Karen Allison, MD, MBA, FACS

Karen Allison MD, MBA, FACS, is a board member of Prevent Blindness, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight for people of all ages, and a board certified ophthalmologist and Associate Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology – Glaucoma Division at the Flaum Eye Institute at the University of Rochester.

Dr. Allison earned her medical degree from Rutgers Medical School and completed her residency in ophthalmology at the SUNY Health Science Center in Brooklyn, New York. Subsequently, she pursued a fellowship in Glaucoma at the Oschner Foundation in New Orleans, Louisiana. With over 20 years of experience in teaching residents, she currently holds the position of Chief of Glaucoma at the University of Rochester’s Flaum Eye Institute. Additionally, she serves as the Glaucoma Fellowship Director and leads the Population Medicine Glaucoma Division at the institute. Dr. Allison is actively engaged in population medicine research as a member of the Population Medicine Research Committee, as well as in diversity and equity research at the University of Rochester’s Flaum Eye Institute.

Dr. Allison conducts clinical research both locally and internationally through her collaborations with many other researchers. She is a founding member of the African Hereditary Research Consortium, AfriGen – African Glaucoma Research Group and chair of the Glaucoma division of population Medicine research group. She is founder of the Pan African Glaucoma Association and the Minority mentorships program at the University of Rochester. She has authored “why am I not 20/20” an educational book for patients and has co-authored many manuscripts and book chapters. She is involved in mentorship programs nationally and internationally and has mentored over 500 persons during her career.