Rebecca Deffler
Assistant Professor
Biography
Rebecca A. Deffler, OD PhD, is an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University College of Optometry. Her research interests include the delivery of low vision rehabilitation care and interactions among vision and driving. She teaches VS 6500 Geometric Optics in the first-year didactic curriculum and supervises fourth year interns as a clinical attending in the Low Vision Rehabilitation Service.
Dr. Deffler earned her BS from Gettysburg College (2013), OD from New England College of Optometry (2017), and MS (2019) and PhD (2024) in Vision Science from The Ohio State University. Her MS was earned as part of an Advanced Practice Fellowship in Low Vision Rehabilitation, which included advanced clinical training at the College of Optometry. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and was twice awarded Ezell Fellowships through the American Academy of Optometry Foundation.
- Deffler RA, Frazee E, Cooley SL, Dougherty BE. Hard braking events in bioptic drivers with central vision impairment. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt, 2025;00:1-9. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/opo.13496
- Deffler RA, Cooley SL, Kohl H, Raasch TW, Dougherty BE. Hazard perception in visually impaired drivers who use bioptic telescopes. Trans Vis Sci Tech. 2024;13(6):5. doi:https://doi.org/10.1167/tvst.13.6.5
- Donahue A, Deffler RA, Kran B, Ross NC. CHARGE: Insights regarding optometric findings of CHARGE syndrome in a pediatric low vision clinic. Opt Vis Sci. 2023;100(6):412-418. doi:https://doi.org.10.1097/OPX.0000000000002025
- Deffler RA, Xu J, Bittner AK, Bowers AR, Hassan SE, Ross NC, Cooley Sl, Doubt A, Davidorf FH, Dougherty BE for the RADARS Study Group. Use and perceptions of advanced driver assistance systems by older drivers with and without age-related macular degeneration. Trans Vis Sci Tech. 2022;11(3):22. doi:https://doi.org/10.1167/tvst.11.3.22