Having trained as a glaucoma fellow at Bascom Palmer, Dr. Ramulu returns to the institute as chair after nearly two decades of leadership at Johns Hopkins. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Stanford University in 1994 before receiving his M.D. and Ph.D. in Molecular Biology/Genetics from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2002. He completed his ophthalmology residency at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and in 2009 earned a Master of Health Science degree through the Graduate Training Program in Clinical Investigation at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.
Dr. Ramulu joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 2007 and advanced through the academic ranks to professor. He served as the Sheila K. West Professor of Ophthalmology, chief of the Glaucoma Division, director of the Wilmer StARR (Stimulating Access to Research in Residency) Program, and professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Through these leadership roles, he's helped shape clinical care, research innovation, and resident education.
His research focuses on understanding how glaucoma affects patients' daily lives and advancing more patient-centered approaches to vision care. He has maintained continuous National Institutes of Health funding since 2007 and has authored more than 280 peer-reviewed publications, 10 book chapters, and two books. An award-winning educator and mentor, he has trained generations of medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty members and has held leadership roles in major national and international glaucoma organizations.
As chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Ramulu is committed to building on Bascom Palmer's legacy of excellence while advancing discoveries, training future leaders in ophthalmology, and improving eye health for patients in South Florida and around the world.