Alliance for Vision Excellence

Example of a clinical wavefront sensor for the human eye (Bausch & Lomb)

Current projects being explored in the Alliance for Vision Excellence include:

Development of customized contact lenses and laser refractive surgical techniques that correct for the eye's higher order aberrations
Flap study to understand the biomechanical changes occurring in the cornea after refractive surgery
Development of an animal model to fully and more accurately predict the effects of refractive surgery in humans
Improvement and development of a robust, low-cost clinical wavefront sensor with a large dynamic range


Our laboratory at the Center for Visual Science has teamed with eye-care company Bausch & Lomb and the University of Rochester's department of Ophthalmology to form the Alliance for Vision Excellence. This industrial, academic, and clinical research partnership is focused on developing and improving existing technologies to better diagnose and correct vision abnormalities in the general public. Cornea specialist and refractive surgeon Scott MacRae, M.D. acts as the medical director of the Alliance, overseeing and conducting clinical research using technologies manufactured by Bausch & Lomb. Our laboratory, under the guidance of David Williams and Ian Cox (Bausch & Lomb), will continue to conduct basic science research in the areas of ophthalmic and adaptive optics. The ultimate goal of the Alliance is to enhance personalized vision correction with adaptive optics, laser refractive surgery, and customized contact lenses to a higher level than is currently attainable with conventional glasses or contact lenses.