlement Lafayette Academy LaGuardia Community College Lenox Hill Neighborhood Early Childhood Max Meltzer Senior Center Mexican Consulate Mosholu Montefiore Community Center National Down Syndrome Society New York Center for Child Development New York Police Department Park West High School Penn South Senior Community Center Prince George Hotel and Residence Promise Academy I Promise Academy II PS 2 PS 130 PS 200 PS/MS 138 Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Prevention Redeem Church of God Reece School River Terrace NORC The Ryan Center School in the Square Senator Hoylman’s Senior Resource Fair Skadden Arps St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church St. Jerome’s Hands St. Luke’s Episcopal Church Store Front Academy University Neighborhood High School Village View Senior Center Weinberg Senior Center West New York Lions Club Williams Institutional Church
SERVICE TO OUR PATIENTS AND COMMUNITY China Optometry and Ophthalmology Resource Development Visiting Scholar Dr. Jianfeng Wu, an ophthalmologist from Shandong, China, is the latest participant in the China Optometry and Ophthalmology Resource Development (COORD) Visiting Scholars Program, which allows a leading optometric faculty member from one of 15 Chinese optometric medicine major programs to spend up to six months at the College. The international collaboration is an effort to address China’s urgent need for optometrists and access to eye care and the recent expansion and development of five-year optometric medicine majors. Other participating North American COORD institutions are New England College of Optometry, Pacific University College of Optometry, Illinois College of Optometry and the University of Waterloo School of Optometry. Dr. Wu took three courses on the basics of optometry, while auditing a handful of others, and learned how the University Eye Center runs. He believes that knowing how to practice in accordance with international standards will benefit both his patients and his students at the Medical School of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, where he is a professor in ophthalmology and optometry, lecturing primarily on ocular diseases and optometry theory. He is also head of scientific research at its affiliated eye hospital. “COORD gives me a chance to learn U.S.-style optometry, which I believe to be the best in the world.” – Dr. Jianfeng Wu Dr. Jianfeng Wu Beyond Our Borders President David A. Heath traveled to China in October to celebrate the 60th anniversary of one of the College’s international affiliate institutions, Wenzhou Medical University, and the 30th anniversary of its School of Ophthalmology and Optometry. This was a rare opportunity to recognize one of the many partnerships SUNY Optometry has established beyond our borders to foster cross-cultural understanding and collaboration between eye care professionals. International Affiliations Wenzhou Medical University, China University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Flinders University, Australia University of Melbourne, Australia Institut Supérieur d’Optique, France LV Prasad Eye Institute, India Abia State University, Nigeria 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 23
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