Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine optometrists Katharine Funari, O.D., M.P.H., and Kelly Seidler, O.D., recently completed the American Academy of Optometry Clinical Investigator Certification Program. The eight-week course is designed to teach skills required to conduct rigorous sponsored clinical trials within the practice setting.

Through the course, Funari and Seidler learned about the responsibilities of an investigator conducting a clinical trial, the basic concepts of clinical trial design and human subject research, statistics specific to clinical trials and how to avoid data bias and error, as well as understanding the administrative and management aspects of research.

Funari, who joined Wilmer in 2019 and works in Wilmer’s Bethesda and Frederick clinics, took part in the course to learn how to be a better clinical investigator, improve her ability to conduct clinical research within the outpatient setting and work with eye care industry partners to create clinical studies. “Research allows us the opportunity to share new and innovative treatments for eye health with our patients,” she says.

With an interest in pediatric research, specifically myopia control and vision therapy, Funari hopes to use research to aid in promoting children’s eye care. She says the course helped her understand areas of improvement for her skills within a research setting, learn about clinical devices and their classifications, better understand vulnerable populations and ensure patients are respected and treated fairly within research.

Seidler joined Wilmer in 2020 and sees patients at Wilmer’s Frederick location. She says she pursued the program to get a better understanding of the basic framework required to conduct research.

As a clinical research novice, Seidler says she enjoyed analyzing the methodology of research studies and discussing when and why particular study designs were chosen. She says the program helped her recognize some of the obstacles to pursuing research in her work setting and prompted her to start thinking about how to overcome them. “I see research as a contribution to the scientific community, which ultimately improves our patient care and patient outcomes,” she says.

Seidler, who completed her residency in ocular disease and neuro-ophthalmic disease, is interested in research about visual manifestations of neurologic disease and optic neuropathies. “I enjoy finding out about new research aimed at better understanding the various types of optic neuropathies, many of which cause irreversible vision loss, and hope that someday we’ll be able to offer treatments for more of these conditions,” she says. “Hopefully I’ll be able to help contribute.”