Editorial Team

 

Co-Editors

 
 

 

Keith Smithson

ksmithson@sportsvisionpros.com

​Dr. Smithson is a concussion rehabilitation and sports vision enhancement specialist with the Northern Virginia Doctors of Optometry with offices in Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church and Reston Virginia.   He consults with multiple companies in the areas of sports and performance vision and post-concussion vision syndrome.He is the past chair of the American Optometric Association’s Sports and Performance Vision Committee.  He is the Director of Visual Performance for the Washington Nationals,as well as the Team Optometrist for the Washington Redskins, Wizards, Mystics, Spirit and DC United, and a visual performance consultant for the Washington Capitals.  He is also a founder of sportsvisionpros.com
 

Fraser Horn, OD, FAAO

fhorn@sportsvisionpros.com

​​Dr. Horn is the Associate Dean of Academic Programs and a Professor at Pacific University College of Optometry in Forest Grove, Oregon.  He teaches in multiple courses, including co-instructor of the Sports and Recreational vision elective course with Dr. Graham Erickson.  He is a past chair of the American Optometric Association’s Sports Vision Section and is a current member-at-large of the AOA Sports and Performance Vision Committee.Dr. Horn is currently working with amateur and professional athletes from multiple sports.  He is also the team Optometrist for Pacific University where he has instituted a vision screening program for all athletes.  He has been involved in multiple sports vision research projects and has lectured internationally on sports vision and primary care optometry.Dr. Horn is a partner of Sports Vision Pros LLC., which is an interprofessional online community dedicated to informing everyone about the role of vision and performance. Dr. Horn graduated from Pacific University College of Optometry and completed a residency in primary care and ocular disease at the Perry Point VA hospital.
 
 

Derek Cunningham, OD, FAAO


C
dcunningham@sportsvisionpros.com

​​Dr. Cunningham is the Director of Optometry and Research at Dell Laser Consultants in Austin, Texas.  He is a founding member and chair of the Integrated Ophthalmic Managed Eyecare Delivery Task Force by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and continues to serve as an education chairman for ASCRS.  He is the founding chief medical editor of Optometry’s only pathology based publication – Advanced Ocular Care.  He is also the author of The Surgical Minute column in Review of Optometry and the host of Innovations in Clinical Practice video series on Eyetubeod.com.  Previously, Dr. Cunningham was the resident education supervisor at the Division of Ophthalmology, Texas Tech School of Medicine at El Paso.

Dr. Cunningham’s advanced research cover a vast spectrum of eye are and neuroscience including; dry eye treatments, glaucoma medications and surgeries, retinal disease, cataract and lasik surgeries, cosmetic treatments and products, vision enhancement and sports vision. His innovative research has been presented at all major meetings ranging from the American Retinal society, the Academies of Ophthalmology and Optometry, to the American College of Sports Medicine. His research has been featured in many medical journals and showcased in publications such as Sports Illustrated and Forbes Magazine.
 

Dr Daniel M Laby

​Dr. Daniel M. Laby began his work in sports vision more than two decades ago with the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball, a relationship which continued for 18 seasons. Dr. Laby has also been responsible for the visual performance of the New York Mets and St Louis Cardinals, and he currently works with the Boston Red Sox (which he has done for more than a decade), as well as the Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs. Dr. Laby spent three seasons working with the National Basketball Association’s Boston Celtics as well as the National Hockey League’s Los Angeles Kings. He also worked with the US Olympic team prior to the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 and attended the games with the team. As a result of his quarter century of work in sports vision, Dr Laby has gathered a database of several thousand professional and Olympic level athletes, which he uses to guide interventions and treatments. Dr Laby has been fortunate to have contributed to an MLB American League Championship team as well as 4 World Series Championship teams.In addition, Dr Laby has organized 3 International sports vision meetings and has organized and moderates the Sports Vision ListServ. He is a frequent contributor and reviewer of sports vision scientific publications and serves as Director of Sports and Performance Vision at the State University of New York College of Optometry.
 
 

Editorial Review Board

Joseph Clark, PhD

Joseph Clark Ph.D. is a Professor of Neurology in the University of Cincinnati. He is the neuro expert for sports medicine at the University of Cincinnati and a Certified Athletic Trainer. Dr. Clark supervises the concussion program in athletics and manages the sports vision training program. The sports vision training program at the University of Cincinnati has seen an 80% drop in the concussion rate and improved performance parameters in multiple sports. With such data, Dr. Clark's clinical and research interests include the role of Neuro Visual Training and Conditioning to reduce injuries and improve performance in the competitive athlete. Dr. Clark's research includes preventing head injuries such as concussions but also using neuro visual oriented rehabilitation to aid in the recovery post traumaitic brain injury.  Dr. Clark obtained his Ph.D. in Physiology from Michigan State University studying arterial metabolism's role in the control of brain blood flow. He has post-doctoral training from the University of Paris (France) and Oxford University (UK). Dr. Clark has over 150 peer-reviewed publications. The NIH, American Heart Association and various non-profit organizations have funded him.   He also teaches and lectures widely. 


Graham Erickson, OD, FAAO, FCOVD

 

​Dr. Graham Erickson is a professor at Pacific University College of Optometry, and currently teaches the Vision Therapy, Strabismus/Amblyopia and Sports Vision courses. He has worked with collegiate, Olympic and professional sports athletes and teams for more than 25 years. Dr. Erickson has authored the text Sports Vision: Vision Care for the Enhancement of Sports Performance, as well as co-authoring the text Optometric Management of Reading Dysfunction, and published chapters and articles in various optometric journals. He lectures internationally on the topics of sports vision, pediatrics, and binocular vision.


Amanda Nanasy. OD

 

​Amanda Nanasy is co-owner of a 6-doctor private optometric practice in Pembroke Pines, FL as well as Director of the Florida Institute of Sports Vision.  Specializing in performance vision enhancement and vision rehab after TBI, she is currently a team doctor for the Miami Dolphins and UCF athletics and has consulted with several other professional and collegiate teams.  She is the Chair of AOA’s Sports and Performance Vision Board and an appointed member of the AOA TBI Taskforce.  She has been adjunct faculty for NSU Optometry where she co-developed their elective on Sports and Performance Vision.  She is now a faculty member and advisory board member for Performance Vision Academy, an educational component of Sports Vision Pros.  Dr. Nanasy owns a second location in Holy Cross Sports Medicine Clinic where she is part of their concussion care team.Dr. Nanasy is also passionate about private practice management.  She has served as the IDOC Member Director for South and Central Florida for 8 years, is a frequent author for Optometric Management and works as a consultant and faculty member for Alcon.Dr. Nanasy earned her bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Microbiology with a minor in Psychology from UCF, and a second Bachelors in Vision Science as well as her Doctoral degree in Optometry from Nova Southeastern University.  She is a member of a member of the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association, the International Sports Vision Association, the International Brain Injury Association/ North American Brain Injury Society and is pursuing her fellowship in the College of Optometrists in Vision Development.


Kathy Weise, OD

 

​Dr. Kathy Weise is a Professor of Optometry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry in Birmingham, AL. She is the Director of Pediatric Optometry Services and the Pediatric Residency Supervisor. She has been involved with NIH-funded, multi-center clinical trials for more than two decades studying myopia, convergence insufficiency, and strabismus and amblyopia. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group.Dr. Weise is the daughter of Coach Larry Niemann and the niece of ICO grad, Dr. Robert Niemann. With an optometrist uncle and football coach dad, it is natural for her to gravitate toward sports vision. Dr. Weise created BlazerVision at UAB, a deliberately collaborative effort between UAB Optometry, UAB Ophthalmology, and UAB Athletics. As part of BlazerVision, each UAB NCAA, division I team on campus has an optometry faculty member as their team eye doctor, providing comprehensive and acute eye care in addition to baseline and post-concussion eye care to all athletes on campus. As the Director of BlazerVision and the UAB football team eye doctor, Dr. Weise plays an important role in research and clinical care on the UAB Sports Medicine team. 

  


Adam Preston, OD

 

​Adam Preston is a native of Columbus, Ohio. He graduated with distinction from Pacific University with Master of Education (2010) and Doctor of Optometry (2011) degrees. After graduating, he reported to Naval Health Clinic Quantico, Virginia as Staff Optometrist in May 2011 and was selected as Optometry Department Head in the following year. During his tenure, he oversaw over 400 medical personnel in support of the 2013 Marine Corps Marathon: the Marine Corps’ largest public relations event. Following a successful tour, Dr. Preston reported to Naval Branch Health Clinic Bahrain in January 2014 as the first active duty U.S. optometrist permanently stationed in the Middle East.  During his tour, he served as Department Head of Ancillary Services and Command Managed Equal Opportunity program manager, oversaw preparation of the Clinic for a Medical Inspector General external inspection and led his department through Joint Commission and College of American Pathologists accreditation evaluations.  In 2016, Dr. Preston was selected for Full Time Out Service Training and is currently attending Pacific University in pursuit of a PhD in Vision Science. His research is focused on vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) adaptation in virtual reality and its association with motion sickness.Dr. Preston is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and a graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. He is an executive board member of the Armed Forces Optometric Society (AFOS); his contributions to Navy Medicine led to his selection as the 2015 AFOS Navy Junior Optometrist of the Year. He holds an Associate of Applied Science in Weather Technology from the Community College of the Air Force and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from The Ohio State University. His awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (2), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal and various other service and state awards.

 

David Kirschen, OD, PhD

 

​Dr. Kirschen is an Optometrist and a Vision Scientist.  He received his OD and PhD degrees from UC Berkeley. Dr. Kirschen has worked in sports vision with many professional sports teams for 27 years. He also worked with the US Olympic team and received the AOA Sports Vision Optometrist of the Year award.He is a fellow in the American Academy of Optometry and has served the Academy as Chair of the Papers and Program Committee, co-organizer of the Introduction to Leadership Course, and as President of the AAO Foundation for the last 4 years. Dr. Kirschen is also a Professor Emeritus of Optometry and Visual Science at the Southern California College of Optometry at MBKU and the Chief of Binocular Vision and Orthoptic Services at the Jules Stein Eye Institute. Dr. Kirschen has authored over 50 papers, 5 textbook chapters and has lectured extensively in the US and abroad for over 47 years.

Todd Daniels, MS

 

​Todd Daniels is a certified athletic trainer, strength and conditioning specialist, and massage therapist with over 20 years of experience working with elite athletes.  He spent the beginning of his career in soccer.  Teams have included the 2002 and 2005 NCAA Division 1 women’s soccer champions, University of Portland; and the US Men’s and Women’s National Soccer teams.  He has international experience with the United States Ski Team and has spent the last 11 years working with professional hockey players in the NHL, AHL, and WHL.Sports vision has been a special interest area for Daniels since 2002 when he began collaborating with Nike as a consultant on projects including the Hi-vis soccer ball, MaxSight contact lenses, Vapor Strobe Specs, and Sensory Station.  He has continued to advance sports vision in the athletic training community by serving as the official Liaison of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Board of Directors to the AOA and was awarded the Eagle Award in 2014 from the AOA Sports Vision Section.  Daniels has lectured extensively on sports vision to both the athletic training and optometry communities on topics including eye injury care, concussion management, and performance enhancement.

Dr. Kristine Dalton, OD, PhD, MCOptom, FAAO, FBCLA

 

​Dr. Kristine Dalton, OD, PhD, MCOptom, FAAO, FBCLA is an Associate Professor at the School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of Waterloo. Kristine holds an OD, MSc (tear film, dry eye), and Cornea & Contact Lens Residency from the University of Waterloo, and a PhD from Aston University (vision strategy of golf putting).  She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a Fellow of the British Contact Lens Association. Kristine became a faculty member at the School of Optometry & Vision Science in 2013 where she established the Vision & Motor Performance Lab and the Sports Vision Clinic and helped to establish the Brain Injury Clinic.  Kristine provides performance enhancement services for athletes and vision rehabilitation services for individuals with traumatic brain injury and concussion through the Sports Vision and Brain Injury clinics respectively.  Her research involves measuring functional aspects of vision performance in relation to sports performance, traumatic brain injury rehabilitation, and Paralympic classification for athletes with vision impairment. Kristine currently works with the International Paralympic and Canadian Paralympic Committees, Warrior Athletics (UW) and a number of other teams and athletes in the community. 

Dr. Alan Franklin, MD, PhD

 

​Dr. Franklin did ophthalmology residency at Saint Louis University where he was chief resident in 1996-1997, and then completed his clinical training at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for vitreoretinal diseases and surgery.  While at University of Iowa, Dr. Franklin secured both HEED and HEED-Knapp scholarships.  His research work on an anti-vascular agent as a candidate to treat retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration was awarded the best research project by an ophthalmic physician in training at the 1999 Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology meeting.Dr. Franklin has continued his interest and progress in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in his vitreoretinal practice.  He has served as principle investigator in a number of diabetic retinopathy and AMD trials.  He has presented his work at international meetings, and has published multiple manuscripts on candidate molecules to treat AMD and diabetic retinopathy.  His other primary interest is in surgical visualization.  He has authored multiple articles and presentations on 3D Digitally Assisted Vitreoretinal Surgery.  His surgical videos have been recognized by his colleagues multiple times as either video of the month of top ten video submissions of the year.  He has served on a number of advisory boards regarding this technology, and has presented both nationally and internationally. He is a founding member and chief medical officer of RFE Pharma, and has served on advisory boards for many major ophthalmic pharmaceutical companies such as Novartis, Alcon, Eyetech, Pfizer, and QLT.Dr. Franklin is board certified in ophthalmology.

Dr. Maria Lev

 

​Dr. Maria Lev is an Associate Researcher at the School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of Bar-Ilan, Israel. She received a Ph.D. from Tel Aviv University, Faculty of Medicine, in Brain Research and was trained as Postdoc fellow at the School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA.

​Dr. Maria Lev specializes in brain plasticity in individuals with impaired vision due to developmental problems (amblyopia, visual agnosia, and post cataract), aging (presbyopia), and vision rehabilitation of individuals with traumatic brain injury as well as those with normal vision. Dr. Lev has experience in enhancing visual performance in young individuals and athletes with superior vision. She has developed methods that evaluate visual performance under limiting conditions as well as training applications for enhancing vision performance. Currently in her joint fellowship research in the School of Optometry & Visual Science at the University of California at Berkley and at the School of Optometry & Visual Science at Bar-Ilan University, she is investigating the neural mechanism involved in the processing of visual information in the space and time domains as well as brain plasticity.