Your Riviera Optometrist

Dr. Michael Hansen, O.D., received his Doctor of Optometry degree from the prestigious Southern California College of Optometry, graduating Suma Cum Laude with distinction in 2000. There, he received several scholarships for excellence in scholastic and clinical performance. Dr. Hansen has served many diverse patient constituencies. At the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, AK, Dr. Hansen focused on Native American's medical eye treatment as well as observing and assisting with several different ophthalmic surgical procedures. At the Veterans Administration Loma Linda Healthcare System, Dr. Hansen participated in weekly ophthalmology rounds as well as assisting partially sighted veterans through Low Vision services. His time at the Optometric Center of Los Angeles allowed him to treat an inner city primarily Hispanic population. And through the Eyecare Center at the Southern California College of Optometry, he worked with difficult contact lens challenges as well as adult and pediatric comprehensive eyecare services. Dr. Hansen has served as clinical director of several different FDA studies on contact lenses and contact lens solutions. He has also been an adjunct clinical outreach instructor for the Southern California College of Optometry. Dr. Hansen has been actively practicing in Torrance for 10 years.

Dr. Hansen is currently a licensed optometrist in the states of California and Florida. He is a member of the American Optometric Association, California Optometric Association, South Bay Optometric Society, Torrance and Manhattan Beach Chambers of Commerce, and the Ladera Linda Home Owners Association Board.

Dr. Hansen was born in Inglewood, raised in Orange County, and graduated from Lutheran High School of Orange County. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the California State University of Fullerton graduating Magna Cum Laude with Honors. After college, he worked in Panama for 6 months researching the evolutionary advantage of endothermy (warm bloodedness) in fish. This work was published multiple times in peer reviewed scientific journals.

Dr. Hansen and his family reside in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. He enjoys spending his personal time with his wife Christine, their twins, Ella and Owen, and Irish Terrier, Dudley. If not at home, you may find Dr. Hansen on the water pursuing his passion for fresh and saltwater angling.

When asked what he loves about being an optometrist, Dr. Hansen states "There is no better way to improve someone's quality of life than to help them see better. I can impact almost every facet of life because how someone interacts with their world relates directly to how they see it. And with the technology in place at Advanced Eyecare Center, I can optimize and preserve vision at the highest level achievable".

Dr. Sophia Lam grew up in Los Angeles, CA, and moved up to the Bay Area to complete both her undergraduate and optometry degrees at UC Berkeley. During her fourth-year optometry externships, she gained extensive experience serving veteran patients at VA Casa Grande in Arizona, VA San Francisco, and VA Southern Oregon. Upon graduation, Dr. Lam was awarded multiple honors and scholarships including the VSP and AAOF Practice Excellence Scholarship, Justin T. Kwan Scholarship, and Alcon Case Report Award. She was also a recipient of the California Optometric Association's Young Advocate Award and the Warren LoPresti Scholarship for volunteerism. 

 

Through her personal experiences growing up with myopia and wearing rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses, Dr. Lam was inspired to complete an additional year of residency training as the Cornea and Contact Lens resident at UC Berkeley. During her residency, she completed over 1200 patient encounters at the school's specialty contact lens clinic, myopia control clinic, dry eye clinic, and refractive surgery center. Dr. Lam is passionate about myopia management and the intricacies of fitting specialty contact lenses. She is well versed with fitting different types of ortho-K lenses, scleral lenses, RGPs, prosthetic soft lenses, and hybrid lenses. She looks forward to helping you optimize your vision and comfort in contact lenses. 

 

Dr. Lam is a member of the American Optometric Association (AOA), American Academy of Optometry (AAO), Gas Permeable Lens Institute (GPLI), and Scleral Lens Education Society (SLS). She is currently working towards earning her fellowships in the AAO and SLS.  

 

In her free time, Dr. Lam enjoys playing board games, visiting local farmers’ markets, and trying out new recipes.

Dr. Courtney Hongo, O.D., received her Doctor of Optometry degree from Western University of Health Sciences where she graduated with distinctive honors for scholastic and clinical excellence. During her last year, she had the opportunity to travel around the country and build on her clinical skills. At the William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia, South Carolina, she focused on diagnosis and management of a variety of ocular diseases with a strong emphasis in diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration. At the VA New Jersey Healthcare System in Lyons, New Jersey, Dr. Hongo treated a geriatric population focusing on glaucoma management and other various retinal diseases. At Primary Eyecare in Beverly Hills, she worked with adult and pediatric patients while gaining exposure to dry eye management and specialty contact lens fitting. During her final rotation at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, Dr. Hongo focused on contact lens fitting and emergency eye care.

At the completion of her schooling, Dr. Hongo moved to San Diego to start her residency at the VA San Diego Healthcare System where she focused on primary care with an emphasis in ocular disease. During her time there, she also gained experience in managing patients with low vision and traumatic brain injury and was able to perform minor surgical procedures. With an interest in ocular disease, Dr. Hongo presented a poster titled “An Atypical Presentation of Non-Arteritic Ischemic Optic Neuropathy” at the annual American Academy of Optometry meeting in Orlando, Florida, and also a case report titled “Ocular Manifestations of Multiple Myeloma” at her residency symposium.

Dr. Hongo was born and raised in Los Angeles and graduated from Marymount High School. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences from the University of Southern California (Fight on!). In her free time, Dr. Hongo enjoys trying new foods, staying active by boxing or running, and watching sports—especially football and baseball.