About Jennifer Maples, O.D., F.A.A.O.

Dr. Jennifer Maples is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a dual Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry and the American Board of Medical Optometry, with more than 20 years of full-scope medical optometry experience. Originally from Middle Tennessee, Dr. Maples earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, graduating summa cum laude from Middle Tennessee State University, before receiving her Doctor of Optometry degree with honors from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry in 2004. She completed her optometric residency at the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, providing comprehensive and low-vision care for a high-acuity geriatric population. Throughout her career, she has practiced in hospital-affiliated, ophthalmology, and private practice settings, developing expertise in comprehensive eye care, complex ocular disease management, dry eye disease, and specialty contact lenses. Her path to optometry began with a love of science, problem-solving, teaching, and connecting with people, ultimately inspired by shadowing her childhood optometrist and witnessing his passion for the profession.

Dr. Maples has a particular interest in specialty contact lenses, especially scleral lenses, and enjoys helping patients who have struggled to achieve comfortable, clear vision with glasses or traditional contact lenses. She also has a special interest in dry eye disease and takes an individualized approach to helping patients understand the causes of their symptoms and develop an appropriate treatment plan. One memorable patient experience involved a patient with extremely poor vision who believed an old eye injury had permanently limited his sight; after discovering that much of his vision loss was related to an extremely high prescription, Dr. Maples fitted him with a soft contact lens that improved his vision to approximately 20/30. She considers opportunities like this, helping patients discover possibilities they thought were no longer available, to be among the most rewarding aspects of her work. Throughout her career, she has remained committed to education and collaboration, serving as a preceptor for Family Medicine residents, working alongside multiple medical specialties, and presenting research on topics including specialty contact lenses, thyroid-related orbitopathy, papilledema, and retinal vascular disease. She has also volunteered with Remote Area Medical and participated in international eye-care missions to Honduras and the Dominican Republic.

Outside of the clinic, Dr. Maples enjoys spending time with her husband and their two boys, traveling, fitness, meditation, spending time outdoors, and visiting art museums. She is learning Spanish and is currently working toward certification as a meditation teacher, reflecting her ongoing interest in mindfulness, neuroscience, behavior change, and communication. After moving to Georgia with her family, she was drawn to the Atlanta area