Susana Marcos received her MS (1992) and PhD (1996) degrees in Physics from the University of Salamanca, Spain. She carried out her predoctoral research at the Instituto de Óptica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (IO-CSIC), Madrid, Spain, in the field of physiological optics, working on a novel technique to resolve the foveal cones in vivo. She was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow for three years at Stephen A. Burns Lab at the Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard University, USA. She was recipient of Fulbright and Human Frontier Science Postdoctoral Fellowships.

She joined the University of Rochester, USA, faculty in 2021 after serving as a Professor of Research, at IO-CSIC and the Director of the Visual Optics and Biophotonics Lab, where she oversaw more than 25 members from six different nationalities and multidisciplinary backgrounds (Physics, Biomedical, Optical, Biomechanical, Computer and Electrical Engineering, Visual Sciences, Ophthalmology, Chemistry, etc.). In the last 12 years, 17 PhD students have graduated under her supervision. Prof. Marcos is also a frequent lecturer in Masters, PhD, and CE programs.

Marcos has pioneered research in novel techniques to assess the optical properties of the ocular optics and the human retina.  Major contributions include the development of Ocular Speckle Interferometry, Wavefront Sensing, Adaptive Optics, Quantiative Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography, with applications in the evaluation, improvement and/or new developments in laser refractive surgery, intraocular lenses, and the treatment of keratoconus and presbyopia, among others. She has published more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, has delivered over 200 lectures in international conferences or research centers, and holds 23 patents (14 licensed to industry). She is a cofounder of 2EyesVision SL and a coinventor of the SimVis technology that allows patients to ‘try on’ multifocal corrections before putting in contact lenses or having an intraocular lens implantation.

Marcos is an active volunteer serving on committees of the Sociedad Española de Óptica, the Association for Research in Vision Science and Ophthalmology and Optica. For Optica she has served on several award selection committees and the Board of Directors. She is the Publications Council Chair and was previously a Frontiers in Optics Program Committee Chair and Optica Associate Editor. She is a member of the Real Sociedad Española de Física, faculty in Madrid MIT M+Vision Consortium, and Vice President of the Scientific Advisory Board Spanish Research Agency.

She is the Chair of Optica's Publications Council (2023-2024).

Her work has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the Edwin H. Land Medal, Adolph Lomb Medal, the European Young Investigator Award, the ICO Prize, Honoris Causa Doctorship,  European Research Council Advanced Grant and Physics, Innovation and Technology Award, the Alcon Research Institute Award and the Rey Jaime I Award. She is an Optica Fellow.