Indiana University
School of Optometry
FACULTY   Shirin E. Hassan

Shirin E. Hassan
Assistant Professor
BAppSc(Optom), PhD

IU School of Optometry
800 East Atwater Avenue
Bloomington, Indiana 47405-3680   USA
Phone: 812-855-9405

Education:

Doctor of Philosophy, 2001
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia

Bachelor of Applied Science (Optometry, 1996)
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia


About Dr. Hassan | Research | Research Publications | Teaching | Patient Care


About Dr. Hassan

Dr. Shirin E. Hassan joined the Indiana University School of Optometry faculty at the end of November 2007. Originally from Australia, Dr. Hassan completed her optometry training in 1996 at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia and has practised part-time both as a primary care and low vision optometrist where she specializes in the visual rehabilitation of visually impaired people. Dr. Hassan finished her Ph.D. studies in optometry at QUT , Brisbane, Australia in 2001 after which she undertook a post-doctoral research fellowship at the Lions Vision Research and Rehabilitation Center at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. Following her post-doc, Dr. Hassan served as Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology from 2003-2007 at The Johns Hopkins University, Wilmer Eye Institute, Baltimore, MD. Dr. Hassan was invited to join the IU School of Optometry faculty in 2007 as a tenured track faculty member where she continues her successful and active funded research program as well providing low vision patient care and didactic education to optometry students in the area of low vision.


Research

Dr. Hassan’s research interests concentrate on low vision and mobility with a strong emphasis on understanding how people use their vision to achieve safe and efficient mobility. Specifically, Dr. Hassan has conducted studies in the assessment of gaze (eye movement) behavior and mobility performance in normally sighted and visually impaired people as well as investigating the fixation patterns (gaze) of people with age-related macular degeneration. Dr. Hassan also conducts studies investigating how normally-sighted, visually impaired and blind pedestrians use their vision and hearing to make appropriate street crossing decisions as well as investigating the vision and cognitive factors associated with driving performance in older drivers.

Photo of the experimental setup of Dr. Hassan’s street-crossing study.  This research project is conducted in the dynamic and natural environment of a real street!
Close-up view of one of the custom-built sensors that are used to record vehicular speed and gap time in Dr. Hassan’s street-crossing study.
Dr. Hassan conducting her street-crossing study.  In this photo, the research participant is required to make street-crossing decisions using only visual information (since the subject’s hearing is masked).

Dr. Hassan is currently PI on an R03 NIH/NEI grant and has served as co-investigator on other grants funded by various agencies (NIH/NIA, Department of Veteran Affairs and the US Army Research Lab: HRED). Dr. Hassan’s work has been published in various international, peer-reviewed journals as listed below:


Research Publications


Teaching

Dr. Hassan is also involved in teaching the following courses:

  • Course Instructor of lectures titled, "Understanding Refractive Errors" and "Anterior Eye Diseases", for the CE online course, "Understanding Visual Impairments and Functional Rehabilitation of Visually Impaired Patients", published by Emerald Education Systems. Register or view more details.


  • Teaching within the Indiana School of Optometry:
    • Course Instructor of V765: Oxyopia Research Seminar Series (Graduate Vision Science Program)
    • Lecturer for V501 Integrative Optometry 1 (1st Year OD Course)
    • Course Instructor of V751: Low Vision Rehabilitation (3rd Year OD Course)


Patient Care

Dr. Hassan is a fully qualified Optometrist registered to practice in both Australia and in the state of Indiana, USA. Dr. Hassan currently provides low vision rehabilitation patient care to patients presenting at the Indiana University School of Optometry Low Vision Rehabilitation Service. Make a Low Vision eye appointment at IU.




URL: http://www.opt.indiana.edu/people/faculty/hassan.htm
Revised: April 3, 2009

IU Optometry home page: http://www.opt.indiana.edu/
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