Function at The Forefront: A Conversation about Vision Rehabilitation

NEI and a panel of experts in the field of vision rehabilitation sit down for a live conversation about the field. Explore the speaker bios below to learn more about our panelists and explore more vision rehabilitation resources on NEI’s website: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-e...

Dr. Jullia Rosdahl is a board-certified and fellowship-trained glaucoma specialist at the Duke Eye Center in Durham, NC. Since completing her doctoral work on retinal ganglion cell biology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH, she has worked to save as many retinal ganglion cells as possible to preserve sight for her glaucoma patients. Dr. Rosdahl is an associate professor of ophthalmology at Duke University and serves as her department’s director of medical student education and chief wellness officer. She is also chair of NEI’s National Eye Health Education Program Planning Group (NEHEP).

Dr. Mark Wilkinson is a clinical professor of ophthalmology in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. He is a member of the University of Iowa’s Institute for Vision Research and the National Advanced Driving Simulator, a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, and chair of the Vision Rehabilitation Committee of the NEHEP Planning Group. He has published and lectured extensively on the care of people with visual impairment and driving with a visual impairment.

Omar Mohiuddin is an occupational therapist providing low vision rehabilitation services at the Duke Eye Center. In his current role, he sees clients with age-related and acute onset vision impairment and addresses how changes in vision affect performance challenges in activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living including, community and work accessibility, functional mobility, and driving safety. Over the past 10 years, Omar has worked in both clinical and non-profit eye care settings as well as academia doing research in the fields of preventive medicine, health disparities, and health communication.


Dr. Penny Rosenblum is the owner of the consulting company Vision for Independence, LLC. Her current research focuses on a range of topics related to children and adults with visual impairments and providing professional development. Dr. Rosenblum has more than 35 years of experience as a researcher, university professor, and teacher of students with visual impairments. She was born with cataracts and nystagmus and as an adult developed ocular hypertension.

Ed Haines has been with Hadley (https://hadley.edu/welcome-hadley) for over 15 years, currently serving as Chief Program Officer.  Ed has enjoyed a 25-year career in the field of vision rehabilitation, working for both state and private agencies as an administrator, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapist. He is a graduate of Western Michigan’s Blindness and Low Vision Studies Program and is a Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist.