J. James Thimons, OD, FAAO
Meet Dr. Thimons 
Dr. J. James Thimons is a highly regarded Chief Medical Officer and Board Member of Medical Optometry America. With more than 200 publications on glaucoma, dry eye, and cornea & external disease, he has received numerous accolades for his contributions to the profession. He is widely recognized as a distinguished speaker and educator, and a leading figure in ophthalmic clinical education. Dr. Thimons holds academic appointments at several prestigious universities in the U.S. and has played a critical role as a clinical investigator in numerous clinical trials, including 20 NIH, NEI, and post release.
Dr. Thimons’s Experience
After graduating from The Ohio State University College of Optometry, he completed his hospital residency at the Chillicothe, VA Medical Center and then served as chief of optometry services. He then accepted the position of center director at Omni Eye Services in Fairfax, Virginia. He served in that role until he became chairman of the Department of Clinical Sciences at the State University of New York.
While at SUNY, he developed The Glaucoma Institute, a clinical research center, and served as its first director. In 1998, he accepted the position of executive director of TLC and served in that role until he co-founded Ophthalmic Consultants of Connecticut, a multidisciplinary referral practice providing secondary and tertiary-level care.
Achievements & Memberships
- Awarded Optometry’s Top Educator
- Selected as one of the Top 10 clinicians of the decade
- Recognized as the Top Eye Doctor in Fairfield County
- Inducted into the Optometry Hall of Fame in 2005
- Served as President of the Connecticut Association of Optometrists