Dr. Christopher Cha
Dr. Christopher Cha was born and raised in Houston, Texas with family originally hailing from South Korea. He is passionate about eye care and excited to be part of a team that promotes full-scope optometry. Dr. Cha’s extensive training has included various surgical modes of practice, from refractive correction to varying disease management, such as glaucoma, cornea, and retina. His patients appreciate the dedication that he brings to the exam room and Alliance Vision Institute clinics. When he is not busy caring for patients he enjoys photography, cinema, the culinary arts, design, and fashion.
Education & Experience
- University of Houston
Bachelor of Science in Biology and Minor in Business Administration - University of the Incarnate Word Rosenberg School of Optometry
Doctorate of Optometry - Rosenberg Eye Institute
Primary Care Optometry Residency with Emphasis on Ocular Disease
Specialties
Dry Eye Disease
Dry eye disease is an exceedingly common condition when your eyes aren’t getting enough hydration from your tears.
Diabetic Eye Care
Diabetes is a disease that can affect the entire body, but it’s infamous for having significant effects on your eyes. That’s why, if you have or are at risk for diabetes, it’s important to have an eye doctor look for related conditions like diabetic retinopathy.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide, and due to its tendency to cause vision loss without warning, it’s been dubbed the “silent thief of sight.”
Ocular Disease
Pre- and Post-Surgical [Perioperative] Care
Open Letter to Patients
Hello! And welcome to Alliance Vision Institute. Where we are populated by doctors and staff who are passionate about making your vision our priority.
Through my time in school and training, I’ve been privileged to see how healthcare, and specifically eye care, changes people’s lives. All of my family members, from my immediate nuclear family to my lovely extended family, which includes my most beloved grandmother, require vision correction in all of their forms; glasses, contacts, and refractive procedures. So it’s safe to say, it has been long instilled in me to care and become aware of the visual needs of those around me. And it has been ingrained in me, still, to care about those who require aid in achieving their vision goals.
My philosophy of care is embodied in my belief that education is a right for all. I want to ensure that every patient is involved and included in each step of their eye care, especially as it pertains to their overall health and well-being. So, please, feel free to ask questions or interrupt me if I am expounding upon things that you are not interested in hearing! My joy comes when my investment in the health of my patient’s eyes is reciprocated by the patients themselves.
In my practicing here at AVI, I want to embody that health is wealth, and our eyes are the grand prize.
It is our honor that you’ve entrusted us to be the experts that get to gaze upon your eyes and their needs.
Q&A With Dr. Cha
What made you decide to become an optometrist?
I took a high school internship at a family optometrist’s office, which was my first ever time stepping foot into an eye doctor’s office as I had never needed to have my vision corrected. This was my first venture in exploring budding aspirations of entering the healthcare field. When the doctor let me look at my first ever set of eyes through the microscope, I will never forget. It was a post-LASIK patient with eyes as blue as the ocean. It looked as if wisps of energy constituted her iris and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I thought, “If I can look at this every day of my life, I think I’d be happy.” And the rest is history.
What is the most satisfying part of your job?
I love seeing my patients curious about their vision care, and I especially love when they light up learning about their eyes. I feel fulfilled when my care brings about noted improvement both in their quality of health and quality of vision.
What differentiates Alliance Vision Institute from other practices?
AVI truly prioritizes optimal, leading-edge eye care for all of their patients. I’ve had the privilege of working at more than a dozen practices in my training and career so far, and I can say that AVI truly embodies the ideals of modern eye care. I’m proud that I can make it my home.
- American Optometric Association
- American Academy of Optometry
- Texas Optometric Association
- Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry
- Poster: Therapeutic Intervention of Traumatic Aniridia, Aphakia Manifesting with Visual Symptoms. By Christopher Cha, O.D., Jeannette Wong-Powell, O.D., F.A.A.O., James D. Lehmann, M.D., Amy Conner, O.D.
Heart of America Eye Care Congress 2022 - Poster: Unilateral Choroidal Neovascularization in a Healthy Young Female. By Christopher Cha. American Academy of Optometry 2021 Meeting
Original & Peer-Reviewed Publications
- Manuscript: Effect of dark vs. white chocolate on the multifocal electroretinogram. By Jeff Rabin, Liana Renteria, Minh Nguyen, Christopher Cha, Fortuna Abebe, Arzoo Wastani. November 2020 Nature: Eye
- Manuscript: Cool (blue) vs. warm (yellow) displays enhance visual function By Jeff Rabin, Christopher Cha, Minh Nguyen, Liana Renteria, Fortuna Abebe, Arzoo Wastani. February 2020 Nature: Eye
Oral Presentations
- Lecture: Eye Problems By Anthony Mac, OD, MPH; Christopher Cha, OD; Talia Tunstill, OD; Jeannette Wong- Powell, OD, FAAO; William Miller, OD, MS, PhD.
University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine January 2022 - Presentation: Short Term Exposure to Cool (blue) vs. Warm (yellow) Displays Enhances Foveal Temporal Contrast Sensitivity By Christopher Cha and Jeffrey Rabin, O.D., F.A.A.O, Dipl. Vision Science.
American Academy of Optometry’s 3rd World Congress of Optometry October 2019
You Deserve the Clearest Vision. Achieve it with Alliance Vision Institute.
The doctors at Alliance Vision Institute have reviewed and approved this content.
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