Olachi
Mezu-Ndubuisi
M.D., O.D. · Neonatologist & Optometrist
Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Ophthalmology at the University of Rochester. Bench-to-bedside researcher in retinopathy of prematurity, neonatologist, global health advocate, and Medical Mission Director of the Mezu International Foundation.
A Life in Medicine & Science
From Nigeria to the forefront of neonatal retinal research — three decades in six chapters.
Origins & Education
Medical Training
Fellowships & Research
Rising Recognition
URMC & Tenure
Pinnacle & Innovation
Expand each chapter to reveal all milestones
Five Dimensions of Impact
Neonatology & Vision Science
Dual-trained as a neonatologist and licensed optometrist — a rare combination that directly informs her bench-to-bedside research on retinopathy of prematurity, the leading cause of preventable blindness in premature infants.
Translational Research
Bridges laboratory discovery and clinical application — from developing VEGF-A165a and calcitriol therapies, to pioneering Bevacizumab-loaded PLGA nanoparticles for sustained intravitreal drug delivery in premature infants.
Global Health & Humanitarian Medicine
Medical Mission Director of the Mezu International Foundation — leading 21+ years of annual free medical missions to Imo State, Nigeria, serving 1,500+ patients per year and mentoring the next generation of global health researchers.
Health Equity & Advocacy
Committed to addressing systemic racism and unconscious bias in medical workplaces. Author of a landmark JAHA commentary calling for servant leadership in medicine. Advocates for reducing global health disparities through education, research, and humanitarian service.
Author, Poet & Medical Educator
Contributor to four major medical textbooks spanning public health, clinical leadership, neonatal immunology, and nutrition. Identifies as Author and Poet — bringing a humanistic dimension to scientific communication and medical education.
Building for the Research Community
Beyond the bench, Dr. Mezu-Ndubuisi builds software tools that solve real problems for researchers — from open-source retinal analysis to a full SaaS platform for vivarium management.
QuantBV
Retinal Vessel Quantification Tool
A MATLAB program for quantitative analysis of retinal vascular features in fluorescein angiography images. Enables precise, reproducible measurement of vessel density, avascular area, and neovascular tuft formation in the OIR model. Freely available to the global research community.
Optom Vis Sci. 2016 Oct; 93(10):1268–1279
quantbv.com ↗Colotra
Research Colony Management Platform
A purpose-built SaaS platform that replaces error-prone Excel workflows for vivarium colony management. Automatic P-day calculations (P0–P103), smart wean-check alerts, team collaboration with role-based access, AI-powered colony insights, and IACUC-compliant audit trails. Supports mouse, rat, rabbit, guinea pig, bird, sheep, and lamb colonies.
From $14.99/mo · 14-day free trial
colotra.app ↗17 Awards & Honors
Recognition spanning three decades — from Nigeria to the National Institutes of Health.
Grants, Recognition & Milestones
Four Abstracts at APHA 2025 in Washington DC
Lab students presented one oral and three poster abstracts at the American Public Health Association annual conference — November 2–4, 2025.
Breakthrough: Bevacizumab Nanoparticles for ROP
Published in Pediatric Research (Nature) — the first demonstration that intravitreal Bevacizumab-loaded PLGA nanoparticles can ameliorate retinal vasculopathy in a mouse model of ROP.
Students Recognized at National Conferences
Prakriti presented on visual impairment in Southeast Nigeria at the Global Ophthalmology Summit (Chicago). OlaRose Ndubuisi presented on scoliosis screening at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting (Honolulu).
Schwartz Discover Grant — $5,000
Kamsi Oparaugo received a $5,000 Schwartz Discover Grant for global health research conducted during the Mezu International Foundation medical mission to Imo State, Nigeria.
Named Among Rochester's Top Physicians
Recognized among Rochester's top physicians for excellence in neonatal care and dedication to improving outcomes for premature infants.
JAHA Commentary on Systemic Racism in Medical Workplaces
"Unmasking Systemic Racism and Unconscious Bias in Medical Workplaces: A Call to Servant Leadership" — published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
UnityPoint Health-Meriter Foundation Grant — $50,000
Received a $50,000 research grant from the UnityPoint Health-Meriter Foundation for neonatology research, following an earlier $20,000 grant from the same foundation in 2016.
NIH/NEI K08 Career Development Award — $1,221,730
Five-year K08 award (5K08EY032203) from the National Eye Institute. Funds research on the mechanism of intravitreal VEGF-A165a and topical calcitriol for the treatment of ROP.
Author.
Poet.
Physician.
Dr. Mezu-Ndubuisi brings a humanistic dimension to medicine and science. As an author and poet, she understands that the most powerful scientific communication speaks to the human experience — not just the data.
Medical Textbook Contributions
Get in Touch
Open to collaborations, media inquiries, speaking engagements, and prospective students or postdocs interested in joining the lab.