This post was most recently updated on July 19th, 2023
Marie Schaefer, OD
Doctor Schaefer has owned Optique of Denver since 2012. Her experience in all aspects of vision care makes her the perfect candidate to serve you and your family’s eye care needs. While in professional school Dr. Schaefer excelled academically, earning membership to the Beta Sigma Kappa Optometric Honor Society. Dr. Schaefer also served as an officer in her school’s chapter of Students Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (SVOSH). This service culminated in a mission trip to Nicaragua where she and her colleagues provided eye exams and eyeglasses to the indigent population. Internships include Omni Eye Specialists in New York City, the Veteran’s Affairs hospital in Huntington, West Virginia, and the Illinois Eye Institute in Chicago’s South Side. Dr. Schaefer has extensive experience in spherical, astigmatic and multifocal contact lens exams, along with the co-management of laser vision correction, cataract surgery, and dry eye syndrome. She is currently welcoming patients of all ages. In her spare time Dr. Schaefer enjoys being outdoors, the Chicago Blackhawks, and spending time with her two dogs, Chi and Jax.
Crystal Kasper, OD
Dr. Crystal Kasper was born and raised in Indiana. After graduating with honors from Indiana University with a Bachelor degree in Biology, she obtained her Doctorate of Optometry from Nova Southeastern in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 2009. After clinical training, Dr. Kasper gained experience in low vision rehabilitation, pediatrics, visual perceptional disorders and vision therapy, extensive specialty contact lens fitting, oculoplastics, laser vision correction, glaucoma, cornea and diseases of all ages. Dr. Kasper’s passion to care for people and their health has led her on three medical missions. As a volunteer for Feed The Children’s Medical Mission Team, she worked with an underprivileged population providing food and health care in Bolivia. She was also the first optometrist to lead the Global Brigades’ outreach for eye care in Honduras. Most recently Dr. Kasper traveled to Pardada Pardadi Educational Society in Annupshur, India. After moving to Denver in 2013, Dr. Kasper continues to use her optometry knowledge as a resource for the community. She has volunteered as an eye care provider for the homeless at the Denver Rescue Mission. When she is not practicing eye care, she loves the outdoors. You can typically find her skiing, biking, hiking, snowshoeing, golfing, listening to live music, watching sports game and trying new restaurants with her friends and husband Tony.
Rachel Knowlton, OD
Originally a Kansas native, Dr. Knowlton received her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in sociology from the University of Kansas and received her Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of Houston College of Optometry. She completed a residency in ocular disease at Omni Eye Specialists here in Denver where she gained extensive experience in glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, dry eye disease, cataracts, and laser vision correction. Dr. Knowlton is passionate about treating eye disease but enjoys practicing full scope optometry, including contact lenses. She is a member of the Colorado Optometric Association and American Optometric Association. When she’s not at the office, she enjoys hiking, traveling, cooking, and spending time with her husband Sam and dogs.
Tyler Persson OD, MS, FAAO
Originally from North Dakota, Dr. Persson joined his wife, Marie in practice in 2013. He is a graduate of The Ohio State College of Optometry, graduating Summa Cum Laude while concurrently fulfilling requirements for a Masters of Science in Vision Science. His Masters thesis focused on the intricacies of eye and head movements during a baseball swing, research that was stimulated by his interest in the visual system and its association with athletic performance. Doctor Persson served as President of Ohio State’s Beta Sigma Kappa Optometric Honor Society, was part of the inaugural class of Student Fellows within the American Academy of Optometry, and earned membership to the prestigious Gold Key Optometric Honor Society, an organization limited to 10% of optometric students nationally. Internships include University Hospitals in Cleveland, the Veteran’s Affairs hospital in Dayton, Ohio, and the Specialty contact lens and binocular vision clinics at Ohio State University. In 2013 Dr. Persson earned Fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry.
Doctor Persson has a specialty interest in medical contact lenses, with extensive experience fitting scleral contact lenses, gas permeable contact lenses, and hybrid contact lens designs. During his free time he enjoys skiing, biking, golfing, watching college hockey and spending time with Marie.
MEGAN CALLAHAN, OD
Dr. Megan Callahan is originally from South Dakota and received her bachelor’s degree in nutrition science with a minor in psychology from the University of Nebraska. She continued on to Chicago, Illinois to obtain her Doctor of Optometry degree at the Illinois College of Optometry. During her time in Chicago, she gained experience in the areas of advanced ocular disease, pediatric care and myopia management, and specialty contact lenses. She also provided care through vision screenings at Chicago Public Schools and low opportunity neighborhoods. Dr. Callahan enjoys providing vision care for all ages, and is passionate about contact lenses, dry eye management, and ocular aesthetics. She is a member of the Colorado Optometric Association and the American Optometric Association, and a supporter of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. In her free time she enjoys traveling, painting, trying new restaurants, and exploring Colorado with her husband and dog.
