Dr. Loretta Barbara Szczotka-Flynn

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Case Western Reserve University
School of Medicine
Department of Ophthalmology
Associate ProfessorAppointed: 1992
University Hospitals of Cleveland
University Hospitals Case Medical Center
Ophthalmology
Contact Lens Service
DirectorAppointed: 1992
Professional Headshot of Loretta Barbara Szczotka-Flynn

Mailing Address

University Hospitals of Cleveland
Case Western Reserve University
Department of Ophthalmology
11100 Euclid Ave Suite 3200
Cleveland, Ohio 44106
United States

Contact Information

Phone: (216) 844-3609
Fax: (216) 844-7134
loretta.szczotka@uhhospitals.org

Qualifications

O.D., Ohio State University, Optometry, 1992.
M.S., Ohio State University, Physiological Optics, 1992.
Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University, Epidemiology.

Expertise and Research Interests

Dr. Loretta Szczotka-Flynn is Associate Professor at Case Western Reserve University Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and Director of the Contact Lens Service at the University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. She received her Doctorate of Optometry and Masters of Physiological Optics from The Ohio State University in 1992, and she is a PhD candidate in Epidemiology from Case Western Reserve University with expected completion in 2009. She is a Diplomate in the Cornea and Contact Lens Section of the American Academy of Optometry and Diplomate Award Chair for the Section. She is serving a second term on the editorial board for Optometry and Vision Science and is a Contributing Editor for Contact Lens Spectrum. Her research interests include contact lens complications, extended wear, silicone hydrogels, keratoconus, post-surgical contact lens fittings and corneal topography. She has written 36 peer reviewed manuscripts, 10 book chapters, 56 scientific meeting abstracts, and has presented over 140 presentations world-wide. She served as the Principal Investigator at the Case Department of Ophthalmology Participating Clinic for The Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluation of Keratoconus (CLEK) Study from 1996 to 2004. She was Ohio's 1997 Young Optometrist of the Year, and she received the Nissel Award from the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) for excellence in rigid contact lens research in London, England in 2000. In 2004, she received a Patient Oriented Research Career Development Award from the National Eye Institute to study infiltrative complications with silicone hydrogel lenses. She is the recipient of two Ezell Fellowships for the years 2004-05 and 2005-06 from the American Optometric Foundation, a Female Scholar Award from Prevent Blindness Ohio in 2007, and a CLAO Educational Research Foundation Award in 2007 which all support her research in silicone hydrogel related infiltrative complications. Her most recent interests include the genetic causes of keratoconus which she studies in collaboration with Sudha Iyengar PhD, a genetic epidemiologist from Case Western Reserve University. Additionally, she has interests in bacterial adherence and biofilm formation on contact lenses, efficacy of contact lens care solutions against biofiom, and the relationship of bacterial contamination to infiltrative contact lens complications.

Other Expertise

1994-Fellow-American Academy of Optometry;
1996-Diplomate-Cornea & Contact Lens Section,American Academy of Optometry;

COMMITTEE & RESEARCH REVIEW APPOINTMENTS
1996- Advisory Member: Rigid Gas Permeable Lens Institute(RGPLI);
1996,1999 Review Committee: National Eye Institute (NEI) Ad Hoc Special Emphasis Pane
1997-1988 Consulting Editor; Contact Lens Spectrum;
1997,1999 Review Committee: American Optometric Foundation; Vistakon Research Grant Peer Review;
1997-1999 Senior Clinical Editor: Optometry Today;
1997- Speakers Bureau: CooperVision, Inc;
1998 Review Committee: Wesley-Jessen Student Excellence Award;
1998- Contributing Editor: Contact Lens Spectrum;
1998- 2000 Advocates Council: Menicon USA;
1998- Chairman: Continuing Education Committee; 1999 East-West Eye Conference of The Ohio Optometric Association;
1999- Contributing Editor: Review of Optometry.

Future Research

Future research includes clinical trials encompassing new contact lens materials, modalities, and solutions. Special interests are on high Dk extended wear lenses.

Keywords

COS Keywords:

Ophthalmology.

Additional Terms:

Contact Lenses, Corneal Topography, Keratoconus.

Languages

(Reading, Writing, Speaking)

Polish: (Fluent, Fluent, Fluent)

Memberships

American Academy of Optometry
American Optometric Association (AOA)
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists
International Association of Contact Lens Educators
International Society for Contact Lens Research
Rigid Gas Permeable Lens Institute

Honors and Awards

2007, Female Scholar in Vision Research, Prevent Blindness Ohio
2005-2006, George Mertz Ezell Fellowship, American Optometric Foundation
2004-2005, Ezell Fellowship, American Optometric Foundation
2000, George Nissel Award, British Contact Len Association
1997, Jack Keith Young Ohio Optometrist of the Year, Ohio Optometric Association

Previous Positions

1992-1997, Director, University Ophthalmologists, Inc., & University Hospitals of, Low Vision
1992-94, Instructor; Physiological Optics, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology
1994-96, Senior Instructor; Physiological Optics, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology

Funding Received

  • National Institutes of Health (NIH): Refractive Error Correction (NEI-RECQ) Questionaire Study, Apr 1999 to April 2000.
  • CLAO Educational and Research Foundation: Role of Bacterial Biofilms in Infiltrative Keratitis, 2007 to 2008.
  • Menicon Co., Ltd: Menicon Z Therapeutic Lens Indication Study, 2007 to .
  • NEI K23 EY015270-01: Longitudinal Analysis of Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lens Study, 2004 to 2009.
  • : Consultant: CLEK Corneal Topography Reading Center (CTRC) NIH/NEI Grant # U10 EY 12656-01, 1999 to present.
  • : Principal Investigator CWRU Site: CLEK Piggy Back Feasibility Study, 1998 to 1999.
  • Bausch & Lomb: Co-Investigator: Contact Lens and Closed Eye Induced Inflammation, 1997 to present.
  • : Primary Investigator CWRU Clinical Site: Collaborative Longitudinal Investigation of Keratoconus (CLEK) Study; NIH/NEI Grant #s, 1996 to 2004.
  • National Eye Institute: Co-Investigator: Protection of the Ocular Surface, 1996 to Present.

Publications

  • Imamura Y, Chandra J, Mukherjee PK, Lattif AA, Szczotka-Flynn LB, Pearlman E, Lass JH, O'Donnell K, Ghannoum MA (Jan 2008) Fusarium and Candida albicans Biofilms on Soft Contact Lenses: Model Development, Influence of Lens Type, and Susceptibility to Lens Care Solutions., Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy, 52 (1), 171-82 Abstract
  • Szczotka-Flynn L, Debanne SM, Cheruvu VK, Long B, Dillehay S, Barr J, Bergenske P, Donshik P, Secor G, Yoakum J (Apr 2007) Predictive factors for corneal infiltrates with continuous wear of silicone hydrogel contact lenses., Archives of ophthalmology, 125 (4), 488-92 Abstract
  • Szczotka-Flynn L, Diaz M (Apr 2007) Risk of corneal inflammatory events with silicone hydrogel and low dk hydrogel extended contact lens wear: a meta-analysis., Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry, 84 (4), 247-56 Abstract
  • Gordon MO, Steger-May K, Szczotka-Flynn L, Riley C, Joslin CE, Weissman BA, Fink BA, Edrington TB, Olafsson HE, Zadnik K (Dec 2006) Baseline factors predictive of incident penetrating keratoplasty in keratoconus., American journal of ophthalmology, 142 (6), 923-30 Abstract
  • McMahon TT, Szczotka-Flynn L, Barr JT, Anderson RJ, Slaughter ME, Lass JH, Iyengar SK (Aug 2006) A new method for grading the severity of keratoconus: the Keratoconus Severity Score (KSS)., Cornea, 25 (7), 794-800 Abstract
  • McMahon TT, Edrington TB, Szczotka-Flynn L, Olafsson HE, Davis LJ, Schechtman KB (Apr 2006) Longitudinal changes in corneal curvature in keratoconus., Cornea, 25 (3), 296-305 Abstract
  • Szczotka-Flynn L, Jani BR (Nov 2005) Comparison of axial and tangential topographic algorithms for contact lens fitting after LASIK., Eye & contact lens, 31 (6), 257-62 Abstract
  • Szczotka-Flynn L (Jul 2004) Ocular surface influences on corneal topography., The ocular surface, 2 (3), 188-200 Abstract
  • Szczotka-Flynn L, McMahon TT, Lass JH, Sugar J, Weissman BA, Stiegemeier MJ, Reinhart WJ (Apr 2004) Late-stage progressive corneal astigmatism after penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus., Eye & contact lens, 30 (2), 105-10 Abstract
  • Reddy T, Szczotka L, Roberts C., Peripheral Corneal Contour Measured By Topography Influences Soft Toric Contact Lens Fitting Success, The CLAO Journal, 2000
  • Jani B, Szczotka L, Comparison of EyeSys and Humphrey Contact Lens Modules, The CLAO Journal, 2000
  • Edrington TB, Szczotka LB, Barr JT, Achtenberg JF, Burger DS, Janoff AM, Olafsson HE, Chun MW, Boyle JW, Gordon MO, Zadnik K, Rigid contact lens fitting relationships in keratoconus. Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluation of Keratoconus (CLEK) Study Group, Optometry and Vision Science, 76(10), 692-9, October 1999 Abstract
  • Edrington TB, Szczotka LB, Begley CG, Burger DS, Wilson BS, Barr JT, Zadnik K, Gordon MO, Repeatability and agreement of two corneal-curvature assessments in keratoconus: keratometry and the first definite apical clearance lens (FDACL). CLEK Study Group. Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluati, Cornea, 17(3), 267-77, May 1998 Abstract
  • Szczotka, L.B, Aronsky, M.A., Contact Lenses Following LASIK, Journal of the American Optometric Association, 69, 775-84, 1998
  • Szczotka LB, Thomas J, Comparison of axial and instantaneous videokeratographic data in keratoconus and utility in contact lens curvature prediction, Clao Journal, 24(1), 22-8, Jan 1998 Abstract
  • Szczotka, L.B, Contact Lenses for Complications Following Refractive Corneal Surgery, Practical Optometry, 9(3), 88-94, 1998
  • Bardenstein D S, Sauer S, Szczotka L, Medof M E, Detection of complement regulatory proteins on soft contact lenses., Current Eye Research, 16(12), 1270-3, December 1997 Abstract
  • Szczotka LB, Clinical evaluation of a topographically based contact lens fitting software, Optometry and Vision Science, 74(1), 14-9, January 1997 Abstract
  • Szczotka L B, Rabinowitz Y S, Yang H, Influence of contact lens wear on the corneal topography of keratoconus., Clao Journal, 22(4), 270-3, October 1996 Abstract
  • Szczotka LB, Reinhart W, Computerized videokeratoscopy contact lens software for RGP fitting in a bilateral postkeratoplasty patient: a clinical case report, Clao Journal, 21(1), 52-6, January 1995 Abstract
  • Szczotka L.B. "Interactive Rigid Contact Lens Fitting with the TMS-1 Computerized Videokeratoscope Contact Lens Program" International Contact Lens Clinic, 22 (11 & 12): 244-249, 1995
  • Szczotka L.B., Capretta D.M., Lass J.H. ''Clinical Evaluation of a Computerized Topography Software Method for Fitting Rigid Gas Permeable Contact Lenses.'' The CLAO Journal, 20(4): 231-236, 1994

Profile Details

Last Updated: 2/14/2008

COS Expertise ID #262999
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