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Indiana University School of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine
Ophthalmology
Find the latest news and events for the Department of Ophthalmology at Indiana University School of Medicine.

Department News

Department of Ophthalmology Launches Technician Training Program

Applications are now being accepted for a one year certificate training program that will combine didactics and practical experience working in eye clinics. There is currently a shortage of skilled ophthalmic technicians nationwide.

The Ophthalmic Technician Training certificate is a year long program of hands on training and lectures with the expectation that the student will gain the knowledge and experience needed to sit for the Certified Ophthalmic Technician (COT) exam. Students will enroll through IU Indianapolis. They will follow the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Technician Training textbook curriculum. The students will have an opportunity to rotate through pediatrics and adult clinics at Riley Hospital for Children, Glick Eye Institute, and Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital.

News and Blogs Hub

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Neha Mahajan (left) and Surabhi Abhyankar working in Ashay Bhatwadekar’s lab. | Photo by Tim Yates, IU School of Medicine.
Faculty News

Researchers identify potential link between retinal changes and Alzheimers disease

the sun flares brightly around the dark moon during a total solar eclipse
Faculty News

Eclipse Eye Safety Q&A with David Plager, MD

On April 8, North America will experience its second total solar eclipse in seven years. The best part – Indiana is directly in its path, giving Hoosiers one of the best viewing sites across the U.S. Ophthalmology professor David Plager, MD, has some tips for you to be prepared to see the greatest sight nature offers and helps to answer common questions when it comes to protecting your eyes.

Tasneem Sharma, PhD

New research aims to develop novel therapeutic for glaucoma

INDIANAPOLIS—Researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine are using a novel approach to hopefully develop a new therapy for glaucoma, a complex disease that eventually leads to blindness, thanks to a new five-year, $2 million R01 grant from the National Eye Institute.

portrait of amir
Faculty News

Dr. Amir Hajrasouliha Receives 2023 Falk Trust Catalyst Award

Dr. Amir Hajrasouliha Receives 2023 Falk Trust Catalyst Award. Congratulations on this prestigious recognition!

headshots of taz and ethel
Faculty News

Ophthalmology Department Faculty and Staff Awards

Arupratan Das, PhD

Researchers discover therapeutic target to aid in glaucoma treatment

Indiana University School of Medicine researchers have identified a new therapeutic target that could lead to more effective treatment of glaucoma.

Dr. Iminashi teaching in the visual system graduate course
Grad Student Life

New vision science course starting in spring 2023

Biology of the Visual System (OPHT-V783) is an elective course focused on the biochemical, molecular and cell biological basis of vision.

Amir Hajrasouliha, MD and Afshin Izadian, PhD

Researchers take aim at vision loss with nano technology

Researchers from Indiana University School of Medicine and the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI are developing a solution for those experiencing vision impairment, thanks to a new $450,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health.

The cover of The Curious Eye, a diagnostic children's book used to screen for color blindness.
Faculty News

Faculty member helps make diagnostic children's book a reality

The Curious Eye is available to download for free at the Children's Eye Foundation, making it widely available to clinicians and parents. Gavin Roberts, MD, an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at IU School of Medicine, served as the medical advisor for the project.

Department awarded RPB grant

The Indiana University School of Medicine has been granted a Challenge Grant by Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) in the amount of $75,000 a year for four years to support eye research conducted by the Department of Ophthalmology.

This funding has been awarded based on a thorough review of criteria, including the department's research activities, laboratory environment, and clinical and scientific staff, as evaluated by RPB's renowned Scientific Advisory Panel. RPB Challenge Grants encourage growth for emerging eye research programs and recently appointed department chairs. The funds will be deployed at the discretion of the department chair, to provide opportunities for creative planning and research program development that go beyond the scope of restricted project grants.

Indiana University School of Medicine holds one of five RPB Challenge Grants nationwide.

Since it was founded in 1960, RPB has channeled more than $387 million into eye research. As a result, RPB has been identified with nearly every major breakthrough in vision research in that time. For information on RPB's grants program, listings of RPB institutional and individual grantees, and findings generated by these awards, go to www.rpbusa.org.