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Ron Schuchard, PhD FARVO

Executive Director, Envision Research Institute

Ron Schuchard, PhD FARVO,

  AT ERI, Ron Schuchard applies his career as an academic research scientist and product development manager for biotechnology companies.

Dr. Ronald Schuchard started as the Executive Director of the Envision Research Institute on January 1, 2019.  He received a Master’s degree in Physics from DePaul University and a PhD in medical physics from the University of Chicago.  He completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in vision research at the Wilmer Eye Institute at The Johns Hopkins University. 

He has a professional career as an academic research scientist and a product development manager for biotechnology companies.  His academic research appointments include school of medicine faculty positions at Johns Hopkins University, University of Missouri, Emory University, and Stanford University.  He was the Director of research centers at the Eye Foundation of Kansas City and the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation R&D Center of Excellence.  He was also a member of the Stanford Institute of Neuro-Innovation and Translational Neurosciences.  He complimented his academic research experiences with industry experiences in biotechnical research and development.  He recently had a senior staff FDA position that used his skills and experiences to develop and evaluate innovative biotechnologies (pharmaceutical and medical devices) and rehabilitative interventions.  He was a lead reviewer for ophthalmic/vision medical device submissions (e.g., IDE, PMA, De Novo, 510(k), 513(g), QSub, EFS, EAP, and MDDT).  He also was part of management groups in CDRH including the Medical Device Development Tools and Digital Health programs.

Dr. Schuchard remains well connected to the vision science community as a Fellow of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology as well as being a member of the Optical Society of America, the Low Vision Research Group, the International Society for Low Vision Research and Rehabilitation, and the Imaging and Perimetry Society.  His current research and administrative interests align perfectly with the goals and mission of the Envision Research Institute.  ERI dedicates its research to investigating the functional implications of vision loss, access to interventions, optimizing rehabilitation therapies, and developing accessibility technology.  While during business hours you can find him at his current professional positions, he also enjoys a full personal life that includes listening to many types of live music, international travel to experience different cultures and geography, tennis, and hiking in the mountains especially with redwoods.