The Pucker Lab is currently made up of four members. If you are interested in learning more about our lab members Bio’s please feel free to click the link associated with their name.
Dr. Andrew Pucker is the Principal Investigator, as well as the founder of the Pucker Laboratory. Dr. Pucker is the lead on all clinical trials conducted in the laboratory.
Click here to learn more about Dr. Andrew Pucker
Andrew D. Pucker, OD, PhD, FAAO, FSLS
Dr. Pucker earned his OD, MS, and PhD degrees from The Ohio State University, and he is currently an Assistant Professor and Chief of the Myopia Control Clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Pucker is the Principal Investigator of a National Eye Institute funded project related to myopia development, and he manages other projects related to refractive error, dry eye, and contact lenses. Dr. Pucker is a Contributing Editor for Contact Lens Spectrum. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and of the Scleral Lens Education Society. He has also received a number of others honors, which include winning the Irvin M. and Beatrice Borish Award, receiving Ohio State’s Outstanding Professional Student Award, receiving the Association of Schools & Colleges of Optometry’s Rising Star Award, and being named as an Emerging Vision Scientist by the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research. In his spare time he enjoys traveling, home brewing, and spending time with his family.
Awards and Honors
2002: Outstanding Student Achievement in Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Fond du Lac
2008-2011: Member, Beta Sigma Kappa International Honor Society
2010: Carl Zeiss Vision Fellowship, American Optometric Foundation
2011: Fellow, American Academy of Optometry
2011–2012: Arene T. Wray Fellowship, The Ohio State University
2011–2012: William C. Ezell Fellowship, American Optometric Foundation
2011: Vincent J. Ellerbrock Memorial Award, The Ohio State University
2011: Outstanding Professional Student Award, The Ohio State University
2012–2018: Loan Repayment Program, National Institutes of Health
2012–2013: William C. Ezell Fellowship, American Optometric Foundation
2013–2014: Fellowship, Ohio Lions Eye Research Foundation
2013–2014: Arene T. Wray Fellowship, The Ohio State University
2016: Emerging Vision Scientist, Alliance for Eye and Vision Research
2018: Rising Star Award, Associations of Schools and Colleges of Optometry
2019: Fellow, Scleral Lens Education Society
2019: Center for Teaching and Learning Teaching Certificate (Level 2, Platinum Certificate), University of Alabama at Birmingham
2019: Irvin M. and Beatrice Borish Award, American Academy of Optometry
2019: Peter-Abel Award, Association of German Contact Lenses-Specialists and Optometrists
Keyur Savla is a PhD. canidate at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and an integral part of the Pucker Laboratory.
Click here to learn more about Keyur Savla
Keyur Savla is a PhD student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in optometry from the Lotus College of Optometry, he came to UAB in order to further his education in the field of vision science and learn more about myopia management, peripheral refraction, and optical modeling.
As a graduate student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Keyur has had success in becoming the treasurer, and now vice president of the Graduate Student Government. He was also named as a student assistant for the Optometry, and Vision Science Journal, as well as Student Vice President of The honor society of Phi Kappa Phi. Keyur is not only a very involved member of the graduate school at UAB but now a published scientist.
Publications:
Quentin Franklin is the project coordinator for most clinical trials associated with the Pucker Laboratory.
Click here to learn more about Quentin Franklin
Quentin Franklin is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. While working on obtaining his bachelor’s degree in Public Health Quentin served as a research assistant in the Pucker Laboratory, tasked with data collection and care of the Lab's animal colony. After receiving his degree Quentin was assigned the duties of a research coordinator, helping with the recruitment, data collection, and study design of several clinical trials associated with the Pucker Laboratory.
