Dr. Laura Balcer

Biography

Laura Joan Balcer, M.D., M.S.C.E., is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Her primary research focus is the identification and development of clinical visual outcome measures in multiple sclerosis (MS) trials. Balcer's research group, funded by the National Eye Institute and the National MS Society, aims to identify clinical tests that can detect visual dysfunction in MS patients. Her studies have explored the relationship between visual function and neurologic impairment, as well as health-related quality of life. Investigations at the University of Pennsylvania led to the inclusion of low-contrast letter acuity as a secondary outcome measure in two international MS treatment trials. Additionally, Balcer has utilized a new ocular imaging technique, optical coherence tomography (OCT), to examine retinal nerve fiber layer and macular thickness as biological markers for neuronal and axonal loss in MS patients.

Research Interests

Experience