Western University of Health Sciences College of Optometry student Kristine Karimian (Class of 2026) was on a clinical rotation in the WesternU Health Eye Care Institute when she identified a patient who might qualify for free corrective lenses through CooperVision’s Give Brightly™ program.

A 16-year-old boy who was active in sports had been without his glasses for three months due to the financial burden of replacing his lost pair, Karimian said. During his intake, we discovered that he had been playing high school soccer either with his outdated prescription glasses or without any visual correction at all, she said.

CooperVision’s Give Brightly™ program provides complimentary contact lenses to patients who may otherwise not have access to contact lenses as a vision correction option. Give Brightly™ also promotes a positive contact lens fitting experience for optometry students and residents, according to the Give Brightly website.

Karimian provided a firsthand account of connecting her patient with the Give Brightly™ program in CooperVision’s ECP Viewpoints blog. After fitting him with Biofinity toric lenses, the transformation was remarkable. He experienced a significant improvement in his peripheral vision, a reduction in visual distortion, and an overall boost in his performance on the field, Karimian said.

“Witnessing his joy and relief as he regained clarity and confidence in his game was truly rewarding,” Karimian said in her testimonial to CooperVision. “It is the Give Brightly™  program that we have to thank for allowing him to have access to such an impactful and beneficial tool in his young life. It has been a privilege to support this young patient in experiencing the joy of enhanced vision, alongside Dr. Tassinari, at the WesternU Eye Care Institute.”

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It is no secret that the process of becoming a physician is mentally and physically challenging. In fact, many medical students experience increased feelings of anxiety, depression, and uncertainty as they begin medical school. That is why Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest (COMP-Northwest) is developing new systems and strategies to meet the mental health needs of our students.  

“We have started a Mental Health Task Force, and we are using a systems approach to look at many different facets of mental health,” shared COMP-Northwest Site Dean and Assistant Professor of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry Mandilin Hudson, DO ‘09. “It’s helping us to have a wide lens, rather than just focusing on individual counseling, to think about how we can change our entire campus culture to promote mental health.” 

In July, COMP-Northwest hired its first full-time mental health provider, Michele Ribeiro, EdD, ABPP (pictured above). Dr. Ribeiro joins WesternU with a wealth of experience in the mental health field and higher education. She is a licensed psychologist and board certified in psychology and group psychotherapy. In her position, Dr. Ribeiro provides individual and group therapy, develops programs, supports student campus wellness groups, and provides consulting services to faculty regarding mental health support for students. 

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Western University of Health Sciences College of Optometry faculty and students volunteered at the Anaheim Health Fair, organized by Lestonnac Free Clinic, at the Anaheim Convention Center Sept. 28, 2024.

Many health care providers and students came together to assist the community by providing free dental, vision and medical services for the Anaheim community, resulting in an estimated total value of $89,285 of free services, according to Lestonnac Free Clinic’s Instagram post.

Since 2021, the College of Optometry has partnered with Lestonnac Free Clinic to provide eye care services and spectacle correction for the community at this event. The health fair had two pre-testing stations, five lanes for entrance testing, seven lanes for refraction, and seven stations (SLE/BIO) for ocular health assessments. The stations were all supported by the College of Optometry student interns listed below. The College provided eye care services to 139 patients, with 17 of those patients being identified as needing more advanced services (glaucoma work-up, Ophthalmology/Retina consultation), said College of Optometry Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs Raymond R. Maeda, OD, FAAO.

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Clinical research studies aim to answer specific questions about

how medicines work in the volunteers who take them. You should feel fully informed about what to expect from participation in a clinical research study.

Check out the WesternU Center for Clinical Research website here: Center for Clinical Research | WesternU Health

Among the ongoing studies is ACHIEVE-5, a clinical research study for people with type 2 diabetes being treated with insulin glargine therapy.

ACHIEVE-5 is a new clinical research study from Eli Lilly and Company. It is testing if an investigational medicine (a medicine being studied) may help treat people with type 2 diabetes.

Click on the flier to view larger, or read more about ACHIEVE-5 and other clinical trials on the Center for Clinical Research website.

COMP Assistant Professor Jessie Atterholt, PhD, is part of a team of researchers who published a new paper in the journal PLoS ONE titled "New enantiornithine diversity in the Hell Creek Formation and the functional morphology of the avisaurid tarsometatarsus."

The paper describes important new Mesozoic bird fossils that substantially increase known diversity in Late Cretaceous enantiornithines, as well as the first evidence of raptorial hunting behavior in enantiornithine birds.

Save the Date for the Pumerantz Library’s Open House on Thursday, Oct. 17. Travel to each library department with this year’s theme, “Passport to Knowledge.”

11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.: Light refreshment, hors d’oeuvres, and departmental activities.

4:30-6:30 p.m.: Dessert and games with the night staff.

Plus, a chance to win prizes! Come explore, enjoy, and connect with your fellow librarians and community – mark your calendars now!

Public Affairs and Marketing is holding an open studio portrait day on our Pomona campus:

9 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23

Please sign up for a timeslot that works for your schedule if you would like a new studio portrait.

We will schedule additional portrait days for those who cannot come to the studio on this day.