Stephen P. Christiansen, M.D.

Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus Service

Stephen P. Christiansen, M.D.,  Professor
Departments of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics
Director, Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
Phone (612) 625-4400, Fax (612) 626-3119

Dr. Christiansen attended medical school at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee after graduating from Wheaton College (IL) with a degree in Biology in 1978. His residency in ophthalmology was followed by Fellowship training in Pediatric Ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, FL.

From 1991 to 1997, Dr. Christiansen worked at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, and was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in 1996. In 1997, he moved to the University of Minnesota. He holds a joint appointment in the Departments of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics.  He is married with four children.

Professional Activities

Clinical Care - The clinical and surgical care of patients occupies a large proportion of Dr. Christiansen's week. His primary interests deal with strabismus (misaligned eyes), pediatric cataracts, and retinopathy of prematurity. However, his practice provides comprehensive eye care for all children and for those adults who have eye movement disorders. Patients are seen in the Minnesota Lions Children's Eye Clinic at the University of Minnesota. Appointments may be made by calling (612) 625-4400 or (800) 937-4393.

Teaching - Practical and didactic teaching for medical students, residents, and fellows occurs on a daily basis.

Administrative - Dr. Christiansen is the Course Director for medical student training in ophthalmology at the University.

Research - Dr. Christiansen is actively involved in both clinical and basic science research in pediatric ophthalmology. His clinical studies deal with strabismus and with ocular outcomes of premature infants. He is Principle Investigator for both the Minnesota Center for Early Treatment of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ETROP), a multi-center study funded by the NIH, and the Infant Aphakia Treatment Study (IATS).  He is also a participating investigator in the Amblyopia Treatment Studies under the direction of the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group administered by the Jaeb Center in Tampa.  His basic science research is currently focused on the medical (non-surgical) treatment of strabismus.  His laboratory is developing and testing growth factors and new immunotoxins that modulate extraocular muscle strength to change the rotational position of the globe.  If you would like to find out more about these research efforts or would like to help support this work, please contact Dr. Christiansen.

Recent Publications:

Gess A, Christiansen SP, Pond D, Peters C. Predictive factors for vision loss after hematopoietic cell transplant for X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. J AAPOS 2008:Epub ahead of pring March 21.

Christiansen SP, Anderson BC, McLoon LK. Botulinum toxin pretreatment augments the weakening effect of injection with ricin-mAb35 in rabbit extraocular muscle. J AAPOS 2008:Epub ahead of print Feb 6.

Anderson BC, Christiansen SP, McLoon LK. Myogenic growth factors can decrease extraocular muscle force generation: a potential biological approach to the treatment of strabismus. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 49:221-229.

McLoon LK, Anderson B, Christiansen SP. Increasing muscle strength as a treatment for strabismus: sustained release of insulin growth factor-I results in rabbit extraocular muscle. J AAPOS 2006;10:424-429.

Najjar D, Christiansen SP, Bothun ED, Summers CG.  Strabismus and amblyopia in bilateral Peters anomaly.  J AAPOS 2006;10:193-197.

Anderson BC, Christiansen SP, Grandt S, Grange RW, McLoon LK. Increased extraocular muscle strength with direct injection of insulin-like growth factor-1. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2006;47:2461-2467.

Egbert JE, Christiansen SP, Wright MM, Young TL, Summers CG. The natural history of glaucoma and ocular hypertension after pediatric cataract surgery. J AAPOS 2006;10:54-57.

Christiansen SP, McLoon LK.  The effect of resection surgery on satellite cell activity in rabbit extraocular muscle.  Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2006;47:605-613.

Ugalde I, Christiansen SP, McLoon LK:  Botulinum toxin treatment of extraocular muscles in rabbits results in increased myofiber remodeling.  Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 2005;46:4111-4120.

Lawrence MG, Kramarevsky NY, Christiansen SP, Wright MM, Young TL, Summers CG:  Glaucoma following cataract surgery in children:  Surgically modifiable risk factors.  Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc 2005;103:45-54.

McLoon LK, Christiansen SP:  Pharmacologic approaches for the treatment of strabismus.  Drugs Fut, 2005;30:319-327.

Parvataneni M, Christiansen SP, Jensen AA, Summers CG:  Referral patterns for common amblyogenic conditions.  J AAPOS, 2005;9:22-25.

Wu-Chen WY, Christiansen SP, Berry SA, Engel WI, Fray KJ, Summers CG:  Ophthalmic manifestations of Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome.  J AAPOS, 2004;8:345-348.

Harrison AR, Skladzien S, Christiansen SP, McLoon LK:  Myotoxic effects of the skeletal muscle-specific immunotoxin ricin-mAb 35 on orbicularis oculi muscle after eyelid injections in rabbits.  Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg, 2004;20:312-316.

Link to Dr. Stephen P. Christiansen's Professional Page