Karla Zadnik, O.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Karla Zadnik has been studying nearsightedness – or myopia – in children for nearly 20 years. It is known that the onset of myopia occurs in a large segment of the population at a very early age. Her research has been designed to try to discover what makes the difference in children – what characteristics or activities impact the development of myopia – as children grow up. Her study has examined nearly 5000 children in multiple ethnic and geographic groups over the period of their eight years in elementary and middle school.
While still working on analyzing the data, certain indicators have emerged as significant in the life of a child. Dr. Zadnik addresses those indicators in this interview. She also discusses the difficulty of such large and diverse longitudinal studies, and the dedication of her collaborators, staff and subjects as they pursued the project.
Dr. Zadnik is now Associate Dean of OSU’s College of Optometry, and – among other professional activities – co-chair of the Institutional Review Board, a peer review group for research.
A short preview is also available.