Dr. Suraj Upadhyaya is a clinician by background, an educator by choice, and a researcher by training. Currently, he serves as an Assistant Professor at Midwestern University’s Chicago College of Optometry. His research focuses on brain plasticity and oculomotor behavior in both normal and abnormal conditions. Dr. Upadhyaya is a clinical fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a two-time Ezell Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry Foundation. He is also a ARVO – Science Communication Training Fellow and vision science research advocate in Capitol Hill to increase funding for National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Eye Institute (NEI).

Before joining Midwestern University, Dr. Upadhyaya received clinical training in optometry and vision science in Nepal and the Philippines, earning his Bachelor of Optometry from Tribhuvan University and his Doctor of Optometry from Southwestern University. He was one of the three founding faculty members of the optometry school in Malawi, where he graduated the first batch of optometry technicians in the country's history. He then completed his Ph.D. in Visual Neuroscience from the University of Houston, where he worked in the Oculomotor and Neurophysiology Lab under Dr. Vallabh Das. His research on single-cell recordings from neurons of the superior colliculus has provided insights into the role of the superior colliculus in strabismus and has been published in the Journal of Neurophysiology and Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science.

Dr. Upadhyaya's research interests include brain injuries, eye movements, fixation, binocular vision disorders, and refractive errors. He is currently investigating the stimulation of the cerebellum and cortical areas to understand the role of fixation and brain plasticity. Additionally, he is exploring the plasticity of the brain using short-term monocular deprivation and the development of myopia through the lens of fixation. His current research focuses on understanding vergence and fixation in various neurological conditions, with the overarching goal of identifying brain areas that can be easily manipulated by non-invasive brain stimulation to improve visual and oculomotor functions.

Dr. Upadhyaya has published and presented his research in various peer-reviewed journals and conferences. He holds professional memberships in several organizations and serves on the Admissions Committee, Research Committee, and Capstone Committee at the Chicago College of Optometry, as well as the University Research Committee at Midwestern University’s Downers Grove Campus.

In his free time, Dr. Upadhyaya enjoys participating in mission trips. He has provided vision care in remote rural areas of Nepal, Malawi, the Philippines, and more. Notably, he was on the ground in Tacloban, Philippines, to help restore vision care services after Typhoon Haiyan. He has also been involved in book drives to support optometry education, such as after a fire destroyed the library at the University of Mzuzu in Malawi.