A photo of Melissa L. Rice.

Melissa L. Rice, OD, FAAO


  • Pediatric Optometrist, Division of Ophthalmology
  • Assistant Professor, UC Department of Ophthalmology
  • Clinical Associate Professor, The Ohio State University
My goal is to provide excellent care to each patient and give them the best possible visual outcome.
Melissa L. Rice, OD, FAAO

About

Biography

As a pediatric optometrist, I specialize in amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (misaligned eyes), convergence insufficiency (eyes tend to drift outward as a person looks at near objects) and cerebral/cortical visual impairment (CVI), which is a brain-based visual impairment.

At age four, I was diagnosed with an eye condition. I’ve worn glasses ever since, which could have resulted in poor vision. However, due to the excellent care I received as a child, I have great vision. My goal is to provide excellent care to each patient and give them the best possible visual outcome.

I’m residency-trained with more than 20 years’ experience in my field. Every month, I provide care in a specialty clinic for children with cerebral palsy and cerebral/cortical visual impairment. I’m driven to provide exceptional eye care to my patients.

As a faculty member of the Department of Ophthalmology, I strive to be a valuable mentor to our optometry resident by serving as the director of the Pediatric Optometry Residency Program.

I am passionate about research and innovation in the areas of amblyopia, convergence insufficiency, CVI and intermittent exotropia (one eye occasionally drifts outward). I’m an active investigator in the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator’s Group (PEDIG), which is a collaborative network of eye doctors doing multi-center research studies on pediatric eye conditions. In addition to PEDIG, I’m actively working on research projects on cerebral/cortical visual impairment and myopia.

In my free time, I enjoy reading, knitting, gardening, hiking and spending time with my husband and two daughters. As a child I participated in my hometown circus, which involved a low-flying trapeze.

BS: Indiana University, 1997.

OD: Indiana University School of Optometry, 1999.

Residency: Pediatric Optometry and Binocular Vision, New England College of Optometry, 1999-2000.

Certification: National Board of Examiners in Optometry; Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, 2002.

Post-Graduate: Postdoctoral Certificate, Clinical Research Training Program, 2007.

Interests

Amblyopia; strabismus; cerebral/cortical visual impairment. 

Services and Specialties

Ophthalmology

Interests

Amblyopia; strabismus; cerebral/cortical visual impairment; myopia.

Insurance Information

Cincinnati Children's strives to accept a wide variety of health plans. Please contact your health insurance carrier to verify coverage for your specific benefit plan.

View Insurance Information

Publications

Selected

Physician Prescribing and Referral Patterns in Children with Cerebral Visual Impairment. Rice, ML; Sandoval, MA; Castleberry, KM; Schwartz, TL. Optometry and Vision Science. 2021; 98:1078-1084.

Selected

Cataract development associated with long-term glucocorticoid therapy in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients. Rice, ML; Wong, B; Horn, PS; Yang, MB. Journal of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. 2018; 22:192-196.

Selected

Cataract development associated with long-term glucocorticoid therapy in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients. Rice, ML; Wong, B; Horn, PS; Yang, MB. Journal of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. 2018; 22:192-196.

Selected

Results of ocular dominance testing depend on assessment method. Rice, ML; Leske, DA; Smestad, CE; Holmes, JM. Journal of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. 2008; 12:365-369.

Selected

An abbreviated reading speed test. Rice, ML; Birch, EE; Holmes, JM. Optometry and Vision Science. 2005; 82:128-133.

Interventions for improving adherence to amblyopia treatments in children. Mallios, J; Chen, D; Wang, J; Han, S; Summers, A; Rice, M; Scheiman, M; Harb, EN; Qureshi, R. Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Online). 2023; 2023.

"Even though a lot of kids have it, not a lot of people have knowledge of it ": A qualitative study exploring the perspectives of parents of children with cerebral/cortical visual impairment. Oliver, H; Seccurro, D; Dorich, J; Rice, M; Schwartz, T; Harpster, K. Research in Developmental Disabilities. 2023; 135:104443.

Interventions for children with cerebral visual impairment: A scoping review. Delay, A; Rice, M; Bush, E; Harpster, K. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. 2023; 65:469-478.

Exploring the Need for Education on Cortical Visual Impairment Among Occupational Therapy Professionals and Teachers of Students With Visual Impairments. Harpster, K; Hamilton, S; Lusk, KE; Seastone, AM; Fox, AE; Rice, ML; Schwartz, T. Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness. 2022; 116:451-460.

A Randomized Trial of Binocular Dig Rush Game Treatment for Amblyopia in Children Aged 4 to 6 Years. Manny, RE; Holmes, JM; Kraker, RT; Li, Z; Waters, AL; Kelly, KR; Kong, L; Crouch, ER; Lorenzana, IJ; Alkharashi, MS; Galvin, JA; Rice, ML; Melia, BM; Cotter, SA. Optometry and Vision Science. 2022; 99:213-227.

Patient Ratings and Comments

All patient satisfaction ratings and comments are submitted by actual patients and verified by a leading independent patient satisfaction company, NRC Health. Patient identities are withheld to ensure confidentiality and privacy. Only those providers whose satisfaction surveys are administered through Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center are displayed. Click here to learn more about our survey

4.6
Overall Patient Rating