Community Service Organizer
Dr. Coburn is a Clinical Associate Professor in Ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine and Associate Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medical College. As an advocate for eye care, she holds leadership roles and reaches out to the local and national community.
In 1981, Dr. Coburn earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology at Rice University, followed by her medical degree, internship, ophthalmology residency and fellowship at Baylor.
Since 1991, she has been an active member of the Houston Ophthalmological Society, and currently serves as Director of Community Outreach on the Executive Board. She is the past Society President, and organized the ophthalmic disaster relief during Hurricane Katrina (providing eye care services for 3,000 evacuees) and Hurricane Harvey (coordinating an ophthalmic team that provided services to over 2,000 evacuees). This work was presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and Prevent Blindness America. Dr. Coburn has served on the Faculty for the American College of Surgeons Medical Disaster Response Course and the Army Disaster Response course.. Dr. Coburn also developed outreach programs such as vision screenings for veterans at Houston Stand Down. As HOS President, she expanded the Society visiting professor lecture series and organized the first regional Anterior Segment and Retinal Ocular Coherence Tomography Course.
Dr. Coburn also was Vice Chairman for Prevent Blindness Texas. Since becoming a member of the State Executive Board in 2007, she has supported and expanded state- wide screening, education, referral, advocacy and fundraising. She drafted the Houston Eye Care Disaster Response Plan and developed and secured funding for an Eye Care for the Homeless program.
Dr. Coburn currently is a fellow at the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a member of the Texas Medical Association, Texas Ophthalmological Association and the Harris County Medical Society. Her service at the American Academy of Ophthalmology includes education committee work, teaching courses in education and disaster relief, and teaching in cataract surgery skills transfer courses. She is proud to have continued the Baylor tradition of education, and has taught clinical and surgical skills to residents and medical students for over 30 years including mentorship and project supervision of the Baylor Medical Student Ophthalmology Interest Group.
Her work has earned numerous honors, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award, the Prevent Blindness Texas Community Service Award, the Partners in Prevention Award, and the Prevent Blindness America BEST Practices Award.She was the 2010 Prevent Blindness Texas Annual Eye Stroll for Vision honoree. She is the 2018 Dyer Fellowship Recipient for a grant to develop corneal neurotization, a novel surgical technique to restore function and preserve sight in patients with an anesthetic cornea.
Dr Coburn is the 2019 recipient of the Baylor College of Medicine Humanitarian Award.
In 1981, Dr. Coburn earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology at Rice University, followed by her medical degree, internship, ophthalmology residency and fellowship at Baylor.
Since 1991, she has been an active member of the Houston Ophthalmological Society, and currently serves as Director of Community Outreach on the Executive Board. She is the past Society President, and organized the ophthalmic disaster relief during Hurricane Katrina (providing eye care services for 3,000 evacuees) and Hurricane Harvey (coordinating an ophthalmic team that provided services to over 2,000 evacuees). This work was presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and Prevent Blindness America. Dr. Coburn has served on the Faculty for the American College of Surgeons Medical Disaster Response Course and the Army Disaster Response course.. Dr. Coburn also developed outreach programs such as vision screenings for veterans at Houston Stand Down. As HOS President, she expanded the Society visiting professor lecture series and organized the first regional Anterior Segment and Retinal Ocular Coherence Tomography Course.
Dr. Coburn also was Vice Chairman for Prevent Blindness Texas. Since becoming a member of the State Executive Board in 2007, she has supported and expanded state- wide screening, education, referral, advocacy and fundraising. She drafted the Houston Eye Care Disaster Response Plan and developed and secured funding for an Eye Care for the Homeless program.
Dr. Coburn currently is a fellow at the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a member of the Texas Medical Association, Texas Ophthalmological Association and the Harris County Medical Society. Her service at the American Academy of Ophthalmology includes education committee work, teaching courses in education and disaster relief, and teaching in cataract surgery skills transfer courses. She is proud to have continued the Baylor tradition of education, and has taught clinical and surgical skills to residents and medical students for over 30 years including mentorship and project supervision of the Baylor Medical Student Ophthalmology Interest Group.
Her work has earned numerous honors, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award, the Prevent Blindness Texas Community Service Award, the Partners in Prevention Award, and the Prevent Blindness America BEST Practices Award.She was the 2010 Prevent Blindness Texas Annual Eye Stroll for Vision honoree. She is the 2018 Dyer Fellowship Recipient for a grant to develop corneal neurotization, a novel surgical technique to restore function and preserve sight in patients with an anesthetic cornea.
Dr Coburn is the 2019 recipient of the Baylor College of Medicine Humanitarian Award.
