Researchers at the college of optometry are a diverse and collaborative group of first-rate vision scientists studying normal and abnormal visual processes, diseases and disorders of the eye and visual pathways. Our researchers investigate the mechanisms of development and maintenance of normal visual function and generate novel strategies to prevent loss of vision using multidisciplinary approaches (molecular, cellular, behavioral, computational, and optical) common to neuroscience and biomedical research. Patient-based research that includes local basic, clinical, and translational studies, as well as multicenter clinical trials is carried out in dedicated areas of the UH Health - Eye Care Center. Research efforts of the faculty are well funded by theNational Eye Institute (NEI), an institute within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), other federal agencies, as well as from private foundations, scientific organizations, and industry. Vision research at the University of Houston College of Optometry also benefits from NEI support for shared Core facilities and resources, and the training of research students.The high impact of vision research at the college of optometry has been further enhanced by the addition of several accomplished basic and clinician scientists who have joined the faculty. These scientists are strengthening existing and emerging interdisciplinary research clusters and centers in the college. Three of the clusters focus on disorders and diseases that present major public health concerns worldwide: myopia, glaucoma, and diabetes. Other cluster areas of increased strength include visual neuroscience applied to studies of
the retina, central visual pathway and oculomotor system and visual optics.

The two research centers currently housed in the college are The Ocular Surface Institute (TOSI) and The Texas Eye Research and Technology Center (TERTC). TOSI is a translational research center that brings together basic and clinical scientists to study ocular surface health and disorders and diseases such as ocular allergy, dry eye and keratoconus. TERTC research is focused on contact lens wear and various aspects of ocular health and pathology of the anterior eye, including the effects of refractive surgery and the environment on ocular tissues. Our world-class vision research carried out in individual labs, clusters and centers at our college is regularly presented at national and international conferences and appears frequently in high-profile refereed journals and other scholarly texts.