Dr. Frank Schaeffel, professor of neurobiology of the eye at the Institute for Ophthalmic Research at the University of Tübingen (Germany), will receive the honorary Doctor of Science .
“We are thrilled to recognize Dr. Schaeffel for his work to expand access to care and advance our understanding of vision, respectively,” said SUNY Optometry President David A. Heath. “His global effort are truly remarkable and worthy of recognition.”
Dr. Frank Schaeffel is a world-recognized vision scientist who has had a significant impact on the understanding of visual regulation of eye growth and the development of myopia (nearsightedness). His multidisciplinary work has combined aspects of cell and molecular biology, physiological optics and vision research and he has developed optical instrumentation to accelerate progress across the field. Professor Schaeffel has been a generous collaborator with many researchers around the world throughout his career and supported SUNY Optometry’s research efforts to explore the visual regulation of eye growth and the optical development of the eye. This work has been translated into emerging evidence-based treatments for the management of myopia. He studied biology and physics and ultimately received his PhD in biophysics from the University of Freiburg.
The SUNY Board of Trustees votes and grants approval for all honorary degree recipients.
About SUNY Optometry
Founded in 1971 and located in New York City, the State University of New York College of Optometry is a leader in education, research, and patient care, offering the Doctor of Optometry degree as well as MS and PhD degrees in vision science. The College conducts a robust program of basic, translational, and clinical research and has 65 affiliated clinical training sites. SUNY Optometry is regionally accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools; its four-year professional degree program and residency programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education of the American Optometric Association. All classrooms, research facilities, and the University Eye Center, which is one of the largest optometric outpatient facilities in the nation, are located on 42nd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in midtown Manhattan.