5 Sankara Nethralaya Ophthalmologists honoured with Elizabeth Blackwell Award
Chennai: Five consultant ophthalmologists from Sankara Nethralaya have been honoured with the Elizabeth Blackwell Award for Excellence in Teaching in recognition of their outstanding contributions to medical education and mentorship in the field of ophthalmology.
The awardees include Dr. Veena Baskaran, Dr. Suganeswari G., Dr. Niveditha Narayanan, Dr. Dhanashree Ratra, and Dr. C.K. Parameswari. The recognition was jointly conferred by the Women Ophthalmologists Society and Women Ophthalmologists Worldwide.
Dr. Veena Baskaran, who specialises in Cataract and Medical Retina, currently serves as the director of Jaslok Community Ophthalmology Services, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai. She received her medical graduate degree from the University in Chennai and a Diploma in Ophthalmology from the Government Ophthalmic Hospital, Egmore, Chennai. Post that, she got her DNB Degree (DNB) from Medical Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai in 2010. In 2006-2008, Dr Veena Baskaran completed a clinical fellowship in General Ophthalmology at the Medical Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya. And an integrated fellowship in Medical Retina while working as an associate consultant in Sankara Nethralaya in the year 2011-2012.
She has been part of the department of Jaslok Community Ophthalmic Centre, Sankara Nethralaya, as an associate consultant from 2008 to 2015, a senior consultant from 2015 to 2020, and has been serving as Head of the Department of Community Services since then. She is working as a senior consultant catering to Medical Retina and Cataract services in C.U.Shah Nethralaya, Chennai.
Dr. Suganeswari is a senior consultant in the department of Vitreoretinal and is also an accomplished Ocular Oncologist with over 14 years of experience in the field of ophthalmology. Her journey in ophthalmology began as a Resident at the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Government Ophthalmology Hospital, Madras Medical College, Chennai. At the Retina Clinic of RIO-GOH, MMC, Chennai, she laid the groundwork for her illustrious career. She has contributed significantly to the field of ophthalmology through her extensive publications, presentations, and involvement in international clinical trials. Dr. Suganeswari's dedication to excellence has earned her numerous accolades and recognitions, solidifying her position as a leading figure in both vitreo-retinal surgery and ocular oncology surgery.
She also possesses an Ocular Oncology Fellowship from the National Cancer Centre, Tokyo, and completed her Pediatric Retina fellowship at Kindai University, Osaka, Japan. She is a project Director at Lions Skills Transfer Training Program and a reviewer for Eye, BMC, Ophthalmic Genetics, British Journal of Ophthalmology, PLOS, and Indian Journal of Ophthalmology. She is a co-investigator in international clinical trials related to Diabetic retinopathy, Choroidal neovascular membrane, and retinoblastoma.
Dr. Niveditha Narayanan is a distinguished medical professional dedicated to advancing ophthalmology and accreditation in an eye hospital. With a rich academic background and extensive experience in healthcare technology, she continues to make significant contributions to the field. She pursued her MD from I.P.Pavlov, First Medical Institute, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 1994, and Diploma in Ophthalmology, Ordinatura, from Helmholtz Eye Research Institute, Moscow, Russia, 1996.
Dr. Dhanashree Ratra is a distinguished ophthalmologist with extensive experience of over 27 years. Dr. Ratra has established and managed vitreoretinal departments in various renowned institutions across India and abroad. Throughout her career, Dr. Ratra has been recognised with numerous awards for her exceptional contributions to ophthalmology. She is also actively involved in research, having served as a principal investigator for multiple clinical trials and contributed extensively to academic journals as an editor and reviewer. Her previous experiences include being a Specialist Consultant Ophthalmologist at Apollo Hospital, Colombo, Sri Lanka, and Apollo Hospital, Bangalore; and an Overseas Specialist Ophthalmologist at CMER Dennis Lam Hospital, Shenzhen, PRC. She is an MS Ophthalmology from Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sewagram, under Nagpur University.
Dr CK Parameswari, Senior Consultant in the Department of Comprehensive Ophthalmology, has over 12 years of experience in the field of Ophthalmology. She received her MBBS degree from Siddhartha Medical College, NTR University of Health Sciences, Andhra Pradesh. She completed her D.N.B. from Voluntary Health Services & Udhi Eye Hospital, Chennai and completed a 2-year Fellowship in Comprehensive Ophthalmology and Medical Retina in the Medical Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai. Before joining the Fellowship, she worked at A.C.S Medical as an Assistant Professor. She teaches the Post Graduate (M.S. and DNB) Students and Post PG Fellowship Students in Comprehensive Ophthalmology and trains them in carrying out cataract surgeries. She is well known for her expertise in doing cataract surgeries, assessing and treating medical retina-related disorders, and giving excellent patient care.
