Arizona optometrist Dr Arthur Epstein is listed by Optometric Management as among the most influential in optometry in the world today. A native New Yorker who grew up in the Bronx, Dr Epstein heads Phoenix Eye Care’s dry eye and ocular surface disease centre and drives its clinical research. He is a past chair of the Contact Lens & Cornea Section (CLCS) of the American Optometric Association (AOA) and founder and past president of the Optometric Dry Eye Society. He is also a prolific author, sought after speaker and member of the Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) second Dry Eye Workshop (DEWS II).
Why dry eye?
Our understanding of dry eye and the ocular surface is rapidly expanding both clinically and scientifically. At the same time the prevalence of dry eye disease is reaching epidemic proportions in an ever-younger population. About 10 years ago, I relocated from New York City to Phoenix, Arizona, one of the driest places on earth. It was the perfect setting to develop a practice essentially limited to dry eye.
What drives this passion?
I am fascinated by the ocular surface. Not a day goes by where I don’t learn something new about how it works and why it sometimes doesn't. Because of technology and its impact on our environment, fully understanding ocular surface function and dysfunction has become increasingly important for both optometry and ophthalmology. Effective management doesn’t have to be complicated for most patients and literally can be life-changing for many. Sharing insights with colleagues not only helps others better manage their patients, but is extremely rewarding for me personally.
