NEI Summer Research Projects
The NEI summer research program offers an ideal opportunity to determine whether research might be the right career choice for you. Students are given opportunities to conduct research in a variety of scientific disciplines and present their findings to faculty and fellow students. Below you’ll find selected presentations by our first-year student researchers.
Summer 2022
Julien Belen
Project Title: Beyond V1: Interocular Difference in Visual Search
Faculty Mentor: Dennis Levi
Isabel Groth
Project Title: Retinal Motion Direction & Visual Acuity
Faculty Mentor: William Tuten
Jennifer Hwang
Project Title: Challenges of Measuring Choroidal Thickness, a Promising Biomarker for Myopia Control Efficacy
Faculty Mentor: Yue (Maria) Liu
Lauren King
Project Title: An Investigation of the Diurnal Regression of Orthokeratology Lenses
Faculty Mentor: Sarah Singh & Elise Harb
Joanna Lopez
Project Title: Patient Education for Diabetic Retinopathy Screenings using Artificial Intelligence
Faculty Mentor: Jorge Cuadros
Alisa Molina
Project Title: Factors Affecting Contact Lens Discomfort: An Investigation into Tear Production Rate
Faculty Mentor: Meng Lin
Adrienne Ngo
Project Title: Investigating Retinal Structure-Function Relationship using MAIA and OCT with Co-Registration
Faculty Mentor: Susana Chung
Svetlana Nunez Flores
Project Title: Effects of Daily Transient Lens-induced Myopic Defocus on the Inhibition of Myopia Progression in Chicks
Faculty Mentor: Christine Wildsoet & Yan Zhang
Clara (Tenia) Wang
Project Title: Learning Disparity Selectivity from Natural Scene Statistics
Faculty Mentor: Bruno Olshausen
Ina Wang
Project Title: Effects of Exogenous Attention in a Uniform Ensemble Perception Task
Faculty Mentor: Michael Silver
Jessica Zhang
Project Title: Comparison of Two Pediatric Stereoacuity Tests: The BEST Way to PASS a Stereoacuity Test
Faculty Mentor: Debora Orel-Bixler
Amy Zheng
Project Title: Mechanisms Driving Aberrant Neural Activity in Retinal Degeneration
Faculty Mentor: Teresa Puthussery
Summer 2021
Tammi Tse, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Effects of Environmental Irregularities on Visual Discomfort in Virtual Reality
Faculty Mentor: Dennis Levi
Baochau Vu, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: The Preferred Retinal Location of Fixation for S-cones
Faculty Mentor: Will Tuten
Charles Ang, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: What crowds?
Faculty Mentor: Susana Chung
Isabel Kazour, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Optometry and COVID-19: Bay Area Response
Faculty Mentor: Nancy McNamara
Amy Chen, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Power Profiles of Soft Contact Lenses: Single Vision and Multifocal Lenses
Faculty Mentor: Maria (Yue) Liu
Vivian Pham, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Comparing Axial Length and Corneal Topography Measurements From Three Different Clinical Instruments
Faculty Mentor: Sarah Singh
Mihret Girum (Int), Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Effect of Illusory Tilt on Optostatic Torsion
Faculty Mentor: Jorge Otero-Millan
Michael (Ling) Chang, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Building a dataset of ambiguous images containing multiple scene categories
Faculty Mentor: Michael Silver/Julie Self (VS graduate student)
Michelle Hoang, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Assessing the Validity of Pediatric Contrast Tests
Faculty Mentor: Debora Orel-Bixler
Sarah Azmoodeh, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Neuroprotective Lipid Pathways in the Retina and Optic Nerve
Faculty Mentor: Karsten Gronert
Helen Tasho, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Diurnal Variability in Tear Production Rate
Faculty Mentor: Meng Lin
Summer 2020
Sara Abboud, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Culturing Mouse Primary Epithelial Cells to test Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Infection
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Suzi Fleiszig
Zita Alamparambil, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Understanding Motion Perception Biases in Patients with Low Vision
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Emily Cooper
Samantha Chan, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Keep Your Eye on the Prize: Visual Search and Attention
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Dennis Levi
Jina Chong, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: A Systematic Review on Schirmer Strip Test
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Meng Lin
Katherine Gee, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Systematic Quantification of Post-Orthokeratology Corneal Shape and the Application in Myopia Research.
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Maria Liu
Elizabeth Gove, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Is Quarantine Myopia Real?
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Christine Wildsoet
Tiffany Luu, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Validity of the Cardiff Acuity Tests
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Debora Orel-Bixler
Dana Nguyen, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Comparison of Human Commercial Algorithm and Open Source Algorithm for Diabetic Retinopathy Evaluation
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Jorge Cuadros
Elsie Sawai, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Human Behavior Dynamics and Myopia
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Elise Harb
Emmy Tian, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Distance versus Near Center Multifocal Soft Contact Lenses for Myopia Control
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Sarah Kochik
Frances Tsai, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Primary Eye Care Demonstration Project to reduce Incidence and Morbidity of Chronic Diseases through Early Detection
Faculty Mentors: Prof. Nancy McNamara & Prof. John Flanagan
Summer 2019
Michelle Antonucci, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Improving meridional acuity deficits in astigmatism-related amblyopia by grating acuity training
Mentor: Prof Dennis Levi (faculty)
Diana Chau, SCCO
Project Title: Observing dark adaptation using an adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope (AOSLO)
Mentor: Prof. Will Tuten (faculty)
Tiffany Fung, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Understanding the structure-function relationship of the preferred retinal locus in patients with
macular diseases.
Mentor: Prof. Susana Chung (faculty)
Mathew Koppinger, Mid-Western Arizona College of Optometry
Project Title: Defining early disease corneal changes in a Sjogren’s syndrome model
Mentor: Prof. Nancy McNamara (faculty)
Camellia Lee, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Time-dependent effect of low concentration atropine on accommodation and pupil size
Mentors: Prof. Maria Liu (faculty) & Dr Sarah Kochik (Vision Science graduate PhD student)
Jessica Liaw, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Are accommodation lags and leads real? Measuring the eyes true state of focus.
Mentor: Prof. Marty Banks (faculty)
Colin Leung, SCCO
Project Title: Adherence to ophthalmology referral, treatment and follow-up
Mentor: Prof. Jorge Cuadros (faculty)
Debbie Lieu, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Ways that prediction can affect visual perception
Mentor: Prof. Michael Silver (faculty)
Samantha Lin, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Fixational eye movements under different conditions
Mentor: Prof. Austin Roorda (faculty)
Madison Sachs, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Navigating with low vision: the role of navigational aids and spatial reorientation.
Mentor: Prof. Emily Cooper (faculty)
Tyler Spilman, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Signals of immune cell recruitment in the cornea
Mentor: Prof. Suzi Fleiszig (faculty)
Jennifer Tran, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: AAV-mediated rescue for neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis
Mentors: Prof. John Flannery (faculty) & Emilia Zin (Vision Science graduate PhD student)
Summer 2018
Loukia Hadjiyianni, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Myopia and Intraocular Pressure
Mentors: Nevin El Nimri (VS grad student/clinician scientist), Christine Wildsoet (faculty)
Melissa Li, Berkeley Optometry
Project: A Study of Gn Expression in the Aire KO Mouse Model
Mentor: Nancy McNamara (faculty)
Yuki Nakamura, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Validating a Staircase Procedure for use in a Saccadic Suppression Study
Mentor: Dennis Levi (faculty)
Dorothy Ng, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Human Lacriman Production Rates with Modified Schirmer Test
Mentors: Thao Yeh (Vis Sci graduate student/clinician scientist), Meng Lin (faculty)
Timothy Oh, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Rendering Chromatic Aberration to Improve Accommodation in real-Time
Mentor: Marty Banks (faculty)
Johnny Pascual, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Response to Hydrogen Peroxide when Pre-exposed to Tears
Mentors: Melinda Grosser (post doctoral fellow), Suzi Fleiszig (faculty)
Divya Reddy, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Compliance with Diabetic Retinopathy Screening and Outcome Improvement
Mentor: Jorge Cuadros (faculty)
Natalia Santizo, Berkeley Optometry
Project: The Near Triad and Myopia Control
Mentors: Sarah Kochik (Vis Sci graduate student/clinician scientist), Christine Wildsoet (faculty)
Joanna Toner, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Foveal Hypoplasia: Structure and Function
Mentor: Susana Chung (faculty)
Elena Tran, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Ion Channel Mislocalization in Aging Cone Photoreceptors
Mentor: Teressa Puthessery (faculty)
Zhaotong Xu, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Vessel Formation During Development
Mentor: Lu Chen (faculty)
Yuija Zhang, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Cholinergic Effects on Visual Perceptual Learning
Mentor: Michael Silver (faculty)
Summer 2017
Briana Broussard, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Measuring the effects of high order aberrations on aniseikonia in keratoconus
Mentors: Cliff Schor (faculty)/Sangeetha Metlapally (clinician scientist)
Connie Chen, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Lipid mediators and sex-specific regulation of immune responses in dry eye disease
Mentors: Karsten Gronert (faculty)/Jessica Wei/Rebecca Flitter (postdoctoral fellow)
Justin Duong-Mac, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Pseudomonas aeruginosa adaptation to the cornea-contact lens environment
Mentors: Suzzi Fleiszig (faculty)/Matteo Metruccio (postdoctoral fellow)
Mohamed El Zeiny, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Oculomotor changes after VR exposure
Mentors: Dennis Levi (faculty)/Angelica Godinez (VS PhD graduate student)/Elise harb
(clinician scientist/VS PhD graduate student)
Angelica Estrella, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Characterizing differences between S and L/M cones in primate retina
Mentors: Theresa Puthussery (faculty)/Jacqueline Gayet (scientist)
Jessica Gee, Berkeley Optometry
Project: The effect of stimulus size on the measurement of visual function
Mentors: John Flanagan (faculty)/ Luke Chong (postdoctoral fellow)
Claire Henry, Berkeley Optometry
Project: The effect of longitudinal chromatic aberration on accommodation
Mentors: Marty Banks (faculty)/ Steve Cholewiak (postdoctoral fellow)
Danielle Kolschefski, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Teller acuity cards versus Berkeley preferential looking
Mentors: Debora Orel-Bixler (faculty)
Jamie Ngo, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Optimizing gene therapy delivery to mitochondrial retinal eye disease
Mentors: John Flannery (faculty)/ Cécile Fortuny (VS PhD graduate student)
Irene Tan, Southern California College Optometry
Project: A study of time- and dose-dependent effects on pupil size and accommodation of
topical atropine applied in low concentration
Mentors: Maria Liu (faculty)/Sarah Kochik (clinician scientist/(VS PhD graduate student)
Amy Wen, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Adherence to follow-up after telemedicine-based diabetic retinopathy screening
Mentors: Jorge Cuadros (faculty)/Taras Litvin (collaborator)
Felix Wong, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Does adapting to videos affect fixational eye movements?
Mentors: Susana Chung (faculty)/Mehmet Agaoglu (postdoctoral fellow)
Summer 2016
Anna Lily Xie, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Contact Lens-related Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Faculty Mentors: Suzi Fleiszig/Matteo Metruccio
Vincent Chan, Berkeley Optometry
Project: High Order Aberrations Induced by Refractive Surgeries and their Effect on Stereo Acuity
Faculty Mentors: Sangeetha Metlapally/Cliff Schor
Kristi Choy, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Reflex versus Streak Retinoscopy as Screening Tools in Children
Faculty Mentor: Debora Orel-Bixler
Valerie Lim, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Dosing and Its Effect on Choroidal Thickness and Myopia Progression
Faculty Mentors: Elise Harb/Chris Wildsoet
Jennifer Nguyen, Berkeley Optometry
Project: A Study of Time and Dose-dependent Effects of Low Concentration Atropine on Accommodation and Pupil Size
Faculty Mentors: Sarah Kochik/Maria Liu
Ghazal Naseri, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Effect of Anti-Glaucoma Drugs on Myopia Progression in Guinea Pigs
Faculty Mentors: Nevin El Nimri/Chris Wildsoet
Rachel Choi, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Gene Therapy in Retinal Degenerations
Faculty Mentors: John Flannery/Cecile Fortuny
Priscilla Chang, ICO
Project: ICO Treg Involvement in Sjogren Syndrome Development
Faculty Mentor: Nancy McNamara
Bee Bui, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Keratitis Visual Discomfort with Stereoscopic 3D Head Mounts
Faculty Mentor: Marty Banks
Charlotte Wang, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Relationship between Foveal Cone Density and Axial Length
Faculty Mentors: Austin Roorda/Sowmya Ravikumar
Fiona Yuan, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Virtual Reality: Not just for Gamers
Faculty Mentor: Dennis Levi
Tiffanie Truong, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Rate of Adherence To Treatment Recommendations For Sight-Threatening Diabetic Retinopathy
Faculty Mentors: Jorge Cuadros/Taras Litvin
Katherine McCracken, HCO
Project: Not All Dry Eye Questionnaires are Created Equal
Faculty Mentors: Meng Lin/Eric Li
Jessica Yuen, Berkeley Optometry
Project: The Relationship between Ocular Surface Cooling and Ocular Comfort
Faculty Mentors: Meng Lin/Eric Li
Summer 2015
Molly Duong, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Amblyopia: Beyond the Critical Period
Faculty Mentor:Dennis Levi
Jup Grewal, Berkeley Optometry
Projct:The Role of Blur and Project: Disparity in Depth Perception
Faculty Mentor: Marty Banks
Kathie Huang, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Non-invasive vs. Invasive Tear Break Up Time: Why Are They Different?
Faculty Mentor: Meng Lin
Elysia Ison, Berkeley Optometry
Project:Atropine for Myopia Control
Faculty Mentor: Maria Liu
Nikita Katoozi PUCO
Project: Human Behaviors Related to Refractive Error
Faculty Mentors: Elise Harb/Chris Wildsoet
Hee Yoon, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Peripheral Refraction
Faculty Mentor: Stan Klein
Megan Lopez, Berkeley Optometry
Project:Factors allowing Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Traversal of Multilayered Human Corneal Epithelial Cells
Faculty Mentor: Suzi Fleiszig
Michael Rosner ACO
Project: Role of Wnt5a in corneal lymphangiogenesis
Faculty Mentor: Lu Chen
Shivani Sharma, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Investigating Corneal Innervation in Aqueous-Deficient Dry Eye Using an Ex Vivo Co-Culture Model
Faculty Mentor: Nancy McNamara
Lily Wang, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Elucidating the Bioactions of a Novel Molecule – LTB6
Faculty Mentor: Karsten Gronert
Camille Weissenberg, Berkeley Optometry
Project: Hard Exudates Proximity to the Fovea for Priority Referral of CSME
Faculty Mentor: Jorge Cuadros
Jennifer Wong, Berkeley Optometry
Project:Induced Higher Order Aberrations Post-Refractive Surgery and Stereo Acuity
Faculty Mentors: Sangeetha Metlapally/Cliff Schor
Diane Yan, SCCO
Project: Tear Evaporation Rate of Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Contact Lens Wearer
Faculty Mentor: Meng Lin