Dr Gullapalli N Rao Dip. American Boards, FACS, FRCS, FNAMS, D.Sc., MD
Founder-Chair
Email: gnrao@lvpei.org
After a successful career in the US as an academic Ophthalmologist, in 1987 Dr. Gullapalli N Rao established the L V Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad, India 38 years ago and is the Founder & Chair of that Institute. L V Prasad Eye Institute is a complex of modern eye hospital with advanced training programmes for ophthalmologists and allied eye health personnel, an eye research centre, rehabilitation programme, product development and high quality eye care models for underserved areas.
Dr. Rao received his basic medical education in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, and completed his postgraduate residency training at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. In the US, he trained at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, and later at the School of Medicine, University of Rochester, where he continued on the faculty until 1986.
Academic and Research Achievements
Honorary Doctorates from the University of Melbourne and University of New South Wales, Australia, Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences, India, University of Bradford, UK and GITAM University, India
President of “Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis (AOI)”, group of 100 of the most eminent academicians in ophthalmology in the world
Visiting Professor to many Universities in the U.S, Europe, Australia and Asia
Published over 320 papers in peer reviewed international journals (H index: 77; i10 index: 231)
Editorial Boards of several international journals of ophthalmology
Editorial in the 100th year publication of British Journal of Ophthalmology
Member of the Jury of Annual Vision Science Award (1.0 million Euro) of the Champalimaud Foundation, Portugal
“Fellow qua surgeon” of the “Royal college of Physicians and Surgeons”, Glasgow
Fellow of two of the Science Academies of India
Fellow of National Academy of Medical Sciences
Other Contributions
Former Secretary – General and later Chair of the Board and CEO of the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) in which role played a pivotal role in developing and fostering the global initiative to eliminate avoidable blindness along with WHO – VISION 2020: The Right to Sight in partnership with World Health Organisation (WHO)
Board of Trustees, International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO)
Leadership Position in many National and International eye care organisations
Founder & Chair of L V Prasad Eye Institute, India
Boards of many national and international organisations.
Awards and Honours
Naumann Award from International Council of Ophthalmology for “outstanding global leadership in eye care”
Bernardo Streiff Gold Medal from Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis for outstanding contribution made to the advancement of ophthalmology
Kupfer Award from Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology for outstanding accomplishments as a researcher, ophthalmologist and humanitarian
World Cornea Congress Medal from International Cornea Society (Among the first ten) for outstanding contribution to the field of cornea
Barrie Jones Lecture of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, U.K
Doyne Lecture of the Oxford Ophthalmology Congress
Association of Eye Banks of Asia Award at the Asia Cornea Society Scientific Meeting of Asia Cornea Foundation
ICO Jules François Golden Medal 2024 by the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO)
Inducted into ‘Ophthalmology Hall of Fame’ at the meeting of American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) in Los Angeles. 57 ophthalmologists from around the world have been inducted into the Hall of Fame in the past three centuries
Jose Rizal Medal from Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology for outstanding contributions to eye care in Asia Pacific region
International Blindness Prevention Award from American Academy of Ophthalmology
Pisart Award by Lighthouse International, New York
Outstanding Humanitarian Service Award from American Academy of Ophthalmology
Many named lecturers around the world in scientific meetings and universities
Five awards from the All India Ophthalmological Society
Three awards from the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology
Many other awards from both National and International organisations
nducted as a Commander, Order of the Star of Africa for distinguished service to the ‘Republic of Liberia’ and to ‘Africa in public service and sciences’ by President of Republic of Liberia
Lifetime Achievement Award by All India Ophthalmological Society
“Gullapalli N. Rao – AIOS Endowment Lecture” created by the All India Ophthalmological Society in the year 2020. (one of the first five of all times, honoured in 2020)
The Sanford and Susan Greenberg Outstanding Achievement Prize (2020)
Named among the top 10 ophthalmologists in the world whose work will influence delivery of eye care across the globe in the 21st century through the ‘World EyeCon 2021’ programme of the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology
Civil Status
Married to Pratibha; son Raghav married to Raelene; Daughter Vaidya married to Scott; Four grandchildren
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