About

Dr. Gower is an associate professor with more than 15 years of experience working in global health and ocular epidemiology. Her primary area of research interest is in improving trichiasis surgery outcomes for individuals with trachoma, which is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. She has led multiple clinical trials in Africa, and an ongoing clinical trial is investigating different approaches to trichiasis surgery in Ethiopia. Dr. Gower also leads an international team focused on improving trichiasis surgery training through incorporating low-cost surgical simulation. Within the United States, Dr. Gower is engaged in improving access to care in marginalized populations and analyzing large-claims databases to assess the utilization of eye-care services.

Education

In the news

• 

  Association of Long COVID-19 Symptoms, Physical Function, and Activities of Daily Living Among Older Women

  Emily W. Gower, PhD, is an associate professor at the Gillings School of Global Public Health working in ocular epidemiology. Her primary area of research interest is in improving trichiasis surgery outcomes for individuals with trachoma, which is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. She has led multiple clinical trials in Africa, and an … Read more

• 

  How Global Health Impacts Health Care in North Carolina

  Global health issues may seem geographically distant, but they directly impact our local community through travel, immigration, emerging infectious diseases, and interconnected global economies. The ‘global’ in global health refers to the scope of problems, not just their location, which can be infectious diseases with pandemic potention. UNC’s global and local engagements with resource-limited settings, … Read more

• 

  A Quest to Save Sight

  Globally, the World Health Organization reports at least 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment. Many of those affected live in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), but they also live in rural areas of the U.S. and North Carolina. Encouragingly, more than 90% of people with vision impairment have a preventable or treatable condition. Sustainable … Read more