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Jacqueline Theis, OD, FAAO, FNAP

“My goal is simple: help people understand why they aren’t seeing comfortably and create a personalized plan that helps them return to the activities they love.”

Helping patients see life again.

Patients from across Virginia and throughout the United States seek Dr. Theis’s expertise because of her unique combination of clinical experience, research, and compassionate care.

She is one of the few residency-trained neuro-optometrists in Virginia specializing in brain injury, double vision, and neurological visual disorders. Every evaluation goes beyond determining whether your eyesight is “20/20.” Instead, she examines how your eyes move, work together, communicate with the brain, and affect your daily life.

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Her philosophy is simple:

Listen first. Explain thoroughly. Treat with evidence. Empower patients.

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Every patient leaves understanding:

  • Why they have symptoms

  • What objective findings explain them

  • Which treatments are supported by evidence

  • What realistic recovery looks like

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Her Journey to Neuro-Optometry

The Story

After suffering multiple concussions as a teenager playing competitive soccer and snowboarding she was unable to read for longer than 15 minutes without triggering a migraine.  She saw numerous healthcare providers who told her to just "wait it out." Six years later, she was still struggling to read. 

 

It was only when she was in college, following different specialties to see what type of doctor she wanted to become that she came upon an optometrist who diagnosed her with a binocular vision disorder (BVD) called convergence insufficiency, which was causing all of her reading problems.  In college at the time and unable to pursue vision therapy, the optometrist prescribed her prism glasses to compensate which immediately improved her reading endurance from 15 minutes 1-2 hours. GAME CHANGER. The following summer she finished vision therapy and was able to read comfortably for indefinite periods of time without headaches or glasses. 

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That experience changed the course of her career.

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Today, Dr. Theis has dedicated her professional life to helping patients with concussion, neurological disease, double vision, dizziness, reading difficulties, and other complex visual disorders find the answers she wished she had received years earlier.  She has dedicated her career to educate other healthcare providers, to increase awareness about neuro-optometry and further advocate for her patients.  

✔ Vision Problems in Concussion & Post-Concussion Syndrome

✔ Double Vision & Strabismus

✔ Binocular Vision Disorders (BVD)

✔ Visual Processing Disorders

✔ Reading Difficulties

✔ Dizziness & Visual Motion Sensitivity

✔ Photophobia & Glare Sensitivity

✔ Neurologic Dry Eye

✔ Functional Treatment for Nystagmus

✔ Referred Cervicogenic Eye Pain

✔ Hemineglect & Neurologic Visual Field Loss 

✔ Visual Return-to-Work Protocols & Visual Functional Capacity Examinations

✔ Independent Medical & Medicolegal Vision Evaluations

✔ Pediatric Vision Disorders

✔ Sports Vision Performance

✔ Vision Rehabilitation

Areas of Expertise

"She's not just an optometrist—she is an internationally recognized residency-trained neuro-optometrist who combines patient care, clinical research, cutting-edge technology, education, and multidisciplinary collaboration into her every day."

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Ready to Find Answers?

Whether you’ve experienced a concussion, are living with double vision, struggle with reading, or have a neurological condition affecting your vision, Dr. Theis and the Virginia Neuro-Optometry team are here to help.

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Schedule Your Evaluation

Education

  • Residency - Neuro-Optometry, Binocular Vision, Children's Vision & Vision Therapy/Vision Rehabilitation  — University of California, Berkeley

  • Doctorate in Optometry — University of California, Berkeley

    • Internship (Pediatrics) - Bascolm Palmer, Miami, Florida​

    • Internship (Ocular Disease) - San Francisco Veterans Administration, San Francisco, CA

    • Internship (Ocular Disease) - Alameda County Health Center, Oakland, CA

  • Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry & Cellular Biology - Bucknell University 

    • Summa cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Mortar Board​

Dr. Theis has spent her career building programs—not simply working within them. Her work bridges clinical practice, education, technology, and research to improve the diagnosis and treatment of neurological visual disorders.  Dr. Theis is an internationally recognized lecturer, researcher, and author whose work has helped shape modern neuro-optometric care.

Clinical Leadership & Innovation

Highlights include:

  • 2015-2017: Founder & Chief of the UC Berkeley Sports Vision & Concussion Clinic​

  • 2014-2020: Neuro-optometrist at Kaiser Permanente

  • 2020-Present: Founder of Virginia Neuro-Optometry

  • 2022-Present:  Subject Matter Expert – Visual Dysfunction in Traumatic Brain Injury U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)/Defense Health Agency (DHA) Vision Center of Excellence

  • 2022-Present: Chief Medical Officer of C. Light Technologies

  • 2022-Present: Key Opinion Leader - Intrepid Eye Society 

  • 2024-Present: Owner/Creator of OptoTechVentures, LLC and EyeHIIT

  • 2024-Present: Owner/Creator of EyeBrain Academy, LLC

Research & Education

Academic Appointments

  • 2014-2020: Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Binocular Vision & Neuro-Optometry, University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry

  • 2022-Present: Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Uniformed Services University, School of Medicine - Bethesda, MD

  • 2022-Present: Walter Reed National Military Medical Center- Neuro-Optometry Residency Site Mentor

 

Research Interests

  • Post-concussion oculomotor dysfunction

  • Fixational eye movements in multiple sclerosis

  • Photophobia

  • Neurologic dry eye

  • Retinal-based eye tracking and oculomics

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Editorial & Review Board Appointments

  • Editorial Board: Journal of NeuroRehabilitation

  • Review Board: Journal of Optometry & Visual Performance

  • Peer Reviewer: British Journal of Medicine, Journal of Brain Injury, Journal of Optometry and Vision Science 

Honors & Awards

Honors & Opportunities

  • American Optometric Association, Evidence Based Optometry Committee 2021-Present

  • American Optometric Association, Vision Rehabilitation Committee 2021-Present

  • Intrepid Eye Society, Membership Co-Chair 2025-Present

  • Virginia Optometric Association, President 2024-2025

  • Richmond Optometric Association, President 2024-2026

  • Alameda County Optometric Assoc. President Elect 2019-2020

  • California Health Care Delivery Systems Committee 2018-2020

  • Student Optometric Leadership Network (SOLution) Co-Founder 2011-2019

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​Awards

Selected Publications

  • Theis J. “The Brain-eye axis: Understanding neurodegenerative overlaps.” Modern Optometry. Jan/Feb 2026

  • Rakoczy C, Merezhinskaya N, Viswanathan M (Role - Clinical Subject Matter Expert) Ocular Motor Rehabilitation Definition as Applied to the Defense Health Agency/Vision Center of Excellence Practice Recommendations. DHA Vision Center of Excellence. Nov 2025. https://www.health.mil/Reference-Center/Reports/2025/11/01/OMR-Definition-Report

  • Theis J. “The Neurobiology of Dry Eye: Pain pathways, symptom perception and opportunities for targeted therapies.” Modern Optometry. November 2025

  • Gupta P, Trattler W, Theis J. “Practice Pearls in Reversing Corneal Nerve Damage.”Medscape. April 2025.

  • Theis J. “Navigating the Link Between Concussions and Glaucoma.” Modern Optometry. March 2025.

  • Chen AM, Salzano AD, Burgher AP, Greenspan LD, Yap TP, Theis J, Liu SH, Scheiman M, Roberts TL. Scoping review: Intervention for ocular motor disorders in children and adults with mild traumatic brain injury. Optom Vis Sci. 2025 Feb 14. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000002237. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39951336.

  • Theis J. Identifying Reading Difficulties in Children. AOA Focus. Fall 2024. Pgs 18-20.

  • Theis J. “Practical presbyopic pearls from the neuro-optometric trenches.” Presbyopia Physician. September 2024.

  • Chen AM, Burgher AP, Greenspan LD, Morgenstern A, Salzano AD, Yap TP, Theis J, Scheiman M, Roberts TL. Scoping Review: Intervention for Ocular Motor Disorders in Children and Adults with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Optom Vis Sci. 2024 Apr

  • Theis J. “Neurologic Dry Eye.” Modern Optometry. March 2024

  • Theis J. “Oculomics and Oculometrics: Using the Eye as a Biomarker for Neurodegenerative disease.” Optometry Times. January 2024

  • Theis J. “Vestibular Disorders and Visual Dysfunctions.” Modern Optometry. October 2023.

  • Theis J, Chen AM, Burgher AP, Greenspan LD, Morgenstern A, Salzano AD, Yap TP, Scheiman M, Roberts TL. Ocular motor disorders in children and adults with mTBI a scoping review protocol. BMJ Open. 2023 Oct 19;13(10)e073656

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  • Theis J, Hoenig P. “Superior Oblique Palsy of Compound Etiology” UC Berkeley Optometry. 2013 AAO Conference Seattle, Poster #9

  • Theis J.  “Sports Vision Therapy: How to optometrically treat athletes, from one OD to another.” California Optometry. July/August 2013. 40(4):42-43

  • Grimaldo S, Theis J, Chen L. “MicroRNA-184 Regulates Corneal Lymphangiogenesis”. UC Berkeley Optometry. 2011 ARVO Conference, Poster #D856

Virginia Neuro-Optometry
Bringing Neuro-Optometric Examination, Post-Traumatic Brain Injury and stroke Vision rehabilitation,Visual processing evaluation,
Neuro-developmental, pediatric and amblyopia Vision Therapy to Richmond, VA  
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