Alumni News
Optometry
General News
While researching Alzheimer’s brain pathology for her master’s thesis, Shirin Ludwig, OD ‘26, spent countless hours studying mouse cells in a lab. Over time, she realized she was looking for something more – a career that would allow her to work directly with people and see the impact firsthand.
“In early pharmacological research, it is often difficult to see the impact of your work, as the benefits to society are so far in the future,” said Dr. Ludwig, who has a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in drug discovery from Maastricht University in the Netherlands.
Things started to change for her and pointed in the direction of optometry when on a family trip to Pakistan. Dr. Ludwig volunteered at a hospital in Lahore, the capital and largest city in the Pakistani province of Punjab. There she worked with a team to help implement a neonatal resuscitation program in an effort to lower Lahore’s alarming rates of infant mortality.
At the same time, Dr. Ludwig was writing a research proposal investigating new approaches to diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease (AD), often called “type 3 diabetes,” as changes in glucose metabolism may occur years before symptoms manifest. She began researching tear fluid monitoring technologies to measure glucose levels and determine whether this correlates with AD pathology and cognitive function. This method would be minimally invasive and amenable to population screening for AD.
“While writing this eye-related proposal, and while volunteering with patients as well, everything just clicked, and I knew optometry was the right choice for me,” said Dr. Ludwig, who originally hails from Maryland.
That led her to the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Drexel University, Elkins Park campus where she recently graduated as the top student in the Doctor of Optometry Traditional program in the Class of 2026. Attending the ceremony to watch her graduate were her mother, Uzma Qureshi, her father, Paul Ludwig, her brother Danial Ludwig, and her childhood stuffed animal, Perry the Platypus.
In addition, at the 131st commencement ceremony of PCO held May 21, 2026, at Philadelphia’s Academy of Music, Dr. Ludwig graduated summa cum laude and received the Crozier Memorial Award for Excellence in the Study of Anatomy and Pathology, and the Conforma Laboratories Award for Contact Lenses.
“The Crozier Award was especially meaningful because I have always enjoyed understanding the underlying mechanisms of disease,” said Dr. Ludwig. “Receiving that award felt like validation of my interest in connecting basic science with patient care.”
She initially chose PCO because of its early clinical exposure to patients (at The Eye Institute) and access to so many different specialties. While at PCO, she continued her passion for volunteering in underserved communities during a mission trip to Jamaica with the Student Optometric Service to Humanity (SOSH).
“That experience challenged me to adapt my clinical skills in a resource-limited setting,” said Dr. Ludwig. “It also reinforced the importance of cultural sensitivity. Seeing the immediate impact that something as simple as a pair of glasses could have on a person’s life was incredibly meaningful.”
Walking across the stage and receiving her diploma felt surreal, she said, and graduating with the people she cried and laughed with for four years was “a feeling I’ll never forget.”
After graduation, Dr. Ludwig plans to take a summer vacation to relax and unwind, and then secure a position in private practice. Her goal, she said, is to provide evidence-based care while staying engaged with the latest developments in vision science and applying them to meaningfully improving the quality of life for her patients.
“I would like to continue participating in volunteer clinics, mission trips, and other initiatives that improve access to eye care,” she said.
