Space Medicine Meets Community Care
In April, Joshua Ong, M.D., a fourth-year resident physician at the U-M Kellogg Eye Center, gave a TEDx talk titled “Spaceflight to Eyesight.” The talk highlighted Dr. Ong’s journey into space medicine and drew parallels between the barriers to eye care faced by astronauts on space missions and those encountered by underserved populations here on Earth. As a leader of a mobile eye clinic for uninsured patients during medical school, Dr. Ong saw firsthand the difficulties faced by communities with fewer resources, including decreased access to specialists, state-of-the art diagnostic tools, and advanced therapies. Today, his work draws direct lines from NASA-funded research. “We found that some of the technologies we were using for astronauts, such as wearable compact diagnostic headsets, could be used to address longstanding barriers to vision care in these communities,” he says. Ong’s advocacy serves as a call to action for broad, cross-disciplinary innovation aimed at meeting unmet needs in local communities. “Space is the final frontier. But for all of us, the final frontier is truly understanding what our own communities need, and how we can apply the cutting edge of innovation and perspectives within our own fields to help those around us,” he says.
Exploring Visual Processing in Athletics
Dr. Ong’s latest textbook, Ophthalmology of Sports,published in July 2025, emerged from collaborations studying athletic visual performance, including research with the NFL to optimize the vision of officials on the field. The book also features experts from the NBA, NHL, NCAA, Formula 1, the Olympics, and the Association of Tennis Professionals.“We developed this collaborative network to highlight the science behind visual processing in athletics, he explains.
Addressing the Impact of Social Determinants on Vision Care
Patrice Hicks, Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant professor and scholar, Michigan Program for Advancing Cultural Transformation, has received a fellowship funded by The Glaucoma Foundation (sponsored by Patricia Hill) and Research to Prevent Blindness, a joint program that provides funding and support for underrepresented racial and ethnic minority investigators pursuing glaucoma research. Dr. Hicks’ research investigates how social and neighborhood factors impact patient’s ability to get glaucoma care and their outcomes. Using large-scale national data, her goal is to identify and minimize barriers. “We’re looking at health care access and utilization outcomes for patients with glaucoma to see if this differs by neighborhood, referencing the NIH ‘All of Us’ data,” she says. “We want to learn about what might be limiting or helping patients access care and treatment.” Glaucoma is a chronic disease that must be carefully monitored over the entire lifespan. “Patients with glaucoma who are underserved tend to see a doctor when they already have more advanced disease and they experience worse outcomes,” says Dr. Hicks. With a personal connection to the impact of glaucoma on patients’ lives, Dr. Hicks says her research carries a special significance. “Both of my grandmothers have glaucoma,” she says. “That is largely why I have dedicated my career to this area of study.”