Melinda Chang, MD

Attending Physician
Assistant Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of USC

As a dual fellowship trained pediatric and neuro-ophthalmologist, Dr. Chang is committed to providing the highest level of specialty care to children with neurologic and neuro-developmental disorders that affect the eyes. She combines medical and surgical expertise with a translational research program focused on improved understanding and treatment of pediatric neuro-ophthalmologic disorders.

Dr. Chang completed a double bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Kinesiology, graduating summa cum laude from the University of Southern California. She earned her medical degree at Washington University in St. Louis, then completed ophthalmology residency and pediatric ophthalmology fellowship at the Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. She concluded her training as the first neuro-ophthalmology fellow at the combined Stein Eye Institute-Doheny Eye Institute at UCLA.

Dr. Chang is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS), North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (NANOS), and Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). She serves as an editor for Cochrane Eyes and Vision, and is a reviewer for numerous journals. She has published in major ophthalmology journals and is the recipient of the prestigious Heed Ophthalmic Fellowship, in addition to institutional and national awards during medical school, residency, and fellowship.

Clinical Interests

Dr. Chang specializes in the management of neurologic disorders that affect the eyes in children, including optic neuritis, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, myasthenia gravis, cortical visual impairment, metabolic and genetic disorders, and brain and optic nerve tumors. She also has an interest in ophthalmologic problems that occur in children with neuro-developmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Additionally, she sees patients with general pediatric ophthalmologic concerns, such as amblyopia and strabismus.

Education

Medical School

Washington University in St. Louis

Internship

Riverside Regional Medical Center

Residency

Stein Eye Institute at UCLA

Fellowship

Stein Eye Institute at UCLA (Pediatric Ophthalmology)
Stein Eye Institute-Doheny Eye Institute at UCLA (Neuro-Ophthalmology)

Accomplishments

Certifications

American Board of Ophthalmology

Professional Memberships

American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)
American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS)
North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (NANOS)
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)

Awards

Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (2011)
Heed Ophthalmic Fellow (2016)
ARVO National Eye Institute Travel Grant (2016)
Stein Eye Institute Excellence in Research Award (2015 and 2017)
North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (NANOS) Best Fellow Abstract Award (2017)

Areas of Focus

Pediatric Neuro-Ophthalmology
Strabismus
Optic Neuropathy
Eye Tracking Disorders
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Cortical Visual Impairment

Publications

Chang MY, Velez FG, Demer JL, Bonelli L, Quiros PA, Arnold AC, Sadun AA, Pineles SL. Accuracy of diagnostic imaging modalities for classifying pediatric eyes as papilledema versus pseudopapilledema. Ophthalmology. 2017 Dec;124(12):1839-1848.

Chang MY, Pineles SL. Optic disk drusen in children. Survey of Ophthalmology. 2016 Nov-Dec;61(6):745-758.

Chang MY, Velez FG, Demer JL, Isenberg SJ, Coleman AL, Pineles SL. Quality of life in adults with strabismus. Am J Ophthalmol. 2015 Mar;159(3):539-44.

Chang MY, Coleman AL, Tseng VL, Demer JL. Surgical interventions for superior oblique palsy (Review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2017, Issue 11. Art. No.: CD012447.

Chang, MY, Phasukkijwatana N, Garrity S, Pineles SL, Rahimi M, Sarraf D, Johnston M, Charles A, Arnold AC. Foveal and peripapillary vascular decrement in migraine with aura demonstrated by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2017 Oct 1;58(12):5477-5484.

Research

Dr. Chang’s research is aimed at improving understanding and treatment of neurologic and neuro-developmental disorders that affect the eyes in children. She has a particular interest in studying eye tracking in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Other areas of interest include application of novel ophthalmic imaging techniques to neuro-ophthalmologic disorders and innovations in strabismus surgery. She is an investigator in the multi-center Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group (PEDIG).

Research Studies

We are conducting a research study about visual problems in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).