Jennifer Liao, OD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Specialty and Advanced Care, and Attending Optometrist in the Contact Lens Service at NECO Center for Eye Care.
Prior to joining NECO, Dr. Liao practiced in Toronto, Canada for nearly six years. She was formerly the Director of Contact Lens Services at the Vision Institute of Canada, as well as an Associate Optometrist at a private practice. In 2015, Dr. Liao helped found the Therapeutic Contact Lens Clinic at Kensington Vision and Research Centre – a referral clinic developed as part of the University of Toronto Health Network serving patients suffering from severely irregular corneas and ocular surface diseases. She was a part of the clinic’s growth to become Canada’s first Prosthetic Replacement of the Ocular Surface Ecosystem (PROSE) Clinic, helping patients who previously did not have access to PROSE care, and Dr. Liao served as the first PROSE provider in Canada.
Dr. Liao earned her Doctor of Optometry with Beta Sigma Kappa honors at the New England College of Optometry, and stayed to further her interests through a Residency in Contact and Contact Lens, where she worked with leading clinicians in the Greater Boston Area to manage complex ocular conditions with state-of-the-art contact lenses. Dr. Liao received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto, with a double major in human biology and anthropology.
Dr. Liao is passionate about providing eye care and education to underserved populations. She has enjoyed travelling as volunteer faculty with Orbis International and Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanities (VOSH) to India and the Dominican Republic, and lecturing to optometry and ophthalmology in local and national conferences. She is a recipient of numerous awards including the Dr. Edward Joseph Troendle Jr. Award for dedication to the college and profession, the F. Dow Smith Award for leadership potential, and the VOSH of New England Scholarship. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and the Scleral Lens Society, and currently serves on the Scleral Lens Fellowship Committee board.
Dr. Liao enjoys travelling and is a lover of the outdoors all year round. In her spare time, you can catch her hiking or kayaking, or having a picnic outdoors with her family.