Alumni Focus on Tyson Brunstetter (OD/MS'97, PhD'00)
DR. BRUNSTETTER'S STORY
Hometown
Braceville, Ohio
Which institution did you attend for your undergraduate degree? What was your major?
I graduated from Grove City College (Grove City, PA), majoring in Molecular Biology
Which degree(s), related to optometry, did you earn at Ohio State?
OD/MS'97 and PhD'00
Who were your mentors at the College of Optometry? Who had a positive effect on your education?
Who wasn’t a mentor at the College of Optometry?! I learned so much from all the staff and faculty, and my classmates. But I have to single out Drs. Barbara Fink and Nick Fogt because of their tireless support as advisors for my MS and PhD degrees, respectively. Dr. Fogt was especially proactive, knowing that I was on a tight timeline due to my U.S. Navy commitments. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their selfless mentorship. Absolutely priceless.
DR. BRUNSTETTER'S CAREER IN OPTOMETRY
Name of your employer(s) and title, including location.
I’m a NASA aerospace optometrist at Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas, and serve as the Clinical Lead (Eyes/Vision) for a recently discovered condition that affects the eyes, brain, and vision of astronauts: Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS).
Give us a glimpse of your typical day as an optometrist.
I’m privileged to work with a team of top-tier professionals, including optometrists, ophthalmologists, flight surgeons, epidemiologists, statisticians, engineers, trainers, scientists, and astronauts/cosmonauts. Every day is different, but we frequently collect ocular data (e.g., OCT, acuity, fundoscopy, ultrasound, etc.) from astronauts deployed to the International Space Station (ISS). I review all test reports and provide the flight surgeons with a summary of findings, along with any recommended follow-on tests for their crewmember(s). My patients are typically in space.
Which optometric issues concern you the most?
SANS is unique to spaceflight and has no terrestrial equivalent, although it shares some basic/theoretical similarities with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), and possibly glaucoma. In addition, we frequently diagnose retinal pigment epithelial detachments (PEDs) and retinal cystoid spaces during missions—components of the pachychoroid spectrum of disease. And it’s been confirmed that the brain experiences anatomical changes during long-duration spaceflight, including an upward displacement within the skull and an enlargement of the lateral ventricles.
That all said, I’ve spent a lot of time combing through textbooks and manuscripts and discussing SANS cases with NASA’s lead clinical optometrist (Bob Gibson, OD), aerospace ophthalmology consultant (Tom Mader, MD), SANS epidemiologists (Sara Mason and Suzi Osborne, MPH), local retinal (David Brown, MD) and neuro-ophthalmology (Andy Lee, MD) subspecialty and vision scientist (Nimesh Patel, OD, PhD) consultants, and my flight surgeon mentor and SANS CNS expert (Bill Tarver, MD, MPH).
Why did you choose a career in optometry?
Thinking forward during college, my ideal future career would involve a mix of patient care, speed, and physics. Attaining all three seemed completely impossible, but optometry easily fulfilled the “patient care” and “physics” requirements; it was an obvious choice. Unexpectedly, a career as a U.S. Navy aerospace optometrist perfectly combined all three, and I was hooked. I met my “Need for Speed” through hundreds of flight hours in Department of Defense (DoD) aircraft, riding centrifuges to +7.5Gs, catapulting off aircraft carrier decks, breaking the sound barrier, dangling underneath Search and Rescue helicopters, flying with the Blue Angels (twice!), piloting helicopters over the sands of Kuwait, and experiencing Mars gravity, Moon gravity, and weightlessness in “vomit comet” aircraft during parabolic flight (and yes, I vomited…a lot…). I’ve been incredibly privileged to have learned at Ohio State and then served in the Navy and at NASA. The opportunities and experiences have topped even my wildest childhood dreams. I’d like to say that my life has been carefully planned, but that’s not true. Many times, taking advantage of opportunities leads you down unplanned, but incredible, paths.
Where do you hope to see your optometric career in five years?
The ISS is slated for retirement in 2030, and afterwards, it’ll be challenging to obtain as much ocular data from deployed crewmembers during long-duration spaceflight. That said, it’s critical that we solve SANS and establish safe and effective SANS treatments before 2030. There are tremendous engineering and physiological challenges involved in space travel to Mars, and we need to eliminate SANS from that list.
What is one piece of advice you can give OPT-IV students as they prepare to graduate and begin their optometric careers?
Keep an open mind about potential careers in the federal services: U.S. military, Veterans Affairs (VA), Public Health Service (PHS), Indian Health Service (IHS), and others (e.g., NASA). These agencies often offer competitive pay, student loan repayment programs, and amazing benefits and opportunities. I couldn’t be happier about my choice to join the Navy during optometry school; it was a huge and difficult leap of faith at the time, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life.
What do eye health and eye care mean for you?
The eyes are only about an inch in diameter, but they provide about 80% of our body’s total sensory input. Quality of vision is incredibly important, especially to those who operate in austere environments like military servicemembers and astronauts. Their vision directly impacts personal safety and mission performance. As primary eye care providers, we play a critical role, helping to ensure that these amazing men and women are efficient and effective, and return safely to their families.
DR. BRUNSTETTER'S OHIO STATE EXPERIENCE
What were your most memorable moments at Ohio State?
There are a lot, but I really enjoyed my extern rotation at the Chillicothe VA, learning from William “Wild Bill” Schuller, OD, and spending time with my fellow extern, Richard (Rick) Frick. And it's hard to forget the Class of 1997’s commencement in The Horseshoe, when minutes into the ceremony, OSU President Gordon Gee called it all off due to a torrential downpour. There were 50,000 very drenched and very disappointed people!
What do Ohio State and the College of Optometry mean to you and your family?
The College of Optometry opened the world to me—OSU was my launching point and has been my foundation. My wife and kids arrived after OSU, but they understand the strong connection and gratitude.
How do you stay connected with the College of Optometry?
I haven’t lived in Ohio since 2000, so I devour every issue of the Buckeye Optometry Alumni Magazine—it’s my main source of “inside information” and updates on the College. And it's aways great to see old OSU friends at AAO meetings.
DR. BRUNSTETTER'S FUN FACTS
What are your current hobbies, volunteer work and interests?
I’ve got three phenomenal—and very active—kids. They’re basically my hobby, shuttling to/from volleyball practice, track meets, and school functions. But when there’s free time, I thoroughly enjoy restoring classic cars and motorcycles, racing cars and motorcycles, hiking, biking, jogging, and traveling with my family.
I also enjoy volunteering as a subject for NASA human research studies, like spending 11 days in a vacuum chamber, performing six-hour simulated EVAs (i.e., “spacewalks”) at >30,000-ft altitude while breathing 100% oxygen. Without running water. The results will inform NASA scientists what atmosphere is optimal for EVAs on the lunar surface.
I’m also a “taste test” subject for astronaut food. Where else can you do that besides NASA JSC?!
What is your nickname?
I’ve been called “Chicken” since college, and that nickname quickly became my Navy callsign.
What’s the best eye pun you’ve ever heard?
I make a lot of jokes about eyes … You could say I have vitreous humor.
If not an optometrist, I would be …
… a classic car mechanic and restorer, and vintage race car driver. Bliss.