UAB School of Optometry

11/06/2025

Paul Ajamian, OD, center director at Omni Eye Services of Atlanta, was the honored Springer lecturer for 2025 at the UAB School of Optometry. His lecture reflected on the evolution of co-management in eye care and shared insights on the future of the profession.

Ajamian explored the history of co-management, a collaborative approach between optometrists and ophthalmologists that has helped redefine the role of optometry in surgical care. He described the early days of co-management, when optometrists began participating in post-operative care, and explained how that shift helped elevate the profession’s standing in medical circles.

“We’ve come a long way,” Ajamian said. “But we must continue to evolve as a primary eye care profession.”

Paul Ajamian, OD, center director at Omni Eye Services of Atlanta, was the honored Springer lecturer for 2025 at the UAB School of Optometry. His lecture r

11/04/2025

The UAB School of Optometry proudly announces the official promotions of individuals whose work exemplifies our mission of advancing vision science, delivering exceptional patient care, and educating the next generation of optometric leaders. Congratulations to Janene Sims, OD, PhD, promoted to professor; Jennifer Craig, OD, appointed assistant professor; Alexander Meadway, PhD, promoted to research scientist; Alexia Vaughn, OD, MS, MBA, promoted to clinical associate professor; and Trenton Cleghern, OD, promoted to clinical associate professor. Each of these individuals reflects the leadership, innovation, and service that define our academic community.

10/31/2025

🎃👻 Happy Halloween! Today, students, residents, faculty and staff brought the building to life with costumes, candy, and contagious excitement. Trick-or-treating through the halls turned into a full-on celebration, and creativity stole the show!

10/30/2025

Myopia is a global epidemic that affects over 2 billion people worldwide and up to 90 percent of the population in East Asia. Safal Khanal, O.D., Ph.D., assistant professor, will serve as the principal investigator at UAB Clinical Center for the $25 million NIH-funded, five-year multicenter clinical trial to combat childhood myopia.

As one of the 14 clinic centers, UAB plans to enroll at least 45 children ages 6-11 years who are at high risk of developing myopia. Recruitment will occur in spring 2026.

UAB Optometry professor leads UAB in $25 million myopia prevention study

10/28/2025

Jessica Schiffbauer, OD, former Omni Eye Services in Atlanta ocular disease resident and an alumna of the New England College of Optometry, currently serves as a Medical Science Liaison at Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. An optometry school classmate and externship experiences inspired her to pursue a residency.

In this Q&A, she shares insights into the pivotal moments that shaped her career, the value of residency training, and the lessons that continue to influence her work in the pharmaceutical industry.

Jessica Schiffbauer, OD, former Omni Eye Services in Atlanta ocular disease resident and an alumna of the New England College of Optometry, currently serves as a Medical Science Liaison at Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. An optometry school classmate and externship experiences inspired her to pursue a....

10/23/2025

Eleven optometry professionals affiliated with UAB Optometry were recognized as Fellows during the American Academy of Optometry’s annual meeting. This honor reflects their commitment to advancing the profession through clinical excellence, research, and education.

UABSO congratulates Drs. Sunkanmi Arogbokun, Anastasia Logotheti, Abigail Witmer, Rohit Dhakal (pictured), David Dinh, Sourav Datta, Darian Travis, Emily Deng, Angelea Perez, Tiffany Jones, Mary Braden Mallory, Kayla Tucker Katsadouros, and Megan McCrory Turner on this achievement!

10/22/2025

Professor Om Srivastava, PhD, has retired from the UAB School of Optometry after more than three decades of service as a researcher and educator.

“I’ve always found joy in introducing new concepts in the lab and sharing knowledge about the eye in the classroom,” Srivastava said. “Seeing students grow and succeed—especially when they remind me years later of something I taught—has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career.”

Professor Om Srivastava, PhD, has retired from the UAB School of Optometry after more than three decades of service as a researcher and educator.

10/21/2025

Katherine Weise, OD, MBA, professor at the UAB School of Optometry, has been named the 2025 Optometric Educator of the Year by the Alabama Optometric Association (ALOA).

“I am humbled and honored to receive this award,” she said. “I love the students, I love the ‘Aha!’ moments they give me. But the most fun is when the student and I learn together while helping a patient.”

Katherine Weise, OD, MBA, professor, has been named the 2025 Optometric Educator of the Year by the Alabama Optometric Association (ALOA).

10/16/2025

On October 23, Continuing Education will launch the Faculty Spotlight Series with Dr. Nick Onken, a new initiative celebrating the expertise and innovation of our faculty. This fall, practicing optometrists are invited to attend three COPE-accredited webinars covering key topics in optometric care — including myopia control, neuro-optometry, and ocular disease.

Each session offers 2 hours of live virtual CE and features cutting-edge insights from UAB School of Optometry faculty. UAB faculty may attend free of charge. Learn more and register: https://buff.ly/LJhcgk7

10/15/2025

Amadou Bah, 33, who is visually impaired, once believed driving was out of reach. But with extensive training, support and determination, he now drives himself to work at Publix using bioptic driving, achieving one of his most significant goals.

"The greatest goal of any low vision practice is to help patients maintain their independence,” Call said. “Knowing your sight has been permanently damaged is hard enough; feeling like you're losing your freedom on top of that can be devastating. Watching patients regain that freedom, seeing them able to do things for themselves that they thought they'd lost forever, like driving a town over to visit family or shopping for their own groceries, is the reason I fell in love with low vision care.”

Amadou Bah, who is visually impaired, believed driving was out of reach. With extensive training, support and determination, he now drives himself to work.

10/14/2025

🎉 Happy Homecoming, Blazers! 💚🐉 UABSO brought the Blazer spirit to life during today’s Blazer Build It competition! Shoutout to our amazing first-year students, faculty, and staff for showing up and showing out! We missed our second-, third-, and fourth-year students—wish you could’ve joined the fun!

10/14/2025

Maxwell McCloy, Class of 2027, has been selected as the recipient of the J. Pat Cummings Award, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Vision. This award is bestowed annually to a second- or third-year student at each of the North American schools and colleges of optometry who best exemplifies the highest standards of optometric practice. Recipients are recognized for their academic excellence, leadership, and engagement in extracurricular and professional activities, including patient care, internships, community service, and volunteer efforts.