Courtney Francis, MD
Associate Professor; Division Director, Neuro-Ophthalmology; Medical Director, UW Medicine Eye InstituteOverview
Undergraduate Education: ScB, Neuroscience, Brown University, 1999
Medical School: MD, University of Rochester, 2005
Internship: Internal Medicine, Baystate Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, 2006 Residency: Ophthalmology, University of Alabama, Birmingham School of Medicine, 2009
Fellowship: Neuro-Ophthalmology, Doheny Eye Institute/University of Southern California, 2010
Board Certification: American Board of Ophthalmology
Memberships: American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), Washington Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons (WAEPS), Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO)
Sub-Specialty Societies: North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (NANOS), Neuro-Ophthalmology Research Disease Investigator Consortium (NORDIC)
Biography
Dr. Francis was born and raised in and around Sacramento, California. She earned her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Brown University. She received her medical degree at the University of Rochester. Following the completion of her internship in Internal Medicine at Baystate Medical Center, she completed her residency in ophthalmology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She also completed a fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology at the University of Southern California’s Doheny Eye Institute.
Dr. Francis is an associate professor whose primary clinical interest is neuro-ophthalmology. She also cares for adult patients with strabismus.
Dr. Francis enjoys educating her patients on their diagnoses and making them active participants in their medical care. She treats patients with optic neuropathies, cranial nerve palsies, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, and tumors involving the visual pathways, in addition to patients with systemic diseases such as multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, and Grave’s disease. She offers both medical and surgical treatments for adult strabismus. Dr. Francis actively participates in multidisciplinary clinics to provide care to complex patients with intracranial hypertension and pituitary abnormalities.
Dr. Francis teaches residents and medical students how to evaluate and treat patients with neuro-ophthalmologic disorders and also trains residents in strabismus surgery.
Dr. Francis lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband and two sons. In her free time, Dr. Francis enjoys baking, running, and cycling, in addition to exploring the Northwest with her family.
Primary Office
Location: Harborview Medical Center 908 Jefferson St., 7th Floor Seattle, WA
Clinic Phone: 206.744.2020 Clinic Fax: 206.520.9310
Mailing Address: Box 359608 325 Ninth Ave. Seattle, WA 98104 Academic Phone: 206-543-7250
Location: Eye Center at UWMC 1959 NE Pacific St. 3rd Floor, NN 300 Seattle, WA 98195 Clinic Phone 206.744.2020 Clinic Fax: 206.897.4320
Patient Care Philosophy
“I enjoy being able to educate my patients, residents and medical students about neuro-ophthalmologic diseases. The multidisciplinary approach we have here at UW really helps to provide the best care for our patients, many of whom have complex conditions.”
Awards and honors
2023 Seattle Magazine Top Doctor
2022 Seattle Magazine Top Doctor
2022 Secretariat Award, American Academy of Ophthalmology
2019 Seattle Met Magazine Top Doctor
2018 Achievement Award, American Academy of Ophthalmology
2017 Latham Vision Research Innovation Award
2016 Fellow, North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society
2013 Latham Vision Research Innovation Award
2011 Harborview Medical Center CARES for Service Excellence Award
2010-2018 Best Doctors in America
2010 Fellow, American Academy of Ophthalmology
2008 Lynn B. McMahan, M.D. Award for Outstanding Second-Year Resident Presentation.
2002 International Medicine Award, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
1998 Undergraduate Teaching and Research Assistantship, Brown University
Clinical interests
Dr. Francis’ clinical interests include optic neuropathies, adult strabismus/cranial nerve palsies, idiopathic intracranial hypertension/papilledema, pupillary abnormalities, benign essential blepharospasm/hemifacial spasm. She is also interested in tumors involving the visual pathways, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis and thyroid eye disease.
Dr. Francis performs strabismus surgery, temporal artery biopsies, optic nerve fenestrations and botulinum toxin injections, in addition to other procedures.
Research focus
Dr. Francis' research focus includes the evaluation and treatment of patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension.
No publications are available at this time.