I am delighted to tell you that Susana Chung has accepted our offer and will be joining the faculty of the School of Optometry this Fall. As you know, the search committee recommended that we seek permission to appoint Susana based on the following criteria:
Excellence in research and teaching. Susana Chung has the potential to be leader in the field who will develop an independent, active research program that is relevant to our mission and is likely to secure external funding; and who have the potential to be excellent teachers in the training of future optometrists, vision scientists and clinician-researchers.
Fit with our programmatic needs in teaching and research. Susana Chung would bring a new and important research direction for the school. She offers exciting opportunities for synergy, and complements our existing expertise. Her work is in line with where the field (and likely funding) are going.
Fit with our mission to train and provide role models for future clinicians and clinician scientists. Susana Chung is a clinician-scientist whose research is informed by her clinical expertise and interests, and which in turn promises to improve clinical diagnosis and management in individuals with low vision.
An important part of the mission of the school is to translate the gains made in basic sciences to patient care, and to train a new generation of clinician scientists. This requires bringing new faculty, with active research programs in patient-based translational research, to the School of Optometry. For the present search, our faculty cast a broad net, seeking to attract an outstanding young faculty member with a demonstrated commitment to patient-based translational research. We sought an individual who would integrate their basic science research program into our clinical program, and advance and strengthen both. Susana Chung fits these criteria perfectly.
Susana's area of research is in low vision. Low vision, most often due to age related macular degeneration (AMD), afflicts millions of people world-wide and the prevalence of AMD is projected to grow dramatically as the population ages. Reading difficulty is the primary clinical complaint of individuals with low-vision, and retaining the ability to read is the main goal of these patients. Most of Dr. Chung's research has been aimed at understanding the factors that limit low vision patients' ability to read.
Dr. Chung uses rigorous psychophysical and imaging methods to study the capabilities of normal human subjects and patients with low vision. Patients with low vision due to AMD are unable to use their central vision to read, recognize faces or do other tasks that are critical to daily life. Therefore they have to use peripheral vision for these tasks. Her work represents rigorous, innovative research that is at the intersection of basic and clinical science. It has the capacity to inform clinicians, and her research is in turn informed and inspired by clinical problems. Her work has been widely published and extensively cited, and her research has been well funded by the National Eye Institute
Susana Chung promises to be a fine scholar, teacher and colleague. She is held in high esteem by her colleagues and peers. In his letter, Vice Provost Zedeck wrote: "Reviewers agree that Chung is an excellent choice for appointment, and they congratulate the School for identifying her." So — congratulations, and please join me in welcoming Susana Chung to our faculty.
