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Suzanne MJ Fleiszig, OD, PhD, FAAO (l) and Stacey S. Choi, PhD, FAAO.


ORLANDO—The American Academy of Optometry Foundation (AAOF), in partnership with the Allergan Foundation, has announced two grant recipients this year in the areas of the anterior segment and glaucoma. The recipient of the Allergan Foundation Grant in the area of the anterior segment is Suzanne MJ Fleiszig, OD, PhD, FAAO. Dr. Fleiszig is a professor of optometry and vision science, microbiology, and infectious disease and immunity at the University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry. As the principal investigator, Dr. Fleiszig has been awarded a $60,000 grant for her project, “Relationship Between COVID-19 and the Eye.” Her collaborative team of co-investigators includes Eva Harris, PhD; University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, and Abby Kroken, PhD; University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry.

The recipient of the Allergan Foundation Grant in the area of glaucoma is Stacey S. Choi, PhD, FAAO. Dr. Choi is an associate professor at The Ohio State University, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Havener Eye Institute.

As the principal investigator, Dr. Choi has been awarded a $60,000 grant for her project, “Characterization of inner retinal changes in glaucoma suspects in comparison to glaucoma patients and age-matched controls through adaptive optics retinal imaging.”

Her collaborative team of co-investigators include Nathan Doble, PhD, Mark Slabaugh, MD, and Shelly Jain, MD; all from The Ohio State University, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Havener Eye Institute.

These highly competitive grants are awarded to talented optometrists and/or vision scientists, who are Academy Fellows, and are currently undertaking cutting edge research in the areas of glaucoma and/or the anterior segment, according to the announcement. This is the seventh year the Allergan Foundation has sponsored this generous grant through the AAOF.

The American Academy of Optometry Foundation is pleased to partner with the Allergan Foundation to recognize individuals whose work will contribute to the future of optometric care.

“We congratulate Drs. Fleiszig and Choi and their expert clinician-scientist teams on their grants,” said AAOF president Pete Kollbaum, OD, PhD, FAAO. “Their cutting-edge research will directly improve the care we are able to provide for our patients.”