Indian Journal of Ophthalmology

GUEST EDITORIAL
Year
: 2020  |  Volume : 68  |  Issue : 9  |  Page : 1727-

Prof. Narsing A Rao: A Living Legend. Gratitude from the Uveitis Society of India


Vishali Gupta 
 Advanced Eye Center, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India

Correspondence Address:
Vishali Gupta
Advanced Eye Center, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh
India




How to cite this article:
Gupta V. Prof. Narsing A Rao: A Living Legend. Gratitude from the Uveitis Society of India.Indian J Ophthalmol 2020;68:1727-1727


How to cite this URL:
Gupta V. Prof. Narsing A Rao: A Living Legend. Gratitude from the Uveitis Society of India. Indian J Ophthalmol [serial online] 2020 [cited 2024 Mar 29 ];68:1727-1727
Available from: https://journals.lww.com/ijo/pages/default.aspx/text.asp?2020/68/9/1727/292559


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”A leader is one who sees more than others see, who sees farther than others see, and who sees before others see.” – Leroy Eimes

This quote from Leroy Eimes is truly applicable to our most loved leader and father of uveitis in India, Prof Narsing A Rao.

Dr. Rao did his graduation in medicine from Osmania University, Hyderabad, India in 1967. He moved to USA in 1968 and completed residencies in pathology and ophthalmology at the Georgetown University and a fellowship in ophthalmic pathology at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, D.C. He is currently Professor and Chairman of the Ophthalmology Department and Director of Ophthalmic Pathology Laboratory at USC Roski Eye Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

His research and clinical endeavors focus on ophthalmic inflammatory and infectious diseases, ocular autoimmunity, and mitochondrial oxidative stress supported by grants from National Institute of Health, Research to prevent blindness and veterans administration. He has published over 500 peer-reviewed articles, numerous book chapters, and seven books on ophthalmic diseases including the American Registry of Pathology-AFIP fascicle on Tumors of the Eye and Ocular Adnexa.

He is a recipient of several awards including Lorenz Zimmerman medal from American Academy of Ophthalmology, Bietti medal from World Ophthalmology Congress and medals from International Ocular Inflammation Society, International Uveitis Study Group, Pan American Ophthalmological Society, International Gold Award of Chinese Ophthalmological Society and teaching awards from the Department of Ophthalmology, Georgetown University and University of Southern California. He delivered several named lectures at various national and international societies of intraocular inflammation and universities as Visiting Professor at Tokyo Medical University, Kyushu University, Japan; Jules Stain Eye Institute, UCLA; Proctor Eye foundation, UC San Francisco; Massachusetts Eye and Infirmary, Harvard Medical School; Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical School. He is the founder and the first Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Ophthalmic Inflammation and Infections and past editorial board member of numerous ophthalmic journals.

He served as President of American Ophthalmic Pathology Society, American Uveitis Society, International Ophthalmic Pathology Society, International Uveitis Study Group, and International Ocular Inflammation Society. He is a board member of the International Ocular Inflammation Society and American Uveitis Society. He currently chairs Indochina Ocular Inflammation Study Group and serves as President of Global Ocular Inflammation Workshops Society.

Besides being a researcher par excellence, he is a great friend to lots and lots of Uveitis experts from all over the globe. As they say, there is a woman behind every successful man; Dr Rao is blessed to have a wonderful, ever smiling wife Saroja, to whom he is happily married for 55 years. He is blessed with two sons and has five grandchildren.

To every Indian Uveitis expert, he simply is an icon who knows the way and shows the way. James Humes said “Every time you have to speak, you are auditioning for leadership.”. This truly applies to Prof Rao who is a true icon for both young and old uveitis experts of India and is undoubtedly the most adored Uveitis expert in India. Each word said by him is taken very seriously. His knowledge, his ability to analyze disease pathology, his ability to rationalize the disease, combined with his humility, are unique and unmatched. He dreamt of creating Uveitis Society of India that has continued to grow under his mentorship and now with more than 500 members is one of the largest national Uveitis societies. Dr Rao believes in taking the back seat and letting youngsters lead, giving them confidence and at the same time also guiding them. Each one of us at the Uveitis Society of India would like to salute him for his achievements as well as for believing in us and helping us spreading the awareness about Uveitis in India. We will always remain grateful to him and will try to follow his footsteps always.