Pradeep Y. Ramulu, MD, MHS, Ph.D.
MIAMI—The University of Miami School of Medicine has announced the appointment of Pradeep Y. Ramulu, MD, MHS, Ph.D., as chair of the department of ophthalmology and the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, effective August 3, 2026. Dr. Ramulu is a Bascom Palmer alumnus who “returns to lead the institution where his career in glaucoma was shaped, bringing with him nearly two decades of transformative clinical, research and educational leadership from the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University,” the Institute said in an announcement. As chair, Dr. Ramulu will hold the Kathleen and Stanley J. Glaser chair in ophthalmology.
Dr. Ramulu is a physician-scientist of international distinction, the Institute said, whose career has been dedicated to understanding and reducing the impact of glaucoma on patients’ lives. He earned his bachelor of science in chemistry from Stanford University with high honors, and then completed his MD at Johns Hopkins University; a Ph.D. in molecular biology/genetics in the lab of Jeremy Nathans; an ophthalmology residency at the Wilmer Eye Institute; a glaucoma fellowship at Bascom Palmer; and a master’s degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.
He joined Wilmer’s faculty in 2007, where he serves as the Sheila K. West professor of ophthalmology, the chief of the glaucoma division and director of the Wilmer StARR (Stimulating Access to Research in Residency) Program. He is also a professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
At Bascom Palmer, Dr. Ramulu succeeds Eduardo C. Alfonso, MD, “who has led Bascom Palmer with distinction and unwavering dedication to its mission of excellence since 2007,” the Institute said. Under Dr. Alfonso’s leadership, Bascom Palmer repeatedly earned the #1 ranking in ophthalmology from U.S. News & World Report, and its ophthalmology residency program has been recognized as the best in the nation. According to the Institute, Dr. Alfonso will continue to be a faculty member, actively involved in administrative leadership and healthcare, patient care, community relations and education.
“Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is truly the crown jewel of the University of Miami Health System, and the appointment of Pradep Ramulu as chair ensures that it remains in the hands of a world-class leader, who understands from personal experience as a Bascom Palmer fellow, what makes this institution extraordinary,” said Dipen J. Parekh, MD, chief executive officer, UHealth — University of Miami Health System. “Dr. Ramulu’s vision, compassion and scientific expertise will carry Bascom Palmer’s legacy of excellence into a remarkable new chapter. We are also deeply grateful to Dr. Eduardo Alfonso for his transformative and dedicated leadership over nearly two decades.”
“The appointment of Dr. Pradeep Ramulu as chair of Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is a proud moment for the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine,” said Henri R. Ford, MD, MHA., dean and chief academic officer, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “That a physician who trained here as a fellow now returns as its leader speaks to the power and depth of the Bascom Palmer experience. Dr. Ramulu is not only a scientist of the highest caliber, but he is also an educator, a mentor and an outstanding physician whose commitment to his patients and his trainees is evident in everything he does. We are exceptionally pleased to welcome Dr. Ramulu and his wife Vandana, home to the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.”
“Providing outstanding clinical care to patients, conducting leading-edge research, educating the next generation of vision professionals and serving our community requires a clear vision, a deep commitment to excellence and a steady focus on the day-to-day details,” said Dr. Alfonso. “During my tenure, our team has worked tirelessly to achieve excellence. I am enormously proud of what we have built together, and I am confident that Bascom Palmer’s future is exceptionally bright in Dr. Ramulu’s hands. He is a remarkable physician-scientist and leader, and I could not be more pleased to welcome him to lead this institution that is so dear to him.”
“I believe deeply that excellence in clinical care, the discovery of transformative new knowledge and training the next generation of physicians and scientists are all part of a single mission—to work toward a world where blindness and visual impairment are vanishingly rare—both here in Miami and throughout the world,” said Dr. Ramulu.
He continued, “My goal is to inspire and aid my colleagues, my trainees and providers worldwide in achieving this mission through compassion, knowledge and the capable delivery of eyecare. Bascom Palmer is where my passion for glaucoma took root, and returning to lead this institution is both a profound honor and a personal homecoming. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Alfonso for the extraordinary foundation he has built, and I look forward to working with our remarkable team to write the next chapter of this superb institution.”
According to Bascom Palmer, Dr. Ramulu has received continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health since 2007. He has authored more than 280 peer-reviewed publications, 10 book chapters and two books. He has also been honored with the Secretariat, Achievement and Senior Awards from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the Pisart Award for Vision Science. He has served as program chair of the American Glaucoma Society, Glaucoma Research Society and World Glaucoma Congress, and directs the education committee for the World Glaucoma Association. He is a mentor of the National Advisory Eye Council and will become president of the American Glaucoma Society in 2027.
