Dr. Zhu was born and raised in San Francisco. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and earned her OD degree from State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry. She completed her residency at VA Central California Healthcare system, where she received advanced training in primary eye care, ocular disease, contact lenses, and low vision. As a resident, she also co-managed patients with ophthalmologists and taught fourth-year optometry students.

Dr. Blas earned her Doctorate in Optometry in 1993 from the SUNY college of Optometry located in Manhattan. Her most recent job was with Peninsula Ophthalmology Group in Daly City and Burlingame, California, after moving back to the San Francisco Bay Area in the summer of 2016. Previously, she practiced at McDougal Eye Center in Mesa, Arizona, and Optical Expressions in Scottsdale. Both are private practices that concentrate in primary care optometry, which includes contact lenses, emergency care, glaucoma management, and post-op care with regional ophthalmologists. Additionally, she served as an adjunct clinical assistant professor at Midwestern University Eye Institute in Glendale, Arizona, where she was an attending optometrist for third-year optometry students.