Meng Lin

Professor Meng Lin is a Clinical Professor at the School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley. She serves as Director of the UC Berkeley Clinical Research Center and Chief of the Ocular Surface Imaging Clinic, while also co-leading the Dry Eye Clinic.

• Academic Role: Clinical Professor in Optometry
• Leadership: Director, UC Berkeley Clinical Research Center; Chief, Ocular Surface Imaging Clinic; Co-Chief, Dry Eye Clinic
• Clinical Duties: Supervising OD interns in diagnosis/treatment of dry eye at Meredith W. Morgan University Eye Center

Research Focus: Dr. Lin specializes in ocular surface physiology, particularly the biophysical properties of tear lipids and their interaction with contact lenses and care solutions. Her work explores:

• Ethnic differences in tear film stability and corneal epithelial integrity between Asian and non-Asian populations
• Impact of contact lens materials/design on post-lens tear mixing and corneal oxygenation
• Biomechanical stress from eyelid anatomy on tear film dynamics and dry eye symptomatology
• Development of novel techniques (e.g., multilayered lipid film analysis) to mimic in vivo blinking conditions for studying tear film viscoelasticity
• Correlations between tear osmolarity, inflammatory biomarkers, and dry eye subtypes (evaporative vs. aqueous deficiency)

Publication Trends: Recent work emphasizes thermal pulsation treatment for meibomian gland dysfunction, 3D OCT imaging of lens-ocular interactions, and mechanical complications of silicone hydrogel lenses. Articles frequently address ethnic variability in diagnostic criteria and epithelial permeability changes during extended wear.

Clinical Contributions: Dr. Lin's research has demonstrated that Asian contact lens wearers exhibit thinner post-lens tear films, higher corneal staining rates, and reduced tear film stability compared to non-Asians, even with identical lens materials. Her findings advocate for ethnically adjusted diagnostic cutoffs in dry eye assessment.

Labs & Teams: She leads the UC Berkeley Clinical Research Center and collaborates with multidisciplinary teams including Vision Science Program researchers, Dry Eye Clinic clinicians, and Ocular Surface Imaging Clinic specialists.