Biography

Dr. Jason Porter is an Associate Professor in Physiological Optics and Vision Science and in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Houston. He earned his BS, MS, and PhD in Optics from the University of Rochester's Institute of Optics. As a graduate student and postdoctoral fellow with David Williams, he worked in the areas of ocular aberration measurement, customized correction, and high-resolution retinal imaging using adaptive optics. During this time, he was lead editor for the book entitled, “Adaptive Optics for Vision Science,â€� a collaborative work that describes the principles and practices of adaptive optics in vision science.  

At the College of Optometry, Dr. Porter's laboratory investigates mechanisms responsible for the development and progression of neuro-ophthalmic and retinal-related conditions (including glaucoma, traumatic brain injury / concussion, and inherited retinal degenerations). Recent work has also examined how foveal structure changes during normal development and in myopia. Dr. Porter's laboratory has built an adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope to noninvasively image and monitor normal and diseased retinal structure on a cellular level in the same eyes over time. These experiments are often complimented with the use of clinical imaging techniques and visual function examinations to investigate structure-function relationships. The laboratory also conducts engineering research, often to facilitate its scientific goals, in areas such as optimizing methods of adaptive optics control and developing neural networks to automatically segment perfused retinal vasculature.  

In addition to his research and teaching responsibilities, Dr. Porter is an Associate Topical Editor for Optometry & Vision Science and an Associate Editor for Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.