Jason Nichols, O.D., Ph.D.Jason Nichols, O.D., Ph.D., assistant vice president for Industry Research Development and professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, was recently recognized as one of the 30 most influential in contact lens industry by Contact Lens Spectrum.
Contact Lens Spectrum acknowledges Nichols as an “internationally recognized clinician-scientist whose career has focused on ocular discomfort in both contact lens wearers and dry eye patients.”
He has served in various roles on Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society workshops and as the editor-in-chief of Contact Lens Spectrum and Contact Lenses Today since 2008. He has written more than 200 publications in a variety of journals and has lectured internationally in more than 15 different countries on the topic of contact lenses or dry eye disease.
“I am so humbled to be honored by my peers in this way” Nichols said. “Those on this list paved the way for the success of the contact lens industry, and I am truly in debt to these individuals and their accomplishments and mentorship. It is an honor to be included among these recognized leaders.”
Peers nominated Nichols as one of the top 30 influencers in the industry, specifically for his work on the biochemistry and structure of the tear film. A recent five-year $1.9 million grant from the National Eye Institute funds Nichols’ current study on tear film structure and function in meibomian gland dysfunction, one of the most frequent forms of dry eye disease.
“This groundbreaking work will help individuals with dry eye disease, and the many contact lens wearers who suffer from dryness and discomfort,” Nichols said.
Contact Lens Spectrum sought nominations for the top influencers in the contact lens industry to celebrate its 30-year anniversary. The top 30 influencers were selected and ranked based on nominations received by the readership and peers, and span the generation of modern contact lens development.