Dr. Tressa Larson grew up in Maryland, near Washington, DC and completed her undergraduate degree in Biology with a minor in Physics at West Virginia University in 2002. She completed a master’s degree in secondary education at WVU in 2004 and taught high school in Silicon Valley for a few years before attending Pennsylvania College of Optometry. Dr. Larson completed a residency in Primary Care Optometry with extensive experience in ocular disease at PCO in 2011. She joined the faculty of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in 2014 where she sub specialized in Medical Contact lenses (including scleral lenses and various specialty lenses for keratoconus, dry eye, myopia control, ocular prostheses, etc) and treatment of ocular surface diseases (OSD, commonly referred to as dry eyes).



Dr. Larson currently teaches various science classes at Washington High School in Cedar Rapids where she sponsors the WHS Juggling Club and attends all things music and theater- including marching band (Dr. Larson marched mellophone in high school and college while her daughter marches flute). She also has season tickets to Theater Cedar Rapids, sings with the Orchestra Iowa Chorus, and makes beautiful glass art at Iowa Ceramics and Glass Center in Cedar Rapids. Dr. Larson enjoys painting, crocheting, Euro board games, Renaissance Festivals, making fused glass art and hiking in National Parks with her husband John and her children Phoenix and Zelda.