College of Optometry - College Faculty - College of Optometry - Western University of Health Sciences

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College of Optometry

College of Optometry - College Faculty

	Mohammed Al-Tikriti, PhD, MSc - Associate Professor of Anatomy Dr. Al-Tikriti joins WesternU as an Associate Professor of Anatomy with a joint appointment between the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific and the College of Optometry. Dr. Al-Tikriti joins us from Saint James School of Medicine, Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, where he taught Neuroscience and Histology.
	Chris Chase, PhD - Professor Dr. Chase joins WesternU from Southern California with over 20 years of experience in academia and research, with a special interest in studying the relationship between reading and vision. Currently, he is exploring accommodation dysfunction and its impact on reading and visual discomfort. He has over 50 publications, and his research has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and private foundations. His experience and passion for research will be a great asset to the College of Optometry and the Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences.
	Paul Dobies, OD, FAAO - Assistant Professor Dr. Dobies joins WesternU from Southern California and brings over 30 years of experience in primary medical vision care and clinical education. Dr. Dobies has a deep passion for building bridges of communication between providers and patients. He has cared for over 100,000 patients in group eye practices and multidisciplinary healthcare networks. Dr. Dobies enthusiastically shows in practice, lecture, and lab "there is always more to vision than meets the eye."
	Tiffenie Harris, OD, FAAO - Associate Professor Dr. Harris joins WesternU from Indiana University School of Optometry where she was a Clinical Assistant Professor and Chief of Primary Care for the past 4 years. She also served as the course instructor for the theory and method courses in ocular health assessment. Prior to that, Dr. Harris practiced primary care optometry for 10 years in the Southeastern Michigan metropolitan area. She has practiced in a variety of clinical settings including a multidisciplinary medical center. Her knowledge and experience in optometric practice, as well as her passion for teaching, will help develop a strong curriculum that will teach our students how to be caring and compassionate doctors.
	Robert Lee, OD, - Associate Professor Dr. Lee joins WesternU from Southern California College of Optometry where he was Chief of Optical Services and Coordinator of the Ophthalmic Optics curriculum. He also served as lab instructor for clinical methods courses as well as clinical faculty in Primary Care and Low Vision. Prior to his tenure as an optometric educator, Dr. Lee was in private practice. Before receiving his Doctor of Optometry degree he worked as a dispensing optician and vision therapist. His clinical practice background has served him well in education as he brings private practice experience and perspective to the classroom and clinical settings.
	Raymond Maeda, OD, FAAO - Chief of Primary Care Optometry, Associate Professor Dr. Maeda joins WesternU from the Indian Health Service at Hu Hu Kam Memorial Hospital in Sacaton, Arizona where he was the Chief of Optometry. Prior to that, Dr. Maeda was the Assistant Dean for External Clinical Programs and an Assistant Professor at Southern California College of Optometry. As the Chief of Primary Care in Optometry, he will serve as the liaison for the development of the primary care clinical practice and the didactic and clinical optometry curriculum. Dr. Maeda's excellent track record of experience and contributions in the interprofessional delivery of healthcare and optometric education and his particular expertise in the integrated care of diabetic patients will be very valuable to both the College of Optometry and the other eight health professions Colleges here at WesternU.
	Lance McNaughton, OD, PhD - Assistant Professor Dr. McNaughton joins us from the Washington, DC region where he was in private practice since 2006. Several years earlier he came to the USA to begin clinical practice in South Carolina. Originally from Canada, he initially served as a faculty member and clinician at a College of Optometry in Madrid, Spain. At the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, Dr. McNaughton obtained a PhD in pharmacology. Subsequently, he earned his OD degree from the New England College of Optometry in Boston. Dr. McNaughton combines a strong background in diagnostics and therapeutics with a fresh blend of contemporary insight and perspective into student affairs.
	Kierstyn Napier-Dovorany, OD, FAAO - Chief of Low Vision, Assistant Professor Dr. Napier joins WesternU from the Veterans Health Administration in Saginaw, MI where she was the team leader for the newly developed low vision/blind rehabilitation program. Since graduating from the New England College of Optometry in 2005, she has been a clinical educator for optometry students and residents as well as medical residents who rotated through the eye clinic. Dr. Napier had previously practiced in a wide variety of clinical settings. She has a passion for education and believes very strongly in multidisciplinary education and practice. Her enthusiasm for optometry and compassion for patient care will lead our students to be at the forefront of optometry.
	Kristy Remick-Waltman, OD, FCOVD - Director of Community Outreach, Assistant Professor Dr. Remick-Waltman joins WesternU from Northern California where she was in private practice for 25 years specializing in vision rehabilitation and therapy. Dr. Remick-Waltman has worked with the San Bernardino Juvenile Hall in the Vision Perception clinic and with the California State Legislature on children's vision issues. As the Director of Community Outreach, she will serve as the liaison for the development of the community screenings and clerkship clinical optometry curriculum. Her knowledge and experience will be extremely beneficial in setting up the community screenings with the Pomona Unified School District. Her background in vision therapy and rehabilitation will be very beneficial in assisting in the development of the pediatrics, binocular vision, and neuro-optometric curricula.
	Frank Spors, EurOptom, MSc - Assistant Professor Mr. Spors joins WesternU from Germany where he was previously teaching Physiological Optics, Contact Lens Sciences, and Low Vision courses as well as practicing in the clinical setting. He received his European Diploma in Optometry (EurOptom) in 2004 in London and his Master of Science in Clinical Optometry (MSc) in 2006 from Salus University Pennsylvania College of Optometry. Mr. Spors teaches in the optics curriculum track and is pursuing cutting-edge research opportunities in wave front analysis.
	Vaibhav Tiwari, PhD - Assistant Professor of Virology Dr. Tiwari joins WesternU as an Assistant Professor of Virology with a joint appointment between the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific and the College of Optometry. Dr. Tiwari joins us from the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he conducted research on herpes simplex virus (HSV) entry receptors and the mode of viral entry in to the natural target cells including cells of corneal fibroblasts isolated from human eye donors. Dr. Tiwari's research work to understand the molecular mechanism of HSV entry/spread into ocular cell will benefit both the College of Optometry and the optometric profession.
	Jasmine Yumori, OD - Assistant Professor Dr. Yumori joins WesternU from the West Los Angeles VA Health Care Center, where she completed her residency training in geriatric and primary care optometry. An honors graduate of the UC Berkeley School of Optometry, Dr. Yumori also completed her undergraduate training with honors in biology and psychology at UC Berkeley. Dr. Yumori enjoys traveling abroad as part of the Volunteer Optometric Service Organization to provide eye care in developing countries and is currently a candidate for Fellowship of the American Academy of Optometry.

Last Updated:09/16/2009