James Rowsey M.D.

J. James Rowsey, M.D. is a board-certified ophthalmologist, specializing in refractive surgery and corneal diseases. Dr. Rowsey was a primary investigator in the use of Laser for treating myopia in 1988. He expanded his expertise to become the VISX principal certifying surgeons for other physicians in Florida. Dr. Rowsey has trained numerous surgeons to perform refractive surgery in Florida, the United States, and throughout the world. Dr. Rowsey came to Florida in 1991 to assume the position of the James P. and Heather Gills Professor of Ophthalmology and to chair the Ophthalmology Department at the University of South Florida. In this position, he built the 28,000 square foot USF Eye Institute. His current practice includes LASIK refractive surgery, corneal transplantation, cataract surgery, and infectious and immunological diseases of the eye.

Dr. Rowsey completed his undergraduate degree and medical school at The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. His internship and residency were at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. In 1976 he initiated the corneal research program at the Dean A. McGee Eye Institute, University of Oklahoma, where he continued until his 1991 relocation to Florida.

Dr. Rowsey is married to Judith Carole and has four daughters Kimberly Vargas (Husband Michael); Dr. Shannon Mann (Husband Jesse and son Joshua); Jheri Dee Scott (Husband David, daughters Jordan and Mollie, sons Luke, Evan, Ethan) and Jennifer Whittington (Husband Kevin and sons John James, Landon, and daughter Lauren). He is blessed by his sons-in-love and his nine grandchildren, who bring new joys daily to the family.