Phone:

812-855-0885

Email:

sonip@iu.edu

Biography

Dr. Sarita Soni is a Professor of Optometry, Associate Vice President for Research at Indiana University and Vice Provost for Research at Indiana University-Bloomington. As Vice Provost for Research at the IU Bloomington campus Dr. Soni is responsible for coordinating and developing research across disciplines and schools at IU Bloomington and is responsible for twenty campus research centers and institutes. She oversees all of the internal research funding and all grant programs that are administered by the Office of the Vice Provost for Research.

In 1995 Dr. Soni helped establish the Borish Center for Ophthalmic Research for patient based research in vision at Indiana University and served as it’s co-director until 2006. Dr. Soni’s research focuses on cornea and development and correction of refractive errors including application of contact lenses which has resulted in over seventy publications. Professor Soni is a diplomate of the Cornea, Contact Lens and Refractive Therapy Section of the American Academy of Optometry. She is an elected distinguished fellow of the National Academies of Practice. Dr. Soni served as the Interim Dean at Indiana University School of Optometry from 2008 to 2010 and as the Associate Dean for research from 1992 to 2004. She has served as a voting member on the FDA’s Ophthalmic Devices panel, as a member of the NIH National Advisory Eye Council and the Research Council of the American Optometric Association. She has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Optometry and is a past president of the American Optometric Foundation. Dr. Soni is recipient of William Feinbloom Award of the American Academy of Optometry.

Education

• Doctor of Optometry, Indiana University School of Optometry (1976)
• M.S., Indiana University (1978)
• B.Sc., University of Manchester (1972)

Research

Dr. Soni’s research focuses on cornea and development and correction of refractive errors including application of contact lenses.

Publications

• Shen L, Clark CA, Soni PS, Thibos LN, Peripheral refraction with and without contact lens correction, Optom Vis Sci. 2010;87(9):642-55
• Soni PS, Nguyen TT and XO Overnight Orthokeratology group, Overnight Orthokeratology experience with XO material, Eye and Contact Lens Journal, 2005 32(1): 39-45.
• Siatkowski RM, Cotter S, Miller JM, Scher CA, Crockett RS, Novack GD, Soni PS, Nguyen TT, for the Pirenzepine Study Group, safety and Efficacy of 2% Pirenzepine Ophthalmic Gel in Children With Myopia; A 1-year A 1-Year, Multicenter, Double-Masked, Placebo-Controlled Parallel Study. Arch Ophthalmol 2004; 122:1667-74.
• Soni PS, Nguyen TT and Bonanno J, Overnight Orthokeratology: refractive and corneal recovery following discontinuation of reverse geometry lenses, Eye and Contact Lens Journal, 2004 30(4): 254-262.
• Soni PS, Nguyen TT and Bonanno J, Overnight Orthokeratology: visual and corneal changes, Eye and Contact Lens, 2003. 29(3): 137-145.
• Soni PS, Patel R, Carlson RS, Is ocular contrast sensitivity at distance compromised with multifocal soft contact lenses used to correct presbyopia? Optometry & Vision Science, 2003. 80(7): 505-514.
• Joseph A. Bonanno, Tracy Nguyen, Trina Biehl, Sarita Soni. “Can variability in corneal metabolism explain the variability in corneal swelling?” Eye and Contact Lens Journal, 2003 29(1S): S7-9.
• Nguyen T, Soni PS, Brizendine E., Bonanno JA., Variability in hypoxia-induced corneal swelling is associated with variability in corneal metabolism and endothelial function. Eye Contact Lens Journal. 2003. 29 (2): 117-125.
• Ciulla TA, Danis RP, Klein SB, Malinovsky VE, Soni PS, Pratt LM, Pugh NO, Morphis JG, Bloch C, Cameron J. Proton therapy for exudative age-related macular degeneration: a randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial, Am J Ophthalmol. 2002. 34(6): 905-6.
• Joseph A. Bonanno, Thomas Stickel, Tracy Nguyen, Trina Biehl, Donna Carter, William J. Benjamin, P. Sarita Soni, Direct Estimation of Human Corneal Oxygen Consumption by Non-invasive Measurement of Tear Oxygen Tension While Wearing Hydrogel Contact Lenses, Invest. Ophthalmol & Vision Sci, 2002. 43(2): 371-376.
• Horner DG, Soni PS, Goss D, What is the Relationship Between Axial Elongation and Myopia Progression? Proceedings of the VIII International Conference on Myopia, Boston, MA, July 7-9 2000.
• Horner DG, Soni PS, Vyas N, Himebaugh NL, Longitudinal Changes in Corneal Asphericity in Myopia, Optometry & Vision Science, 2000. 77: 198-203.
• Moore B, Lyons S, Walline J, Bartolone A, Harris, Kattouf V, Mutti D, Soni PS, Twelker JD, A clinical review of hyperopia in children, JAOA, 1999. 70(4): 215-224.
• Horner DG, Soni PS, Salmon TO, Schroeder TL, Myopia Progression in Adolescent Wearers of: Soft Contact Lenses vs. Spectacles, Optometry & Vision Science, 1999. 76(7): 474-479.
• Terry, RL, Soni, PS, Horner DG, Spectacles, Contact Lenses and Children’s Self-Concepts: A longitudinal Study, Optometry & Vision Science, 1997. 74(12): 1044-1048.
• Soni PS, Horner DG, Ross J, Ocular Response to lens Care systems in Adolescent Soft contact lens Wearers, Optometry & Vision Science, 1996. 73(2): 70-85.
• Soni PS, Horner DG, Jimenez L, Rounds, Will Young Children Comply and Follow Instructions to Successfully Wear Soft Contact Lenses? CLAO, 1995. 21(2): 86-92.
• Horner DG, Mandell RD, Armitage KS, Wormsley KA, Soni PS, Time Constants of Corneal Molding Recovery Following Ortho-K Lens Wear. Archives of the American Society of Ophthalmology and Optometry, 1993. 316-324.
• Soni PS, Horner DG, Orthokeratology, Clinical Contact Lens Practice, ed. Bennett and Weissman, Lippincott Co., Philadelphia, 1993. Rahman HA, Bradley A, Soni PS, Zhang X, Letter contrast sensitivity with simultaneous vision bifocal contact lenses, Am. J. Optom. & Physiol Optics, 1993. 70(6): 476-481.
• Horner DG, Wheeler WH, Soni PS, Gerstman DR, Heath GG, A Non-invasive Alternate to Radial Keratotomy, Ophthalmic and Vision Optics Technical Digest , 1992.
• Horner DG, Soni PS, Wheeler WH, Gerstman DR, Heath GG, Myopia Reduction: RGP Lenses vs. Refractive Corneal Surgery, Proceedings of the 1991 NE State University Symposium on Theoretical and Clinical Optometry, 1992.
• Soni PS, Neuhoff L, The Prevalence of Iris Coloration in the Population, Int. Contact Lens Clinic, 1985. 12(3): 170-174. Stoehr D, Soni PS, The Correlation of Bacterial Eye Infections to Nose and Throat Infections, Int. Eye Care, 1985. 1(1): 55-62.
• Soni PS, Effects of Oral Contraceptive Steroids on Human Corneal Thickness, Am. J. Optom. & Physiol. Optics, 1980. 57(11): 825-834.

Presentations

• Fitting Children with Contact Lenses, Indian Vision Institute, Hyderabad, India, May 2012
• Promise and Perils of Overnight Orthokeratology, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India, December 2010
• Concurrent Afternoon Tutorial A4- What makes for a successful Indo-US network-enabled collaboration? Development and Enhancement of International Collaborations, especially between Indiana University and Institutions of Higher Education in India, US – India Network-enabled research collaboration workshop, sponsored by NSF, Dec 2010,Delhi, India Grading Scales, Elite School of Optometry, International Vision Science and Optometry Conference, Chennai, India August, 2010
• Correction of Astigmatism with Soft Contact Lenses, Saudi Ophthalmology 2010, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February 2010
• Myopia Progression and Contact Lens Use, Saudi Ophthalmology 2010, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February 2010
• Workshop on CRT (overnight orthokeratology), Sankara Nethralaya Hospital, Chennai, March 14, 2008
• Graduate Education in the United States, Elite School of Optometry, Chennai, India, March 14, 2008
• Workshop on CRT (overnight orthokeratology), Aditya Joyt Hospital, Mumbai, March 13, 2008
• Overnight Orthokeratology and Corneal Physiology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, April 2007
• Corneal Reshaping, Mumbai, India, January 27, 2007
• Motivating and Inspiring People, 2006 Summer Invitational, Ohio State University, August 2006
• Promise and Perils of Overnight orthokeratology, University of Houston, College of Optometry, Research Seminar, November 3, 2005
• Promise and Perils of Overnight orthokeratology, Elite School of Optometry, International Vision Science and Optometry Conference, Chennai, India August 13-15, 2005
• Update on overnight orthokeratology, International Society of Contact Lens Specialists, Saint Paul de Vance, France, June 2005.
• Telemedicine potential at Indiana University, United States Army Medical Research and Material Command Center (USAMRMCC), Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC), Fort Detrick, May 2005.
• Ophthalmic Optics, presentation to Essilor executives and Research Group, Paris, October 2004.
• Effect of Overnight Orthokeratology Lenses on Corneal Physiology, Global Orthokeratology Symposium, Toronto, Canada, July 2004.
• Following Discontinuation of Reverse Geometry Lenses, Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmology (CLAO)-CRT Research Symposium, Fort Lauderdale, Fl, May 2004.
• Overnight Corneal Reshaping, American Academy of Optometry, Hawaii, April 2004.
• Today’s Research- Tomorrow’s Practice: Cornea and Contact Lenses, American Academy of Optometry, Hawaii, April 2004.
• Overnight orthokeratology: Visual and Corneal changes, Japanese Contact Lens Society, Osaka, Japan, July 2003.
• Update on Xo Clinical Trial in US, Fukuoka, Japan, April 2003.
• Possible mechanistic changes due to overnight orthokeratology, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, Manchester, England June 2002.
• Refractive and optics changes in orthokeratology, International Society of Contact Lens Society, Belfast, Northern Ireland, June 2002.
• Corneal and refractive changes in orthokeratology, American Academy of Optometry, International Meeting, Munich, Germany, April 2002.
• Clinical Research in Ophthalmic Optics, Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, Tampa, Florida, August 2001.
• Orthokeratology Lens Fitting, Lucerne, Switzerland, September 2000.
• Panamic and Comfort Progressive Lenses, Villamoura, Portugal, June 2000.
• When, Why And How To Respond To A Request By A Mother To Fit Her Young Child With Contact Lenses? American Academy of Optometry International Meeting, Madrid, Spain, April 2000.
• Compliance, University of California, Berkeley, November 1998.
• Management of Irregular Cornea, Florida Optometric Association, October 1997.
• Contact Lens Related Complications, A 12-hour course to China Scholars Program, New England College of Optometry, July 1996.
• Contact Lenses for Infants and Adolescents, State University of New York, New York, May 1996.
• Women in Science, Graduate Student Seminar, Indiana University, April 1994.
• Development of Grant Proposals for Corporations, Social Sciences Workshop, Research and the University Graduate School, Indiana University, July 1994.
• Orthokeratology as an Alternative to Refractive Surgery, Illinois Optometric Association, Peoria, October 1993.
• Doing Research in Optometry School Clinic, Clinical Research Symposium, Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Optometry, Anaheim, December 1991.
• Contact Lenses and Lens Care, Pharmacists, Chicago, November 1990.
• Oral Contraceptives and Contact Lens Wear, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, April 1986.
• Simulation of Swimming Pool Environment to Evaluate its Effects on Lens Movement, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, April 1986.
• Two-week course in contact lenses, Danish School of Optometry, Copenhagen, June 1984.
• Oral Contraceptives and Contact Lens Wearers, National Research Symposium, Boston, August 1981.
• National Research Symposium, Corneal Thickness Change with Toric Soft Lenses (with Drs. Borish and Keech), Atlanta, August 1978.