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Arthur Charap, PhD, MD, of Inland Empire Dry Eye Center in Corona, California, is a native of New York City. He received his undergraduate degree in neurobiology from Cornell University, then earned both his PhD in Pharmacology and his medical degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine at the City University of New York. He served residencies in the Department of Medicine and Department of Ophthalmology at the University of California, Irvine Medical School.
Dr. Charap served as Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology with the University of California, Irvine, having been promoted from Instructor to Assistant Professor then to Associate Professor and finally to full Professor based on his years of teaching, research, and humanitarian work in over 23 countries. Dr. Charap also served as Director of Ophthalmic Clinical Research for Allergan Pharmaceuticals, maintained a private Ophthalmology practice for over 35 years, and served several directorships with other health organizations.
As an author of numerous publications, Dr. Charap traveled extensively, sharing his surgical experience and knowledge of breakthroughs in Ophthalmology with the residents and doctors of many countries, including Bosnia, Bulgaria, Vietnam,Cambodia, Peru, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.
Dr. Charap served as Director of Ophthalmic Clinical Research for Allergan Pharmaceuticals for over six years. During that time he helped develop a variety of medications including tear substitutes, anti-inflammatory medication, and a medication specifically designed to combat the inflammatory/autoimmune component of dry eye disease, which is now a staple of dry eye therapy.
He continues to consult for a variety of companies involved in ocular surface disease diagnosis and treatment.
Retired from surgery after developing an autoimmune neuropathy, Dr. Charap also suffers from Sjogren's Syndrome, of which dry eye is a prominent feature. He subsequently refocused his energies on the study and treatment of dry eye, leading to his current specialization in the condition. The Inland Empire Dry Eye Center represents a unique referral resource for general Ophthalmologists in the Riverside and San Bernardino County areas, currently without a focused dry eye specialist. The Inland Empire Dry Eye Center has the very latest in technology required for accurate diagnosis and treatment of dry eye and related conditions of the eyelids and ocular surface, including the cornea.
A number of conditions can contribute to decreasing the clarity of the ocular surface -- the interface of the tears, eyelids, and cornea. These conditions include lid disease (loose or malpositioned lids), dry eye in its various forms, and alterations in lid gland secretions. The end result can be diminished vision and pain, which can be reversed if treated early enough.