Aaron Zimmerman

Clinical Professor

Contact Information

Postal address: 
1664 Neil Ave Columbus, OH 43201

Biographical narrative

I earned a BS in Biology degree (2002), Optometry degree (2006), and Master’s in Vision Science degree (2008) all from The Ohio State University. I have been a clinical faculty member at the College of Optometry since 2008 and I am currently an Associate Professor of Clinical Optometry. I have clinically instructed in the services: contact lenses, binocular vision / pediatrics, primary vision care, advanced ocular care, student health center, was the former chief of environmental vision. Currently, I am the chief of the Student Health Optometry Service and I continue to clinically instruct in the contact lens service and primary vision care service. Didactically, I teach the Advanced Contact Lens Lab and the Lasers, Injections, & Advanced Procedures course.


For clinical teaching, I am in charge of 3 to 4 students for any half day and we will see between 9 to 12 patients. I will review the findings that each student provides and then personally examine the patient to ensure that the patient has received proper care. Once the exam has been completed, we discuss elements of the visit that the student properly handled and those that may not have been handled properly. I have received great student evaluations from my clinical teaching from the beginning. I intend on continuing to provide clinical instruction going forward.


I developed the Lasers, Injection, and Advanced Procedures course in 2013. This course has grown from a 1 hour lab S/U course to a 2 credit hour graded course. This course now includes discussions on aseptic techniques in the operating room, and we discuss benign lesion removal, suturing, and biopsy. We also have expanded the course to include hands-on experience with ophthalmic lasers when used on artificial eyes. Additionally, I am the advanced contact lens lab instructor. For each lab session, I hold a 30-40 minute lecture and then hands-on experience is provided with the students fitting specific lens types and provide feedback on their evaluation.

Furthermore, I have been involved with sports vision research studies including eye & head movements in baseball and standards testing for football helmet faceshields. I am currently a member of the Contact Lens Assessment in Youth (CLAY) study group, which studies risk factors associated with soft contact lens corneal infiltrative events. We have several publications identifying risk factors and behaviors associated with contact lens adverse events. I have served as a masked examiner for the Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial (CITT) and I am currently a masked examiner for the CITT-ART study. The findings of the CITT study provided the evidence for the efficacy of vision therapy for managing convergence insufficiency.



Currently, I am the chair of the continuing education committee, and of the Faculty Advisory Committee.  Additionally, I serve on the American Optometric Association’s (AOA) Committee on Ophthalmic Standards and represent the AOA on the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z87.1 committee. I am on an ANSI Z87.1 subcommittee, as well, that is attempting to develop a standard for protective eyewear/face protection from biologics. In November 2016, I was appointed head of the East West Eye Conference workshops committee. I assist in developing the workshops and administering the workshops during the annual conference in Cleveland.


In summary, I feel that I provide strong clinical teaching value to the College. Through the various research projects with CLAY and by achieving Diplomate status in the Cornea, Contact Lenses, and Refractive Technologies section of the American Academy of Optometry, I feel that I bring a large amount of contact lens and refractive surgery knowledge to the College. With my fellowship training in a binocular vision / pediatrics setting and with my research in head and eye movements, I feel that I have a strong knowledge base in those areas. My clinical, research, and service activities have made me a well-rounded asset to the College of Optometry.

Journal articles

  • Fogt, N., Kuntzsch, E., & Zimmerman, A. B. (2019). Horizontal Head and Eye Rotations of Non-Expert Baseball Batters. Optometry and Visual Performance, 7(1), 29-46.
  • Contact Lens Assessment in Youth: Multi-center testing of a risk assessment survey for soft contact lens wearers with adverse events (n.d.). Eye and Contact Lens.
  • Sorbara, L., Zimmerman, A. B., Mitchell, G. L., Richdale, K., Lam, D. Y., Kinoshita, B. T., . . . Wagner, H. (2018). Multicenter Testing of a Risk Assessment Survey for Soft Contact Lens Wearers With Adverse Events: A Contact Lens Assessment in Youth Study. EYE & CONTACT LENS-SCIENCE AND CLINICAL PRACTICE, 44(1), 21-28. doi:10.1097/ICL.0000000000000305
  • VanNasdale, D. A., Eilerman, A., Zimmerman, A., Lai, N., Ramsey, K., & Sinnott, L. T. (2017). Foveal Curvature and Asymmetry Assessed Using Optical Coherence Tomography. OPTOMETRY AND VISION SCIENCE, 94(6), 664-671. doi:10.1097/OPX.0000000000001084
  • Is purchasing lenses from the prescriber associated with better habits among soft contact lens wearers? (2016). Contact Lens and Anterior Eye, 39(6).
  • Richdale, K., Lam, D. Y., Wagner, H., Zimmerman, A. B., Kinoshita, B. T., Chalmers, R., . . . Mitchell, G. L. (2016). Case-Control Pilot Study of Soft Contact Lens Wearers With Corneal Infiltrative Events and Healthy Controls. INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE, 57(1), 47-55. doi:10.1167/iovs.15-18512
  • Case control pilot study of soft contact lens wearers with corneal infiltrative events and healthy controls (2016). Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 57(1).
  • Contact lens associated microbial keratitis:practical considerations for the optometrist. (2016). Clinical Optometry, 8.
  • Zimmerman, A. B., Emch, A. J., Geldis, J., Nixon, G. J., & Mitchell, G. L. (2016). Contact Lens Corneal Inflammatory Events in a University Population. OPTOMETRY AND VISION SCIENCE, 93(1), 42-49. doi:10.1097/OPX.0000000000000746
  • Cope, J. R., Collier, S. A., Rao, M. M., Chalmers, R., Mitchell, G. L., Richdale, K., . . . Beach, M. J. (2015). Contact Lens Wearer Demographics and Risk Behaviors for Contact Lens-Related Eye Infections - United States, 2014. MMWR-MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WEEKLY REPORT, 64(32), 865-870. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6432a2
  • Contact Lens Wearer Demographics and Risk Behaviors for Contact Lens-Related Eye Infections - United States, 2014 (2015). MMWR-MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WEEKLY REPORT, 64(32).
  • Fogt, N. F., & Zimmerman, A. B. (2014). A Method to Monitor Eye and Head Tracking Movements in College Baseball Players. OPTOMETRY AND VISION SCIENCE, 91(2), 200-211. doi:10.1097/OPX.0000000000000148
  • Zimmerman, A. B., & Marks, A. (2014). Microbial Keratitis Secondary to Unintended Poor Compliance With Scleral Gas-Permeable Contact Lenses. EYE & CONTACT LENS-SCIENCE AND CLINICAL PRACTICE, 40(1), E1-E4. doi:10.1097/ICL.0b013e318273420f
  • Zimmerman, A. B., Good, G. W., McLaughlin, W. R., & Katz, S. E. (2011). Intercollegiate usage schedule and the impact resistance of used football helmet faceshields. OPTOMETRY-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION, 82(5), 274-283. doi:10.1016/j.optm.2010.08.005
  • Intercollegiate usage schedule and the impact resistance of used football helmet faceshields (2011). Optomety, 82.
  • Zimmerman, A. B., Lust, K. L., & Bullimore, M. A. (2011). Visual Acuity and Contrast Sensitivity Testing for Sports Vision. EYE & CONTACT LENS-SCIENCE AND CLINICAL PRACTICE, 37(3), 153-159. doi:10.1097/ICL.0b013e31820d12f4
  • Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial Study Group. (2008). Randomized clinical trial of treatments for symptomatic convergence insufficiency in children.. Archives of Ophthalmology, 126(10), 1336-1349. doi:10.1001/archopht.126.10.1336
  • Baker, K. R., Zimmerman, A., Grzybowski, D. M., McLaughlin, W. R., Katz, S. E., Pfriem, D. B., & Good, G. W. (2008). Optical quality and impact resistance comparisons of 2 football helmet faceshields. Optometry, 79(8), 455-463. doi:10.1016/j.optm.2008.02.010
  • Optical quality and impact resistance comparisons of 2 football helmet faceshields (2008). Optometry, 79.
  • Sheedy, J. E., Subbaram, M. V., Zimmerman, A. B., & Hayes, J. R. (2005). Text legibility and the letter superiority effect. HUMAN FACTORS, 47(4), 797-815. doi:10.1518/001872005775570998
  • Steele, K., Lai, N., Wagner, H., & Zimmerman, A. (n.d.). Contact Lenses and Water. Optometry and Vision Science.

Honors

  • Centennial Notable Alumnus, 20140801
  • George Mertz Travel Award, 20110501
  • Michael Polasky Award for Clinical Instruction, 20110501
  • AOSA Clinical Attending of the Year, 20110201
  • Michael Polasky Award for Clinical Instruction, 20100501

Books

  • Optometry Board Certification (2011). (1 ed.). Anadem Publishing, Inc.

Abstracts

  • Title of Abstract/Short Entry: Examining Daily Disposable Soft Contact Lens Attitudes and Beliefs (SLAB)Author(s): Lutmer K, Wagner H, Datta A, Richdale K, Zimmerman A, Dougherty BEditor(s): N/ATitle of Publication: Examining Daily Disposable Soft Contact Lens Attitudes and Beliefs (SLAB)Type of Work: Poster - American Academy of OptometryPublication Status: ForthcomingPublication date: 24 October 2019Publisher: Optometry and Vision ScienceEdition: 2019Volume: 96Pagination: 1URL: http://na...
  • Title of Publication: Optometry and Vision ScienceTitle of Entry: Development of a patient education tool for the contact lens assessment and risk education (CARE) reportAuthor(s): Lam D, Moreno M, Mickles C, Kinoshita B, Zimmerman A, Wagner HPublication Status: ForthcomingPublication date: 7 November 2018Type of Work: Conference AbstractRecord created at source: 30 September 2018
  • Title of Abstract/Short Entry: Gas permeable contact lenses and water exposure – practice patterns of a sample of American Academy of Optometry members.Author(s): Zimmerman AB, Steele KR, Wagner H, Lai NTitle of Publication: Optometry and Vision ScienceType of Work: Conference PosterPublication Status: PublishedPublication date: 11 October 2018Reviewed Item?: trueType of Review: Peer-ReviewDescription of Effort: Study design, data analysis, writingPercent Authorship: 60Record created at...