Fuensanta A. Vera-Diaz, OD, PhD, FAAO

Credentials

OD, New England College of Optometry
PhD, Optometry, University of Bradford, United Kingdom

Areas of Expertise

Professional Honors & Awards

2021-2022 Dupuis-Pellerin Award for Faculty Excellence
2017-2019 American Academy of Optometry Research Career Development Grant. Peripheral and Binocular Retinal Signals in Human Myopia. PI: Vera-Diaz
2014-2015 Clinical Preceptor of the Year. First Year Clinical Program. NECO.
2014-2015 ASCO Educational Starter Grant. Enhanced Clinical Readiness for Optometry Students Entering Second Year”. Co-PIs: Vera-Diaz, Johnson.
2011-2014 NIH Loan Repayment Program Award.
2007-2008 The Alice J. Adler Fellowship (an Eleanor and Miles Shore 50th Anniversary Fellowship for Scholars in Medicine), Harvard Medical School.
Fellow, American Academy of Optometry

Practice Locations

Myopia Control Clinic at NECO Center for Eye Care, Commonwealth

Professional Memberships

American Academy of Optometry
American Optometric Association
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
Massachusetts Society of Optometrists
NECO La Vista Spanish Club, Faculty Advisor

Research Involvement

Dr. Vera-Diaz is an expert in myopia control, from both the scientific and clinical perspective. She received a PhD in Optometry from the University of Bradford, UK, for her work investigating optical and neural factors in myopia. She then undertook a postdoctoral research position at NECO and a research fellowship at Schepens Eye Research Institute at Harvard Medical School. At NECO, Dr. Vera-Diaz has developed a successful research program (link below), funded by the NIH. She investigates mechanisms contributing to the development of myopia, specifically, optical, retinal and visual processing structures and functions of the human visual system. Dr. Vera-Diaz serves as a reviewer for multiple journals and is a reviewer in NIH study panel sections.

Children’s Vision Lab

Publications & Presentations

Dr. Vera-Diaz has a strong publication record, with many peer-reviewed publications in high-quality peer-reviewed journals related to myopia and several book chapters. She serves as a reviewer for multiple vision science journals, including IOVS, and is a reviewer in NIH special emphasis study panel sections.
Publications

Editorial Boards

2022-Present Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, UK

Regular ad-hoc reviewer for:

• Vision Research
• Optometry and Vision Science
• Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science
• Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics
• Journal of Optometry
• Clinical and Experimental Optometry
• Journal of Vision
• Current Eye Research
• Graefe’s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology