SPEAKER INFORMATION

 Jan Bergmanson, OD, PhD, FAAO, AAO Diplomate, UHCO Conference Director

Dr. Bergmanson received his optometric training and PhD at the City University, London. In addition, he obtained a Doctor of Optometry degree from Pennsylvania College of Optometry. Currently, Dr. Bergmanson is Professor of Optometry at the University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO), where he is the founding Director of the Texas Eye Research and Technology Center (TERTC). He has extensively researched and lectured internationally on subjects of corneal morphological response to contact lens wear, tear and ophthalmic solution effects on the ocular surface, histopathology of ocular tissues damaged by ultraviolet radiation, and the effects of the Excimer Laser on the cornea. Dr. Bergmanson is a Foundation Fellow of the College of Optometry in United Kingdom, where he remains licensed to practice, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, where he is a Diplomate in the Cornea and Contact Lens Section. He is a council member of the International Society for Contact Lens Research and a lifetime honorary member of the Swedish and Dutch Optometric Associations, to which he also serves as a consultant. Dr. Bergmanson is the recipient of the 1998 British Contact Lens Association Gold Medal Award, the 2002 Texas Optometric Association's Educator of the Year Award, the University of Houston College of Optometry 2003 Cora and J. Davis Armistead Faculty Teaching Award and the 2005 Swedish Optometric Association's Mark of Honor Award.

 

---

 

 S. Barry Eiden, OD, FAAO, FSLS

Dr. Eiden received his Doctor of Optometry from the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry where he also earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology. Dr. Eiden completed his residency in Ocular Disease Management at the Illinois College of Optometry in affiliation with the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center and the Westside Veterans Administration Medical Center in 1982 and 1983, respectively. Before he founded North Suburban Vision Consultants in 1990, Dr. Eiden was a full-time assistant clinical professor at the SUNY College of Optometry and Chief of Primary Eye Care Services from 1984 to 1989. Dr. Eiden specializes in anterior segment disease management with special emphasis in keratoconus and corneal ectasia, advanced contact lens management, and ocular surface disease/dry eye management. His interest in medical care “focused” into optometry as he came to understand the impact of visual dysfunction and ocular disease on patients. He enjoys having the ability to provide advanced care to patients and impacting their lives in a positive and dramatic way daily.

 

---

 

 Christina Kinate, OD

Originally from Dallas, Texas, Dr. Christina Kinate is proficient in primary eye care with an emphasis in therapeutic contact lenses. After her Marine Corps service, she earned her Doctorate from the University of Houston College of Optometry and completed a fellowship with the Texas Eye Research and Technology Center. As a fellow, she gained experience fitting therapeutic contact lenses on complex patients with corneal transplants, ocular surface disease, ectasia, and dry eye syndrome. Dr. Kinate is currently practicing at Baylor College of Medicine and strives to deliver quality eye care and improve ocular health. She is an active leader of the Texas Public Health Association Vision Care Section, a member of several local and national optometric associations and volunteers with local veteran groups. 

 

---

 

 Thomas Randy Kirby, OD

Dr. Kirby graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1989 and received his Optometry degree from the University of Houston with the class of 1994. That year he founded a private practice in Southeastern North Carolina that he has enjoyed to the present day. Dr. Kirby spent over thirty years in the US Army National Guard and US Army Reserve, rising from Private First Class to Colonel before retiring on the first of June, 2022.

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

 

 Karen Lee, OD, FAAO, FSLS

Dr.  Lee received her bachelor’s degree in Physiological Science from University of California, Los Angeles. She received her Doctor of Optometry degree from Indiana University School of Optometry and completed a cornea and contact lens residency at Southern California College of Optometry. Prior to joining the University of Houston, Dr. Lee served as Director of the specialty contact lens clinic at the University of California, San Francisco Ophthalmology department. As a Therapeutic Doctor of Optometry, Dr. Lee is licensed to diagnose and treat ocular disease. She is certified by the Texas Optometry Board to practice as a Glaucoma Specialist. As a clinical assistant professor, she is involved in direct patient care and the supervision of optometric students and residents. Dr. Lee is a member of the Texas Optometric Association, the American Optometric Association and the Ocular Surface Society. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, Secretary of the Scleral Lens Education Society, and a GPLI advisory board member.

 

---

 

 Bill Miller, OD, PhD

Dr. Miller is a Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the Rosenberg School of Optometry, University of the Incarnate Word University. He received his O.D., a combined M.S./Residency in Cornea and Contact Lens and Ph.D. in Physiological Optics, at The Ohio State University. He is also a Board Certified by the American Board of Optometry. Dr. Miller is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a member of the European Academy of Optometry and Optics, International Society of Contact Lens Researchers and International Contact Lens Educators. He is on the editorial board of Eye and Contact Lenses and also serves as a contributing column editor for Contact Lens Spectrum and the Ocular Surface Society of Optometry's newsletter. He is involved in the both the didactic and clinical education at the Rosenberg School of Optometry participating in patient care in the UIW Eye Institute.

 

---

 

 Seema Nanda, OD

Dr. Nanda is the founder and director of the Nanda Dry Eye & Vision Institute, a specialty clinic focusing on the treatment and management of dry eye disease and corneal conditions. She became inspired to create the center after practicing alongside a now-retired corneal specialist in Houston. She concurrently works as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO) in the Cornea & Contact Lens Clinic, where she instructs third-year students. In previous semesters, she educated second-year students in the Medical Laboratory Procedures and Contact Lens Lab courses. Dr. Nanda is also a key opinion leader and influencer in the ophthalmic community.  As such, she lectures internationally and has given over 300 presentations world-wide on the latest advances in the ophthalmic field and ocular medicine. Dr. Nanda attained her Doctor of Optometry degree from the Indiana University School of Optometry and completed her training at the world-renowned eye care hospital, the Bascom-Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, FL.  She has assisted in the pre- and post-op management of LASIK, Cataract Surgery, and Corneal Cross-linking, and served as Chief Examiner for several years at the National Board of Examiners in Optometry.  Lastly, Dr. Nanda has actively participated in Medical Missions and performed eye care and glaucoma evaluations worldwide as part of her profound interest in community service.

 

---

 

 Eric Ritchey, OD, PhD, FAAO

Dr. Ritchey 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.

 

---

 

 Anita Ticak, OD, MS, FAAO

Dr. 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 (UHCO) 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).  

 

---

 

 Lilly Tran, OD

Dr. Tran is the current cornea and contact lens fellow at the University of Houston under the supervision of Dr. Jan Bergmanson. She is a proud recent 2022 graduate from The Ohio State College of Optometry, and received her bachelor of science degree in biology from the University of Texas at Arlington. She originates from Cleveland, Ohio, but grew up mostly in Dallas, TX, where her family currently resides. Outside of fitting specialty lens with Dr. Bergmanson, she also enjoys strolling through parks, meditating, trying all the delicious Houston food, and cheering on The OSU Buckeyes.

 

---

 

 Michael Twa, OD, PhD, FAAO

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.  

 

---

 

 Maria Walker, OD, PhD, FAAO, FSLS

Maria 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.

 

---

 

Ashley Wallace-Tucker, OD

Dr. Ashley Tucker graduated from UHCO where she also completed a Cornea and Contact Lens Residency. During her residency, she received extensive training and experience in the diagnosis and treatment of corneal and anterior segment diseases, in complex contact lens fits and myopia management. Dr. Tucker spends the majority of her clinic time managing patients who are in need of specialty contact lenses or myopia management. Dr. Tucker is a partner at Bellaire Family Eye Care and The Contact Lens Institute of Houston. She is also a visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Houston College of Optometry where she is the course master for the Ophthalmic Optics Laboratory. Through her affiliation with the University of Houston, she regularly provides continuing education on the topics of anterior segment disease, specialty contact lenses, myopia management and ophthalmic optics. Dr. Tucker is a member of the Speaker’s Bureau for the Specialty Division of Bausch Lomb, a consultant for CooperVision and SynergEyes, and a lecturer for the STAPLE (Soft Toric and Presbyopic Lens Experience) program. She currently serves as the Public Education Chair Elect for the Scleral Lens Education Society and is on the advisory board for the Gas Permeable Lens Institute (GPLI). 

7:00 AM - 8:00 AM	Check-In: Badge Pick Up and Seating
8:00 AM - 8:05 AM	Announcements & CE Credit Overview
8:05 AM - 8:55 AM	Myopia Management: the Past, the Present, and the Future Myopia is becoming a worldwide epidemic due to the significant increase in the number of people with the condition. By the year 2050, it is expected that 50% of the worlds population or nearly 5 billion people will have myopia. There are several effective strategies that can be implemented into clinical practice that will either prevent the onset or slow down the progression of myopia. by Ashley Wallace-Tucker, OD, FAAO, ABO Diplomate, FSLS	Credit Hours: 1.0 / D/T Cope ID: 80285-GO
8:55 AM - 9:45 AM	Stay away from me far point!: Evidence based myopia management Myopia management is rapidly becoming a staple of clinical practice. To best serve our patients, eye care practitioners should be familiar with the evidence base behind current treatment options. This course will summarize key research in myopia progression and how this data pertains to myopia management in clinical practice. by Eric Ritchey, OD, PhD, FAAO	Credit Hours: 1.0 / D/T Cope ID: 81787-GO
9:45 AM - 10:15 AM	Break & Exhibit Hall
10:15 AM - 11:05 AM	Ocular Biomechanics: Recent Advances and Clinical Applications This course will provide a brief introduction to ocular biomechanics and the factors that influence existing measurements of ocular stiffness and corneal hysteresis. New advances in ocular imaging and their uses for the management of ocular disease will be discussed. by Michael Twa, OD, PhD, FAAO	Credit Hours: 1.0 / D/T Cope ID: 81816-TD
11:05 AM - 12:00 PM	Monitoring Your Keratoconus Patient for Progression of the Disease by Jan Bergmanson, OD, PhD, FAAO	Credit Hours: 1.0 / D/T Cope ID: 81791-TD
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM	Lunch & Exhibit Hall
1:00 PM - 1:50 PM	Contemporary Developments in Ocular Diagnostic Technologies 2022 Diagnostic technologies in eye care are developing at exponential rates and enable the eye care practitioner to diagnose and manage a host of ocular disease states and visual challenges in ways that optimize vision & eye health, prevent vision loss and ensure a higher quality of life. This course will review a number of currently available diagnostic technologies that can have significant impact on our patient's lives. Both anterior segment and posterior segment disease early detection methods will be reviewed along with technologies that can optimize visual performance. Additionally, a number of ways that genetic testing can be used to assess disease risk will be covered. by Steven Barry Eiden, OD, FAAO, FSLS	Credit Hours: 1.0 / D/T Cope ID: 81795-TD
1:50 PM - 2:45 PM	Corneas on the Cutting Edge An in-depth look at the cornea will be dissected layer-by-layer, to understand physiology of the ocular surface. Will review several corneal anomalies, from microbial keratitis to Fuch's dystrophy and the options needed to treat these varying conditions. by Seema Nanda, OD	Credit Hours: 1.0 / D/T Cope ID: 81825-TD
2:45 PM - 3:15 PM	Break & Exhibit Hall
3:15 PM - 4:05 PM	New Thoughts on Keratoconus Prevalence and Its Impact on Clinical Management Classical description of the prevalence of keratoconus (KC) is typically stated as 1 in 2,000. This was based on older diagnostic methods utilized over 50 years ago. Today we have developed highly sensitive advanced diagnostic technologies that can detect KC prior to vision loss. This, in combination with our ability to control disease progression, makes early diagnosis critically important. Newer studies on KC prevalence utilizing these advanced technologies have indicated much higher rates in numerous populations. This course will review these studies as well as the impact they have on contemporary clinical management of keratoconus. by Steven Barry Eiden, OD, FAAO, FSLS	Credit Hours: 1.0 / D/T Cope ID: 81794-TD
4:05 PM - 5:00 PM	Where in the World Pathology: Practicing Where You Are with What You Have This interactive course is designed to provide attendees with an understanding of the practice of optometry in both austere and developed environments across the globe. Patients in several locations around the world provide clinical observations on dry eye disease with an emphasis on environmental elements and cultural concerns, as well as differences in types of foreign bodies. by Thomas Randy Kirby, OD	Credit Hours: 1.0 / D/T Cope ID: 81793-GO

7:00 AM - 8:00 AM	Check-In: Badge Pick Up and Seating
8:00 AM - 8:05 AM	Announcements & CE Credit Overview
8:05 AM - 8:55 AM	Dry Eye Disease: An Ageless Issue This course will highlight the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) across the ages. Diagnostic and treatment strategies will be addressed specific to the age ranges to combat this ever-increasing ocular surface issue. Along with aging changes, a contemporary look at what COVID and digital screen access has done to the exacerbation of ocular surface issues will be addressed. by William Miller, OD, PhD	Credit Hours: 1.0 / D/T Cope ID: 81797-TD
8:55 AM - 9:45 AM	Drought Management Today, Not Just for My Turf This course will focus on the multiplicity of treatment and management strategies for dry eye disease. The range of treatment will include over the counter eyedrops as well as mechanical and prescription drug interventions. by William Miller, OD, PhD	Credit Hours: 1.0 / D/T Cope ID: 81804-TD
9:45 AM - 10:10 AM	Break & Exhibit Hall
10:10 AM - 11:00 AM	Practicing Evidence Based Dry Eye This course is designed to provide attendees with updates relevant to clinical practice today and in the future. Evidence-based literature will be reviewed, updates in research by the speaker will be presented, and the subsequent progression of clinical practice will be discussed. The lecture will focus on the definition, diagnosis and treatment of dry eye disease using an evidence based clinical practice approach and how to structure one's clinic to achieve this. by Anita Ticak, OD, MS, FAAO	Credit Hours: 1.0 / D/T Cope ID: 81798-TD
11:00 AM - 11:50 AM	Dry Eye Therapies Trending Now An overview of the latest therapeutic options that are trending now in the world of dry eye disease. FDA approved treatments and ongoing clinical trials of upcoming medications will be examined and discussed. by Seema Nanda, OD	Credit Hours: 1.0 / D/T Cope ID: 81824-TD
11:50 AM - 12:00 PM	Dry Eye Session Panel by Bill Miller, OD, PhD, Anita Ticak, OD, MS, FAAO, Seema Nanda, OD	Cope ID:
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM	Lunch & Exhibit Hall
1:00 PM - 1:50 PM	Keep it Real: Relevance of Scleral Lens Research in Clinical Care This course is a hybrid between grand rounds and didactic, featuring case presentations from an academic specialty scleral lens clinic. The instructors will discuss challenging and customized scleral lens scenarios from the University of Houston College of Optometry. This integrative lecture will not only present clinic-based data but also will share clinical research data and discuss the relevance of different types of research in clinical care. The lecture will include interaction between presenters, whose complementary research and didactic roles in academia will create an interesting discussion. by Maria Walker, OD, PhD, FAAO & Karen Lee, OD, FAAO	Credit Hours: 1.0 / D/T Cope ID: 81801-CL
1:50 PM - 2:45 PM	Soft Lens Update: Big News from the Big Four The soft contact lens market is largely dominated by four industry leaders in the United States. Practitioners should be aware of the latest technologies available in the soft contact lens sector as this knowledge plays an integral role in the contact lens prescribing and recommendation process. This course will review recently released soft contact lenses from the four industry leaders, their material characteristics, surface optimization tactics and other optical advancements. by Karen Lee, OD, FAAO	Credit Hours: 1.0 / General Cope ID: Pending
2:45 PM - 3:15 PM	Break & Exhibit Hall
3:15 PM - 4:05 PM	The Multifocal Contact Lens A Solution for All Ages This course will discuss the use of multifocals from youth to old age. The course is set up to walk through multifocals as a solution for the young population, young adults, early presbyopes and full adults. It will highlight how these lenses play a role in many different seasons of life and how to incorporate this into your practice. The course is geared to create awareness of the many uses of the multifocal lens and to highlight all the different modalities and designs available. The attendee will learns fitting pearls, aspects of optimized vision and how to create vision solutions throughout a lifetime. by Anita Ticak, OD, MS, FAAO	Credit Hours: 1.0 / General Cope ID: Pending
4:05 PM - 5:00 PM	Special Care for Special Corneas This lecture describes cases utilizing specialty lenses in the treatment of corneal pathology, as well as provides further discussion on topics relevant to the cases such as pathophysiology, lens parameters, and clinical application and troubleshooting. by Christina Kinate, OD & Lilly Tran, OD	Credit Hours: 1.0 / D/T Cope ID: 81809-CL