SCO Summer Research Fellowship
The summer research fellowship program was designed to offer talented students who have completed their first year an opportunity to participate in faculty-directed research. Each selected student will be paired with a clinical research optometrist who will guide the fellow’s research experience.
The program provides opportunities for:
- Hands-on experience with ophthalmic research techniques and equipment
- Interaction with accomplished mentors
- Guidance for hypothesis development, research methodology and presentation of research results
Students are expected to:
- Commit at least 20 hours per week for 10 weeks during the Summer semester
- Attend the weekly noon lecture series provided by selected faculty
- Present their research results at a national optometric meeting in poster or paper format
The Fellowship offers a $2,500 stipend plus an additional $500 reimbursement for conference travel to present results.
Research Topics Include
- Pediatrics and Vision Therapy
- Contact Lenses
- Visual Perception
- Anterior Segment
- Dry Eye
- Regulation of choroidal blood flow in animal models
- Ocular Pharmacology
- Other topics as developed with a faculty mentor
All applications will be reviewed by the Research Committee. A minimum of six (6) finalists will be chosen for the program. Those students will be paired with faculty members in an area of interest.
Fellowship Presentations
2018 ARVO (Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology)
Drs. Chris Lievens, Christina Newman, Al Kabat and Jake Weber ’20
Comparison of the Vmax Voice Active™ Subjective Refractor (VASR) and Traditional Refraction in a Healthy Population
Drs. Christina Newman, Chris Lievens, Al Kabat and Jake Weber ’20
Repeatability of the Vmax Voice Activ™ Subjective Refractor (VASR) and Traditional Refractive Methods in a Healthy Population
Cori Jones ’20 and Dr. Kristina Haworth
Serotonin and Stress in Contact Lens-related Dry Eye
2018 AOA (American Optometric Association)
Dr. Patricia Cisarik and Lindsey Brise ’19
Evaluation of Anisocoria in Subjects with Dark Irides using a Custom-built Infrared Screening Device
2018 AAO (American Academy of Optometry)
Andrea Wester ’20, Drs. Michael Christensen and Christopher Borgman
Tonometry Measurements Over Soft Contact Lenses in Healthy Subjects
Kamil Hill ’19, Drs. Patricia Cisarik and Paul Harris
Exploring the Effect of a Notch Filter on Color Contrast Sensitivity in Color Normal and Color Deficient Young Healthy Adults – A pilot study
Dr. Kristina Haworth and Christianne Belair ’19
Comparison of Nasal and Temporal Conjunctival Ultraviolet Autofluorescence in Contact Lens Wearers
Drs. Morgan Ollinger, Jessica Lam, Sara Schwartz and Cori Jones ’20
Peripheral Visual Fields in Orthokeratology Patients
2017 AOA
Dr. Paul Harris, Zachary German ’19 and Laura Roberts ’18
Validation of the Effect of Glare on Contrast Sensitivity Under Mesopic and Photopic Conditions
Dr. Patricia Cisarik and Bradley Schuster ’18
Method Comparison for Blood Pressure Measurement: An Oscillometric Wrist versus LED Sphygmomanometer
Dr. Patricia Cisarik and Lauren Bruehl ’18
Brachial to Radial Systolic Blood Pressure Amplification in Young, Healthy Adults
2017 A AO
Kamil Hill ’19, Drs. Mike Christensen and Chris Borgman
Two Forms of Tonometry Measurements over 3 Types of Soft Bandage Contact Lenses in Healthy Subjects
Dr. Patricia Cisarik, Jessica Ward ’18 and Nicholas Sachse ’18
Effect of Rate of Stimulus Temporal Sweep Change on Measured CFF in Young, Healthy Adults
Jennifer Nguyen ’19, Lindsey Brise ’19, Kamil Hill ’19, Jennifer Stewart ’19 and Dr. Patricia Cisarik
Vertical Saccades in a Normal Adult Population: Subjective Assessment with Digit Naming – A Pilot Study
Christianne Belair ’19 and Dr. Kristina Haworth
Effect of UV-absorbing Contact Lenses on Conjunctival Ultraviolet Autofluorescence
Dr. Mary Hoang, Meagan Miles ’19 and Dr. William Edmondson
Fitting Daily Multifocal Contact Lenses for Near Point Problems in Non-Presbyopes
2017 ARVO
Genevive Schade ’19 and Dr. Malinda Fitzgerald, et. al.
Visual Evoked Potential Measure Luminance Contrast Masked by Color Noise