Southern California Eye Institute

12/04/2025

We're pleased to announce that the winter issue of Perception, our newsletter, is now available online!

This edition explores the fascinating history of eye color, the benefits of wearing glasses, and promising new research on angle closure glaucoma.

Perception also highlights groundbreaking research developments, including a blood test that may detect Alzheimer's 15–20 years before symptoms appear, an adjustable implant transforming glaucoma care, and encouraging results from a clinical trial for severe type 1 diabetes.

https://sceyes.org/pdf/newsletters/perception-winter-2025.pdf

11/26/2025

Wishing a happy Thanksgiving to our SCEI team and the patients we serve!

11/20/2025

Meet SCEI's Founding Director, Dr. Rohit Varma!

Dr. Varma is a world-renowned clinician-scientist and board-certified ophthalmologist. He specializes in glaucoma and the epidemiology of eye diseases, particularly in children and aging populations.

In this video, Dr. Varma discusses the key factors that made him want to become a physician.

11/12/2025

SCEI's Rohit Varma, MD, MPH, presented Myra Vision’s Calibreye™ System during the "Subconjunctival Devices in Clinical Trial" session at the Interventional Glaucoma Consortium (IGC) in Salt Lake City this past weekend.

The IGC brought together leading clinicians committed to advancing the care of glaucoma management.

11/06/2025

SCEI's Dr. Alena Reznik highlights some of the main glaucoma risk factors including family history, previous surgeries, and eye trauma.

10/30/2025

SCEI's Dr. Alena Reznik highlights the two main types of glaucoma, and how a formal evaluation in clinic must be conducted in order to determine the appropriate course of treatment.

10/23/2025

Did you know that more than 3 million people in the United States have glaucoma? Half of which don't even realize that they have it. Once vision is lost from glaucoma, it cannot be restored.

SCEI's Dr. Alena Reznik emphasizes the importance of regular eye exams and why early intervention is essential to saving sight.

https://sceyes.org/

10/20/2025

SCEI was onsite at the Altadena Library this weekend as part of The Nurses Pub event. In collaboration with The Pink Journey Foundation and the Altadena Library, this free, family-friendly gathering promoted wellness, offered essential health screenings, and connected the community with life-saving resources.

https://thenursespub.org/health-fair-2025

09/05/2025

New research reveals 4.8% of Chinese Americans over 50 have open-angle glaucoma. 68.5% were previously undiagnosed. Key risk factors include age, family history, diabetes, and longer eyeball length. With rising myopia rates, early screening is crucial to help mitigate the burden of glaucoma.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002939425004118?dgcid=author

08/19/2025

New research from Dr. Rohit Varma and the African American Eye Disease Study Group reveals a concerning gap in eye care for African Americans.

A major study of over 6,000 participants found that while 54% had some form of eye disease, an alarming 22% had completely undetected conditions. The rates of missed diagnoses were particularly high for diabetic retinopathy (82% undetected) and age-related macular degeneration (72% undetected). However, there's hope: 61% of vision problems identified were actually correctable with proper care.

The takeaway is clear: regular eye exams truly save sight.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000293942500368X?dgcid=author

07/25/2025

A new study led by Dr. Rohit Varma from the Southern California Eye Institute has revealed concerning gaps in eye care for African-American adults. The research, published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology, found that nearly 1 in 4 African-American adults over age 40 have undetected eye disease.

With these findings potentially affecting 3 million African Americans nationwide, this research highlights the critical need for improved access to eye care and regular screenings.

This population may be less likely to receive regular eye exams and often face barriers to care

05/29/2025

's Founding Director, Dr. Rohit Varma, recently published a landmark study in The Lancet Global Health, revealing encouraging progress and persistent inequities in global access to .

"Providing remains one of the safest and most cost-effective health interventions to improve quality of life. Enhanced access to vision correction can dramatically impact educational attainment, employment opportunities, and social equity."

The study included over 815,000 participants from 237 eye health surveys in 76 countries. It was discovered that 65.8% of adults aged 50 and older in need of refractive error correction had received effective care by 2023 - up from 59.8% in 2010 and 55.6% in 2000.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/dr-rohit-varma-cha-hpmcs-140000217.html

CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center EyeSmart - American Academy of Ophthalmology Ophthalmology Times World Health Organization (WHO)