Randy H. Kardon MD, PhD

Dr. Randy H. Kardon, MD, Ph.D. Director of Neuro-ophthalmology at The University of Iowa and have been an active clinician-scientist for over 25 years. Additionally, Randy Director of the Iowa City VA Center for Prevention and Treatment of Vision Loss, funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which organizes a group of over 20 scientists and clinicians towards studying and researching optic nerve and retinal disorders that have relevance to the military population, especially in relation to traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Randy has expertise in the physiology of the melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells (MGC) in humans and animals. Most recently, Randy has obtained funding and has published articles on using the pupil light reflex to measure the rod, cone, and melanopsin mediated pupil responses in humans and animals. Recently, we have extended our measurements to recording the EMG of the eye's squinting muscles and skin conductance in response to increasing intensities of red and blue light to objectively characterize photosensitivity in patients. Clinically, Randy also diagnose and work with patients and veterans with photophobia and headache following TBI. Randy has been collaborating with colleagues over the last few years on light-mediated responses of the visual system. Randy also has a great deal of clinical expertise in photophobia and testing of visual function, including the pupil, besides research and translational interests.