Research Bio

Christine Wildsoet is a vision scientist and optometrist whose research investigates eye growth, myopia (near-sightedness), and visual development. She is best known for her work on the biological mechanisms controlling ocular growth and the development of strategies to prevent and control myopia. Wildsoet’s research integrates physiology, pharmacology, and optical science to study how environmental and genetic factors influence early eye growth and hence vision. Her scholarship has informed global efforts to address the rising prevalence of myopia.

She is Professor of Optometry and Vision Science and Director of the Clinical Research Center at UC Berkeley’s School of Optometry. Her research has been published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Experimental Eye Research, and Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics. Wildsoet is a Fellow of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Optometry. She has received awards from the American Optometric Foundation. At Berkeley, she teaches ocular and systemic pharmacology to graduate OD students and refractive error development to Vision Science PhD graduate students. She also is extensively involved in undergraduate student education, offering sophomore seminars on vision-related topics in both fall and Spring semesters, and recruiting students to her research laboratory through UC Berkeley's Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP). Her student mentoring activities are focussed on vision science and translational eye research, and extend to students at all levels, both within and outside her research group.

Research Expertise and Interest

optometry, vision science, myopia, refractive errors, accommodation, aberrations, eye growth, ocular therapeutics, optical myopia control, pharmacological myopia control, ocular tissue engineering, ocular stem cells, basic and clinical research with social implications