Dr. Hyman is an ocular epidemiologist with expertise in observational epidemiologic studies and clinical trials.  She earned her Ph.D. in Epidemiology from The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health (now Bloomberg School of Public Health). She was recruited to the Department of Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, New York, where in 2004 she was named to Head of the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

In September 2016, she joined Wills Eye as Vice Chair for Research and was named the Thomas D. Duane Endowed Chair, Professor and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and Co-Director of the Wills Vision Research Center at Jefferson.

Dr. Hyman has served on a number of  professional and scientific committees and boards including the Editorial Board for Archives of Ophthalmology (JAMA Ophthalmology), NIH/National Eye Institute Strategic Planning Committees, NIH Study Sections, the Scientific Advisory Board of Foundation Fighting Blindness, and various NIH funded Study Advisory and Data and Safety Monitoring Committees. She has had leadership positions in the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), and The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). She is a fellow of ARVO, the American College of Epidemiology and the American Academy of Optometry.

Dr. Hyman's research focuses on identifying causes, risk factors and treatment of the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness and has been engaged in a range of studies addressing causes and treatment for various leading eye conditions including age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, cataract and myopia. Her work on macular degeneration helped lay the foundation for future research on its causes and treatments.  She has also done extensive work in myopia progression and stabilization in children, evaluating treatment for glaucoma, and examining how hypertension and cardiovascular risk factors impact causes of visual decline.

Her work outside the field of vision research includes the study of the role of periodontal therapy on diabetes management. Dr. Hyman played crucial roles in seminal vision research studies including the Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial (COMET) Eye Study, the Early Manifest Glaucoma Trial (EMGT) and the Barbados Eye Study.