Janet L. Leasher

Dr. Janet L. Leasher is a Professor at Nova Southeastern University's College of Optometry in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She holds a Doctor of Optometry (1986) from Pacific University and a Master's in Public Health in International Health and Development (1999) from Tulane University.

Her teaching focuses on public health didactic courses, including community health promotion, health systems, policy, economics, and ethics. She also serves as a clinical preceptor for third-year optometry students and teaches case analysis and clinical decision-making. Additionally, she is faculty in the Master of Science Clinical Vision Research program and the Public Health program at NSU's Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Dr. Leasher's research emphasizes global epidemiology, program evaluation, and equitable access to vision care. She has authored over 75 publications with 65,000+ citations and is among the top 40 optometric researchers globally. She leads the Americas region for the Vision Loss Expert Group in the Global Burden of Disease Study.

She serves on the National Eye Institute's National Eye Health Education Program planning group and contributes to public health research strategy. Her professional roles include leadership in the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, American Optometric Association, American Public Health Association, and World Council of Optometry. Past roles include Director of Community Outreach at NSU and coordinator for UNESCO's Visual Health and Development initiative.

Her honors include Fellowships from the American Academy of Optometry and National Academy of Practice in Optometry. She actively promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and cultural competency in optometric education through multiple task forces and training programs.