Assistant Professor; Cornea Fellowship Director

Areas of Interest
corneal and cataract conditions

Clinical Instructor

Areas of Interest
comprehensive ophthalmology, glaucoma, refractive surgery, cataract surgery

Crawford Downs, Ph.D., has spent his entire career studying the optic nerve head, but he never really saw it until a few months ago. Using an ingenious system of his own design, Downs had created the first high-resolution computer model of the lamina cribrosa, a mesh-like structure at the back of the eye that allows the optic nerve axons to exit while preserving intraocular pressure.

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Written by Marcela Frazier, OD, pediatric optometrist at UAB Callahan Eye for Birmingham Mom Collective.

We are now living in a digital age where our children’s eyes are constantly glued to iPads, tablets, and other digital devices. Although this may be the new “normal,” eye care providers worry about the long-term effects this can have on children’s eyes.

as published in StyleBlueprint

Allie SandlinPhysical health is something many of us take for granted — until something goes wrong. If you’re blessed with clear vision, pause for a moment and consider what it might be like to lose it. This was six-week-old Allie Sandlin’s reality in 2012, but thanks to the experts at UAB Callahan Eye, Allie is now a bright, beautiful, and healthy 10-year-old with excellent vision!

Every February, the UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science awaits the much-anticipated resident matches for the next year. These soon-to-be medical school graduates will begin their residency program in July 2022 and will spend three years learning from our ophthalmologists and gaining hands-on experience before beginning their professional careers.

We are thrilled to announce the UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science Class of 2025:

	Poojitha Balakrishnan UAB School of Medicine, Birmingham
	Caroline Besley Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine, Charleston
	Veena Danthuluri UAB School of Medicine,Birmingham
	Malcolm Kates University of Florida, Gainsville
	Scott McClure UAB School of Medicine, Birmingham

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences is proud to announce the establishment of the Teresa and Michael A. Callahan, M.D., Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology. This prestigious chair is made possible by a transformative $1.5 million gift from the International Retinal Research Foundation (IRRF), underscoring a shared commitment to advancing vision science and patient care.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Heersink School of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences is thrilled to welcome two exceptional fellows to our program.

Associate Professor

Area of Interest
glaucoma

Professor

Area of Interest
neuro-ophthalmology

Assistant Professor; Glaucoma Fellowship Assistant Director

Community Partner
TriaVision

Krupa Patel, MD, has been named associate program director for the UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences’ residency program. Patel, who has been part of the department faculty since 2019, specializes in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus. Originally from Ohio, Patel completed medical school at Northeast Ohio Medical University and her ophthalmology residency from Summa Health before finishing her pediatric ophthalmology fellowship at Indianapolis at Riley Hospital for Children.

Patel will work alongside Russell Read, MD, PhD, providing residents robust training opportunities, as well as overseeing the newly-announced integrated intern residency year.

Clinical Instructor

Areas of Interest
comprehensive and primary eye care

Fourth of July 2013: Family members were shooting fireworks in the backyard of Dianne Peterson’s home in Vincent, Alabama, as she walked out of the house.

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Assistant Professor

Areas of Interest
retinal health and disease, photoreceptor biology, homeostatic interactions between photoreceptors and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), primary cilia and ciliopathies

Assistant Professor; Director, UAB Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation

Areas of Interest
low vision, dry eye, contacts, comprehensive optometry

Assistant Professor

Community Partner
TriaVision

Brought up with little resources in Medellín, Colombia, Dr. Marcela Frazier watched her single-mom work hard to provide for her family’s needs and create a happy and loving home. Now, along with the Hispanic/Latinx Faculty Association, Dr. Marcela is taking steps to create a community of Hispanic/Latinx doctors who want to do better for those in these underserved populations. To read more click here. 

Marissa Locy, OD, has been named assistant professor in the UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. In 2017, Dr. Locy joined the department as a clinical instructor and has continued to work in UAB's Low Vision Rehabilitaion Clinic as well as a general services clinic at UAB Callahan Eye, where she provides comprehensive optometric services to adults and children in need of low vision care, contacts, and dry eye care.

Originally from Montpelier, Ohio, Dr. Locy graduated from the UAB School of Optometry, where she received the Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometric Honor Society Silver Medal, an award given to the top graduating student. She completed her fellowship in Medical Optometry and Vision Rehabilitation..

Associate Professor

Community Partner
Retina Consultants of Alabama