INSA Elects LVPEI Founder Dr G N Rao for “Science for Society”

Dr Gullapalli Nageswara Rao, Founder and Chair of the L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), has been elected a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) for his contributions to ‘Science for Society’.

Dr Rao has been recognized for a lifetime of contributions that extend beyond pioneering work in ophthalmology and eye health. His scientific journey has been closely intertwined with his commitment to creating meaningful impact for society, while fostering an environment that encourages scientific excellence among colleagues and the wider eye-care community.

That commitment has taken him from the clinic to the world stage. Trained as an ophthalmologist (MBBS, MD), he served the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness as Secretary General in 1998 and President in 2004. In 2002, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri — the country’s fourth highest civilian honour. The American Academy of Ophthalmology gave him its Honor Award and its International Blindness Prevention Award, and the University of Melbourne conferred a Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa). In 2017, he entered the Ophthalmology Hall of Fame of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. He is also chairman of the Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis and a Fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences, India.

Each of these honors points back to the same idea – to create excellent and equitable eye care systems that reach all those in need.