If you need a contact lens to fit just right so you can truly see your best, there are few people on this green earth better to have in your corner than Dr. Thanh Mai, OD, FSLS.
Dr. Mai specializes in advanced, custom contact lenses for patients with complex corneal conditions, including keratoconus, pellucid marginal degeneration, and corneas altered by refractive surgery or transplants. As a Fellow of the Scleral Lens Society, he brings advanced training to cases to cases that require precision, creativity, and persistence. When others see a challenging cornea, he sees a blueprint.
Because he is highly nearsighted himself, Dr. Mai has a personal passion for myopia management. He understands what it means to rely on vision correction every single day, which fuels his commitment to helping children slow or even stop the progression of myopia. Through orthokeratology and other evidence-based treatments, he works to protect long-term eye health and expand what is possible for young patients.
Dr. Mai lectures nationally, teaching other doctors about specialty contact lenses and modern myopia control strategies. He also has a growing passion for patient education beyond the exam room. With aspirations of becoming a trusted YouTube voice in eye care, he aims to translate complex eye conditions into clear, practical guidance that empowers patients to understand their vision and make confident decisions about their eye health.
Being an optometrist is great! If you have a son or daughter interested in healthcare, I wholeheartedly recommend optometry and welcome them to shadow us at the office or chat over lunch. The best part of my job is solving vision problems that can truly transform people's lives, especially for patients with keratoconus or past surgical complications. Money can't buy the feeling you get when you improve someone's vision and quality of life.
Insight Vision Center partners with residents and local businesses across Orange County. I am a past president of the Orange County Optometric Society, which helps me stay up-to-date with changes in our profession and engaged in community service. I enjoy teaching students at Marshall B. Ketchum University to be the best optometrists they can be and sharing clinical pearls with colleagues.
I recently started learning golf, and it's a tough sport to master you'll find me out there trying to stop slicing the ball. I love playing board games and spending time with my wife and our two children. You'll also find me at the Rose Bowl during football season cheering on my UCLA Bruins or at Pauley Pavilion appreciating John Wooden's legacy.
Dr. Valerie Lam, OD, FAAO, FOVDR is passionate about diagnosing and treating vision problems that interfere with a child's ability to read, learn, and focus. She specializes in conditions such as convergence insufficiency, tracking and reading difficulties, double vision, amblyopia, and strabismus. She also provides care for patients experiencing visual complications following traumatic brain injury, surgery, or concussion.
Dr. Lam offers non-surgical treatment through Vision Therapy, a customized program designed to strengthen the connection between the eyes and brain to improve visual function and performance. She completed a residency in Pediatrics and Vision Therapy at the Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University. She went on to earn fellowship recognition from both the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO) and the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (FOVDR), distinctions that reflect advanced clinical training and commitment to excellence.
Dr. Lam earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of California, San Diego, before receiving her Doctor of Optometry degree from the Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University. During her training, she gained experience in diverse clinical settings including an Indian Health Service reservation, low-income schools, low vision clinics, and a surgical center. These experiences strengthened her commitment to serving patients across all stages of life and circumstance.
Driven by a desire to serve others through healthcare, Dr. Lam chose optometry because of its unique ability to transform daily life through vision. She is dedicated to helping children and adults overcome vision-related challenges so they can succeed academically, professionally, and personally.
I love that being an optometrist allows me to connect with patients on a very personal level, not only talking about their vision issues but even just sharing a part of their life. My passion is working with kids because they always bring out the joy in you, even on a rainy day! I love doing vision therapy because it allows me to use my creativity to design new activities that are engaging and exciting for our patients. Most of all, I love seeing patients succeed and get better, and it fulfills me knowing that I was able to be a part of their success!
At Insight Vision Center, we love to give back. We've attended international mission trips to help provide vision care in under served countries. We also enjoyed volunteering at the Special Olympics, doing eye exams for special needs athletes. One of our passions is mentoring pre-optometry students and we always welcome them into our office to share our knowledge of the profession. We've been frequent guest speakers at the local optometry schools, sharing with aspiring optometrists about our journey and encouraging them to go out and make a difference.
I am married to my childhood best friend whom I've known since I was 2 years old and we have 3 adorable kids! When I'm not at Insight, I'm working my other job of being mom and spend my time cooking dinner, taking kids to sports and dance lessons, and playdates at the park.
Dr. Nathan Schramm, OD, FSLS, FBCLA is passionate about helping patients with complex corneal conditions, including keratoconus and post-LASIK ectasia, as well as preventing and managing myopia. He is one of only approximately 250 optometrists worldwide fellowship-trained in scleral lenses and is among the first optometrists to earn certification as a Nutrition Eye Care Provider. He received his Doctor of Optometry degree from Nova Southeastern University in 2008.
An accomplished clinician, educator, writer, and key opinion leader, Dr. Schramm founded the International Congress of Scleral Contacts, the first conference dedicated exclusively to ocular prosthetics and scleral lenses, which has since grown into an annual international event. He contributed to a 2019 ophthalmology textbook chapter on scleral lenses and has authored articles for Advanced Ocular Care, Collaborative Eye, Contact Lens Spectrum, and Natural Awakenings.
Dr. Schramm has lectured to thousands of optometrists and ophthalmologists across the United States, China, and India on advanced scleral lens design and the role of nutrition in eye health. Having completed part of his medical training in China, he incorporates a thoughtful, integrative approach to patient care, combining advanced technology with whole-body wellness principles.
I genuinely love my job because it's a perfect intersection of what the world needs, what I'm good at, and what gives me passion. The best part of my day is fitting a visually impaired patient with advanced lenses and witnessing their awe at how they can now truly see the world. In addition, I take great joy in treating poor vision in children to create a lifelong impact using advanced myopia control techniques.
I donate blood several times yearly (I'm B Positive, like my personality). I became an eye doctor because my grandfather, who raised me like his son, developed an incurable eye disease. I want to continue to educate my eye doctor colleagues on how best to help their patients with irregular astigmatism and complicated corneal conditions.
In my early 20s, I was a personal trainer, so this is one of the reasons why I discuss diet and exercise with my patients. Many people are unaware eye health can be impacted by these things. Another interesting fact is I saved a nun's life and received a congressional commendation. When I'm not fixing eyes, I work out daily with either yoga or high-intensity interval training like CrossFit. Intermittent fasting and extended water only fasts keep me mentally balanced and appreciative. I love spending time with my wife, Julie, and our Siberian Husky, Sasha.
Dr. Nhi Nguyen, OD was born and raised in Orange County and earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. As the oldest of three children in a family of immigrant parents, caring for others has always been part of who she is. She was especially influenced by her grandmother, who helped raise her and instilled in her resilience, compassion, and a deep sense of service. Thanks to her grandmother, Dr. Nhi is fluent in Vietnamese, allowing her to speak, read, and write the language and better serve her community.
Before choosing optometry, Dr. Nhi explored several healthcare paths, including nursing and physical therapy, inspired in part by her years playing sports. Ultimately, she realized she was drawn to a profession that combines long-term relationships, precision, and meaningful impact.
Growing up, she consistently saw only two doctors each year: her pediatrician and her optometrist. While medical school never felt quite right, optometry stood out. Her annual eye exams were always positive, comfortable experiences that helped her see the world more clearly. Having worn glasses since age 11, rigid contact lenses at 15, and soft contact lenses at 22, she personally understands how vision correction shapes confidence and daily life.
After discovering the wide range of specialties within optometry, her decision was clear. Today, Dr. Nhi is committed to providing thoughtful, patient-centered eye care while building the same trust and continuity that first inspired her to pursue the profession.
What I love most about practicing optometry is the personal connections I build with my patients. A memorable experience for me was helping a patient with keratoconus achieve clear vision for the first time in many years the first thing she saw clearly was my face! Moments like that remind me how powerful vision care can be in changing someone's life.
Involvement in the community has been an important part of my journey. I have volunteered at community health fairs, including events with UCLA Bruin Vision Project members and Veterans Stand Down Fairs, and previously served as a nutrition instructor for children to promote healthy lifestyle choices. I hope to continue expanding these initiatives, increasing access to eye care, and inspiring the next generation of optometrists.
When I was seven, I wrote a letter to the President asking if we could be friends. My grandma mailed it to the White House, and I received an official letter and a signed portrait in return! I am also a VIP member of the "cat distribution system" cats in need often find their way to me, and I've rescued several, two of whom now live with me.
Dr. Jeffrey Kamo, OD, FAAO is passionate about myopia management and specialty contact lens fitting, with a focus on irregular corneas and scleral lenses. He is dedicated to improving patients' quality of life through better vision while helping prevent vision loss and long-term eye health complications. If you have keratoconus, irregular corneas, or any corneal condition, he's the doctor for you.
Dr. Kamo earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of California, Irvine, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2018, before receiving his Doctor of Optometry degree from the Southern California College of Optometry in 2023. He completed his Cornea and Contact Lens Residency at the University of California, Berkeley in 2024, and earned his Fellowship of the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO) in 2025.
He serves as a STAPLE (Soft Toric and Presbyopic Lens Education Program) Preceptor at the Southern California College of Optometry, helping shape the next generation of optometrists in specialty contact lens education. His research includes work on higher-order aberrations in scleral lens wear and myopia management with multifocal scleral lenses, presented at the Global Specialty Lens Symposium and the American Academy of Optometry.
I have always had a passion for taking care of others, whether it was healing my little sister's "owie" or tending to my elderly grandparents. I was fortunate to find optometry through working and shadowing a close family friend. I love providing care and being able to directly improve patients' lives through their vision and prevent risks for vision loss.
Optometry is an amazing career! I love that doctors can do something very small and make a LARGE difference. I remember fitting a highly farsighted 8-year-old patient with her first pair of contact lenses. She immediately smiled and her mother exclaimed that she looked beautiful and would no longer be teased for her thick glasses. Stories like these make the job magical.
I try my best to live an active lifestyle, getting cardio shooting hoops and playing grass or beach volleyball, and recently started online mat pilates with my girlfriend. You can catch us on the weekend trying a new matcha spot or breakfast burrito before our weekend hike with our dog, Kiwi. A quirky tradition of mine since my teenage years: after a late night basketball or volleyball practice, I'll "cook" some Shin Ramyun Red and watch the latest anime episodes — a tradition that continues today thanks to our many Asian grocery stores and my brother's Crunchyroll account.
Dr. Stephanie Hwang, OD, MPH specializes in binocular vision dysfunction and the ways it quietly derails a child's ability to learn, read, and focus. She treats conditions ranging from convergence insufficiency and tracking difficulties to more complex cases such as amblyopia, double vision, and strabismus, using Vision Therapy to strengthen the connection between the eyes and brain.
She is especially devoted to making that care accessible. Her practice welcomes neurodivergent patients, individuals with cortical visual impairment or cerebral palsy, and non-speaking patients who communicate through AAC devices, ensuring every child has a real path to clearer, more confident vision.
Dr. Hwang earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Riverside before completing a dual Doctor of Optometry and Master of Public Health degree at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Her passion for pediatric care led her to IN-SIGHT Vision Rehabilitation in Warwick, Rhode Island, where she cared for children navigating significant visual impairment, low vision, and legal blindness, and then to Pauline Buck Behavioral Developmental Neuro-Rehabilitation Vision Therapy in Miami, Florida, where she participated in Special Olympics programming and worked closely with the neurodivergent community. That work earned her the College of Optometrists in Vision Development Student of Excellence in Vision Therapy Award. She completed her residency in Pediatrics and Vision Therapy at Pacific University.
After a decade away, Dr. Hwang is glad to be practicing back home in California. She is dedicated to helping children and families overcome vision-related challenges so that every patient, regardless of ability, can succeed at school, at home, and in daily life.
It started with a single afternoon of shadowing during undergrad. I watched a doctor use prism lenses and targeted exercises to help stroke and brain injury patients recover visual function they had assumed was gone for good. Until that day, I thought optometry began and ended with glasses and contacts. Seeing that transformation up close convinced me otherwise, and I knew almost immediately that I wanted to do work that changed lives the same way. Pediatrics and vision therapy turned out to be exactly where that instinct led me.
Nothing quite compares to the child who arrives too shy to make eye contact and leaves therapy months later walking taller, chattering about the book in their hand and the fun fact they picked up at school that morning. Watching a kid's real personality emerge as their visual world comes into focus is endlessly moving, and it's the kind of quiet transformation I will never get tired of witnessing.
I love penguins but cannot stand birds in general, a contradiction I've made peace with. At the Sydney Zoo I turned around from admiring a kangaroo and found myself face to face with an emu, and I calmly retreated until there was a very safe distance between us. Optometry school brought two more bird incidents, both of which ended with a call to campus security. Outside the office, my mornings usually start with a Lagree class, and the rest of my time off is spent with my goldendoodle, Phoebe, who follows me everywhere. My husband and I met during my residency in Oregon and love to travel, with Japan and Australia at the top of our list. I'm also a committed foodie, always chasing down a new restaurant or the latest boba spot. Most of all, I'm an aunt to seven nieces and nephews, which is the greatest joy in my life.
