Her 20-year career as a U.S. Army optometrist provided diverse optometric experiences, from humanitarian missions in Macedonia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Cambodia, and Thailand, to hospital based eye care at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Germany. While stationed at LRMC, she worked on a multidisciplinary traumatic brain injury (TBI) team, fostering her deep commitment to treating TBI-related visual dysfunction. While deployed to Afghanistan, became a member of the Medical Service Corps “Grey Team,” collaborating with the Vision Center of Excellence to identify key visual indicators of head trauma.

These visual dysfunction indicators were instrumental in shaping military protocols for the assessment and management of TBI-related visual impairment. Her dedication to this field is reflected in 15 years of service on multidisciplinary TBI teams, providing specialized visual rehabilitation and improving visual function for individuals with acquired brain injuries.

Beyond her military career, Dr. Nelissen has continued to contribute to optometry as a contract optometrist for the Department of Defense and Indian Health Services, and as a neuro-optometrist for the Defense Health Agency in Landstuhl, Germany. The Army Medical Department (AMEDD) has recognized her significant contributions to military optometry with induction into the Order of Military Medical Merit and the “9A” Proficiency Designator.