# Eyes On: Nandini Venkateswaran, MD July 21, 2026 ***Eyes On** is our monthly spotlight feature highlighting faculty and staff across Harvard Ophthalmology* ## **Nandini Venkateswaran, MD** ![Nandini Venkateswaran](/sites/g/files/omnuum9886/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2026-07/Venkateswaran%2C%20Nandini_2026_0.jpeg?itok=17d2G0HH) ### **Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School; Member of the Cornea Service at Mass Eye and Ear** **How does your clinical work shape the questions you bring to your research, or vice versa?** ![Nandini at IIRSI 2025 ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9886/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2026-07/processed-642747C4-6CED-4837-912D-B17572EDCA05.jpeg?itok=CZkMIBYf) Dr. Venkateswaran at the Indian Intraocular Implant and Refractive Surgery Convention in Chennai, India in July 2025, where she received a a gold medal for her work in Ophthalmology. My clinical focus is cataract, cornea, and refractive surgery, and I find it most rewarding to identify clinical challenges and study them systematically. I am particularly interested in improving surgical outcomes through analysis of postoperative data. My research has included industry-sponsored investigator-initiated studies on intraocular lens (IOL) technologies and clinical trials focused on corneal diseases at Mass Eye and Ear. I have enjoyed collaborating with my Mass Eye and Ear colleagues, including Drs. Kathryn Hatch, Ula Jurkunas and Joseph Ciolino, on such projects. **Can you tell us about a current or recent project and what excites you most about where it's heading?** I have been working with Drs. Rishi Singh and David Hunter to create the Harvard Faculty Engagement Series—a program that complements our existing Harvard Ophthalmology Faculty Mentoring Program and helps address the practical, early-stage needs of new and junior faculty members. Our aim is to feature programming throughout the year that will include a networking reception at the start of the fiscal year along with two to three skill-based programming sessions focused on topics of interest to new and junior faculty members including research program development, leadership and career growth, and work/life balance. This program will ideally help new and junior faculty build connections, generate a supportive peer and mentor network, and access the tools needed to navigate the complexities of the clinical/research/operational infrastructures within the department. I was also recently invited to join the American Academy of Ophthalmology Refractive Surgery Preferred Practice Pattern (PPP) Guidelines Committee by my colleague Dr. Deborah Jacobs, where I will work alongside other elected leaders in refractive surgery to help create evidence-based, clinically relevant protocols for refractive surgery. I am looking forward to working on this project this year with the other committee members. **What recent developments in the cornea and refractive field are you most enthusiastic about, and why?** ![Presenting at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Annual Meeting](/sites/g/files/omnuum9886/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2026-07/original-412DB000-7B8A-4614-918E-6DC27C5B8E3A.jpeg?itok=Lu0rDKOQ) Dr. Venkateswaran presenting at Cornea Day at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark in Sept 2025.I am very excited about several things, including the advances in epithelium-off crosslinking techniques for patients with keratoconus and corneal ectasias, ongoing trials for injectable endothelial cell therapies for patients with endothelial disease, and new and exciting refractive platforms for laser vision correction. The evolution of refractive platforms like SMILE Pro and WaveLight Plus for LASIK and PRK offer faster visual recovery, greater precision, and expanded candidacy for patients seeking spectacle independence. Equally compelling is the emergence of injectable endothelial cell therapy, which has the potential to transform how we treat corneal endothelial disease by reducing our reliance on donor tissue and traditional keratoplasty. At Mass Eye and Ear, we are hoping to incorporate many of these therapies and technologies as they become available to our patients! **What does collaboration look like in your work — are there unexpected partnerships or disciplines you've drawn from?** Collaboration is key and incredibly rewarding! I have built my clinical practice by collaborating with our optometric and subspecialty colleagues. I love managing my complex cornea patients with our optometric colleagues—contact lens technology can be vision-changing and even protective for patients with corneal scars, corneal dystrophies, or prior corneal transplants; in some cases, a well-fit contact lens can even help avoid corneal transplantation. I also work with our optometric colleagues to identify patients for vision correction surgery, whether it be keratorefractive procedures like LASIK, PRK or SMILE, or lens-based procedures like Implantable Collamer Lenses (ICL) or refractive lens exchange (RLE). They help identify candidates from their clinics and I can then offer these patients a surgical approach to reduce dependence on glasses and/or contact lenses. ![Nandini Venkateswaran presenting at the Chicago Ophthalmological Society ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9886/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2026-07/original-14D50212-D05B-499B-9B0C-793FEA7F14D7.jpeg?itok=-Jxkw3lH) Dr. Venkateswaran presenting at the Chicago Ophthalmological Society quarterly meeting about advances in refractive surgery in February 2026. I also work alongside my retinal colleagues to help perform cataract surgery in eyes that have developed cataracts after vitrectomy surgeries; I think critically about IOL options for these patients that can help achieve more spectacle independence if they are appropriate candidates. I also enjoy performing combination cases with my retina colleagues where their assistance in complex cataract cases can be very helpful. I recently worked with Dr. Jose Davila on a complex nanophthalmic eye that benefitted from vitreous decompression to deepen the shallow anterior chamber, which permitted me to perform a safer cataract removal. Similarly, I work with my glaucoma colleagues to perform endothelial keratoplasties in eyes that have endothelial decompensation from multiple surgeries, including glaucoma drainage implants. I also see referred patients from my glaucoma colleagues with narrow angles who may benefit from earlier cataract surgery and presbyopia-correcting IOLs. **What are you looking forward to—in your work or beyond—in the coming year?** I am looking forward to growing my clinical and surgical practice, engaging in more educational activities by attending and lecturing at national and international meetings, and growing in my leadership roles in national and international societies. I’m a part of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) Refractive Surgery Clinical Committee where we organize programming for Refractive Day at the ASCRS Annual Meeting and provide educational content about refractive surgery to ASCRS members. I’m a member of the AAO Webinar Committee where I collaborate with the Academy and the Cornea Society to put on an annual webinar for general ophthalmologists to update them on corneal disease and new advances and therapies. I am also an active member of the International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS), where I collaborate with the leadership team to develop educational content about refractive surgery for members through my roles on the Education Committee and International Council. **What do you enjoy doing outside of your work?** Outside of work, I enjoy reading, traveling, doing Peloton workout classes, spending time with my family, and going to sports events. I am also currently striving to improve my golf game–it is a humbling game! Work life balance is an ever-evolving goal. ![Nandini Venkateswaran Golf Hobby](/sites/g/files/omnuum9886/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/2026-07/Nandini%20Golfing.PNG?itok=z3WsXiHw) Left: Dr. Venkateswaran enjoying a round of golf with Mass Eye and Ear cornea colleagues Drs. Hyunjoo Lee, Thomas Dohlman, and Enchi Chang. Right: Dr. Venkateswaran braving the cold weather to play a round of golf sporting her Harvard beanie. See also:- [ Faculty ](/news-categories/faculty) - [ Glaucoma ](/news-categories/glaucoma) Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)