Nancy McNamara graduated from the Michigan College of Optometry and completed a Cornea & Contact lens residency at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Optometry. Following residency, Dr. McNamara earned her Ph.D. at UC Berkeley and embarked on a research career at UC San Francisco to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms of ocular inflammation, infection, and dry eye disease. She joined the faculty at UCSF where continues to conduct basic science research and teach in the 1st year medical school program. In 2012, she returned to UC Berkeley to co-direct the Dry Eye Clinic at the University Eye Center and to teach in the school's clinical and didactic programs. In 2018, she completed a master's degree in health policy and law at UCSF/UC School of Law. During her training, she developed the Health Economics, Law, and Policy course for first-year Optometry students. Since that time, she continues her clinical and basic science research, developed and directs the Sjogren's Clinic at the University Eye Center and serves as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. She looks forward to continuing her work as an educator, eye care provider and clinician scientist within the Berkeley and Optometric communities.