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 2024

Kathlyn Bako
Project Title: Mapping the Radial-tangential Anisotropy of Three-dot Bisection in the Normal Periphery.
Faculty Mentor: Susana Chung

Jillian Fahey
Project Title: Investigating the Role of PGD2 Pathway in Ocular Hypertension.
Faculty Mentor: John Flanagan

Mikayla Kaliski
Project Title: Development of a Deep Learning Model for Detecting Mild, Moderate and Severe Glaucoma.
Faculty Mentor: Jorge Cuadros

Kaleigh (Tsaiwei) Lin
Project Title: Impact of Visual Acuity Chart Polarity on Refractive Outcome for Cataract Patients.
Faculty Mentor: Meng Lin

Iris Lu
Project Title: Development of a Head-Mounted Eye Tracker for Diagnostics of Neuro-Ophthalmological and Neurological Conditions.
Faculty Mentor: Debora Lee Chen

Yu Yi Lu
Project Title: The Locus of Redundancy Masking.
Faculty Mentor: Dennis Levi

Kendal McCarthy
Project Title: Childhood Outdoor and Near Work Behaviors in the REAL Growth Curves Study.
Faculty Mentor: Sarah Singh

Morgan Schetter
Project Title: Testing Color Vision with a New 6-Primary Projector.
Faculty Mentor: Will Tuten

Chenglei (Vera) Shan
Project Title: Reliability and Feasibility of a Software-Based VR System for Self-Monitoring Visual Changes.
Faculty Mentor: Yue (Maria) Liu

Monica Thu Do
Project Title: Optostatic Torsion Observed at Different Vergences.
Faculty Mentor: Jorge Otero Milan

Abigail Yun
Project Title: Investigating P. aeruginosa Persistence in Tear-Like Fluid.
Faculty Mentor: Suzanne Fleiszig

Summer 2023

Angela Deng
Project Title: Quantifying the Anti-myopia Dosage with OrthoK Treatment
Faculty Mentor: Maria Liu

Daisey Dominguez
Project Title: Evaluating the Immediate Retinal Reading Workflow in Safety Net Clinics
Faculty Mentor: Jorge Cuadros

Samantha Ito
Project Title: Device Use in Myopic and Non-myopic Children
Faculty Mentor: Elise Harb

Ashley Kawakudo
Project Title: Impact of Three Interventions for Nocturnal Lagophthalmos on Ocular Health Parameters
Faculty Mentor: Meng Lin

Vickie Kuo
Project Title: The Impact of Invisible Chromatic Flicker on Small Stimulus Detection
Faculty Mentor: William Tuten

Catrina Lam
Project Title: Recovering Stereopsis: Virtual Reality Stereo-Training Games for Amblyopic Patients
Faculty Mentor: Dennis Levi

Kaitlyn Lee
Project Title: The Mysterious Disappearing Act
Faculty Mentor: Austin Roorda

Nastasya Liem
Project Title: Interactive Technology to Improve Contact Lens Compliance in Children
Faculty Mentor: Sarah Singh

Muhammad Muhanna
Project Title: Bringing Color into Focus: How Humans Compensate for Longitudinal Chromatic Aberration During Accommodation
Faculty Mentor: Emily Cooper

Hayley Moon
Project Title: Discovery of a Prostaglandin Pathway in the Retina
Faculty Mentor: Karsten Gronert

Molly Vang
Project Title: Glial Response to Photoreceptor Transplantation in Non-Human Primate Retina
Faculty Mentor: Theresa Puthussery

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
Faculty Mentor: Prof Dennis Levi (faculty)

Diana Chau, SCCO
Project Title: Observing dark adaptation using an adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope (AOSLO)
Faculty 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.
Faculty 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
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Nancy McNamara (faculty)

Camellia Lee, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Time-dependent effect of low concentration atropine on accommodation and pupil size
Faculty 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.
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Marty Banks (faculty)

Colin Leung, SCCO
Project Title: Adherence to ophthalmology referral, treatment and follow-up
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Jorge Cuadros (faculty)

Debbie Lieu, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Ways that prediction can affect visual perception
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Michael Silver (faculty)

Samantha Lin, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Fixational eye movements under different conditions
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Austin Roorda (faculty)

Madison Sachs, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Navigating with low vision: the role of navigational aids and spatial reorientation.
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Emily Cooper (faculty)

Tyler Spilman, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Signals of immune cell recruitment in the cornea
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Suzi Fleiszig (faculty)

Jennifer Tran, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: AAV-mediated rescue for neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis
Faculty Mentors: Prof. John Flannery (faculty) & Emilia Zin (Vision Science graduate PhD student)

Summer 2018

Loukia Hadjiyianni, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Myopia and Intraocular Pressure
Faculty Mentors: Nevin El Nimri (VS grad student/clinician scientist), Christine Wildsoet (faculty)

Melissa Li, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: A Study of Gn Expression in the Aire KO Mouse Model
Faculty Mentor: Nancy McNamara (faculty)

Yuki Nakamura, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Validating a Staircase Procedure for use in a Saccadic Suppression Study
Faculty Mentor: Dennis Levi (faculty)

Dorothy Ng, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Human Lacriman Production Rates with Modified Schirmer Test
Faculty Mentors: Thao Yeh (Vis Sci graduate student/clinician scientist), Meng Lin (faculty)

Timothy Oh, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Rendering Chromatic Aberration to Improve Accommodation in real-Time
Faculty Mentor: Marty Banks (faculty)

Johnny Pascual, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Response to Hydrogen Peroxide when Pre-exposed to Tears
Faculty Mentors: Melinda Grosser (post doctoral fellow), Suzi Fleiszig (faculty)

Divya Reddy, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Compliance with Diabetic Retinopathy Screening and Outcome Improvement
Faculty Mentor: Jorge Cuadros (faculty)

Natalia Santizo, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: The Near Triad and Myopia Control
Faculty Mentors: Sarah Kochik (Vis Sci graduate student/clinician scientist), Christine Wildsoet (faculty)

Joanna Toner, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Foveal Hypoplasia: Structure and Function
Faculty Mentor: Susana Chung (faculty)

Elena Tran, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Ion Channel Mislocalization in Aging Cone Photoreceptors
Faculty Mentor: Teressa Puthessery (faculty)

Zhaotong Xu, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Vessel Formation During Development
Faculty Mentor: Lu Chen (faculty)

Yuija Zhang, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Cholinergic Effects on Visual Perceptual Learning
Faculty Mentor: Michael Silver (faculty)

Summer 2017

Briana Broussard, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Measuring the effects of high order aberrations on aniseikonia in keratoconus
Faculty Mentors: Cliff Schor (faculty)/Sangeetha Metlapally (clinician scientist)

Connie Chen, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Lipid mediators and sex-specific regulation of immune responses in dry eye disease
Faculty Mentors: Karsten Gronert (faculty)/Jessica Wei/Rebecca Flitter (postdoctoral fellow)

Justin Duong-Mac, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Pseudomonas aeruginosa adaptation to the cornea-contact lens environment
Faculty Mentors: Suzzi Fleiszig (faculty)/Matteo Metruccio (postdoctoral fellow)

Mohamed El Zeiny, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Oculomotor changes after VR exposure
Faculty Mentors: Dennis Levi (faculty)/Angelica Godinez (VS PhD graduate student)/Elise harb
(clinician scientist/VS PhD graduate student)

Angelica Estrella, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Characterizing differences between S and L/M cones in primate retina
Faculty Mentors: Theresa Puthussery (faculty)/Jacqueline Gayet (scientist)

Jessica Gee, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: The effect of stimulus size on the measurement of visual function
Faculty Mentors: John Flanagan (faculty)/ Luke Chong (postdoctoral fellow)

Claire Henry, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: The effect of longitudinal chromatic aberration on accommodation
Faculty Mentors: Marty Banks (faculty)/ Steve Cholewiak (postdoctoral fellow)

Danielle Kolschefski, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Teller acuity cards versus Berkeley preferential looking
Faculty Mentors: Debora Orel-Bixler (faculty)

Jamie Ngo, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Optimizing gene therapy delivery to mitochondrial retinal eye disease
Faculty Mentors: John Flannery (faculty)/ Cécile Fortuny (VS PhD graduate student)

Irene Tan, Southern California College Optometry
Project Title: A study of time- and dose-dependent effects on pupil size and accommodation of
topical atropine applied in low concentration
Faculty Mentors: Maria Liu (faculty)/Sarah Kochik (clinician scientist/(VS PhD graduate student)

Amy Wen, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Adherence to follow-up after telemedicine-based diabetic retinopathy screening
Faculty Mentors: Jorge Cuadros (faculty)/Taras Litvin (collaborator)

Felix Wong, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Does adapting to videos affect fixational eye movements?
Faculty Mentors: Susana Chung (faculty)/Mehmet Agaoglu (postdoctoral fellow)

Summer 2016

Anna Lily Xie, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Contact Lens-related Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Faculty Mentors: Suzi Fleiszig/Matteo Metruccio

Vincent Chan, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: High Order Aberrations Induced by Refractive Surgeries and their Effect on Stereo Acuity
Faculty Mentors: Sangeetha Metlapally/Cliff Schor

Kristi Choy, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Reflex versus Streak Retinoscopy as Screening Tools in Children
Faculty Mentor: Debora Orel-Bixler

Valerie Lim, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Dosing and Its Effect on Choroidal Thickness and Myopia Progression
Faculty Mentors: Elise Harb/Chris Wildsoet

Jennifer Nguyen, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: 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 Title: Effect of Anti-Glaucoma Drugs on Myopia Progression in Guinea Pigs
Faculty Mentors: Nevin El Nimri/Chris Wildsoet

Rachel Choi, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Gene Therapy in Retinal Degenerations
Faculty Mentors: John Flannery/Cecile Fortuny

Priscilla Chang, ICO
Project Title: ICO Treg Involvement in Sjogren Syndrome Development
Faculty Mentor: Nancy McNamara

Bee Bui, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Keratitis Visual Discomfort with Stereoscopic 3D Head Mounts
Faculty Mentor: Marty Banks

Charlotte Wang, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Relationship between Foveal Cone Density and Axial Length
Faculty Mentors: Austin Roorda/Sowmya Ravikumar

Fiona Yuan, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Virtual Reality: Not just for Gamers
Faculty Mentor: Dennis Levi

Tiffanie Truong, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Rate of Adherence To Treatment Recommendations For Sight-Threatening Diabetic Retinopathy
Faculty Mentors: Jorge Cuadros/Taras Litvin

Katherine McCracken, HCO
Project Title: Not All Dry Eye Questionnaires are Created Equal
Faculty Mentors: Meng Lin/Eric Li

Jessica Yuen, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: The Relationship between Ocular Surface Cooling and Ocular Comfort
Faculty Mentors: Meng Lin/Eric Li

Summer 2015

Molly Duong, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Amblyopia: Beyond the Critical Period
Faculty Mentor:Dennis Levi

Jup Grewal, Berkeley Optometry
Projct Title:The Role of Blur and Project: Disparity in Depth Perception
Faculty Mentor: Marty Banks

Kathie Huang, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Non-invasive vs. Invasive Tear Break Up Time: Why Are They Different?
Faculty Mentor: Meng Lin

Elysia Ison, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title:Atropine for Myopia Control
Faculty Mentor: Maria Liu

Nikita Katoozi PUCO
Project Title: Human Behaviors Related to Refractive Error
Faculty Mentors: Elise Harb/Chris Wildsoet

Hee Yoon, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Peripheral Refraction
Faculty Mentor: Stan Klein

Megan Lopez, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title:Factors allowing Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Traversal of Multilayered Human Corneal Epithelial Cells
Faculty Mentor: Suzi Fleiszig

Michael Rosner ACO
Project Title: Role of Wnt5a in corneal lymphangiogenesis
Faculty Mentor: Lu Chen

Shivani Sharma, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Investigating Corneal Innervation in Aqueous-Deficient Dry Eye Using an Ex Vivo Co-Culture Model
Faculty Mentor: Nancy McNamara

Lily Wang, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Elucidating the Bioactions of a Novel Molecule – LTB6
Faculty Mentor: Karsten Gronert

Camille Weissenberg, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title: Hard Exudates Proximity to the Fovea for Priority Referral of CSME
Faculty Mentor: Jorge Cuadros

Jennifer Wong, Berkeley Optometry
Project Title:Induced Higher Order Aberrations Post-Refractive Surgery and Stereo Acuity
Faculty Mentors: Sangeetha Metlapally/Cliff Schor

Diane Yan, SCCO
Project Title: Tear Evaporation Rate of Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Contact Lens Wearer
Faculty Mentor: Meng Lin