Dr. Pradeep Ramulu, MD, MHS, Ph.D.

Expert Publications

• Glaucoma and reading speed: the Salisbury Eye Evaluation project.
• Driving cessation and driving limitation in glaucoma: the Salisbury Eye Evaluation Project.
• Evaluation of an algorithm for detecting visual field defects due to chiasmal and postchiasmal lesions: the neurological hemifield test.
• Comparison of home and away-from-home physical activity using accelerometers and cellular network-based tracking devices.
• Real-world assessment of physical activity in glaucoma using an accelerometer.
• Visual impairment, uncorrected refractive error, and accelerometer-defined physical activity in the United States.
• Regional variations and trends in the prevalence of diagnosed glaucoma in the Medicare population.
• Association of vision loss in glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration with IADL disability.
• Visual field loss and accelerometer-measured physical activity in the United States.
• Driving patterns in older adults with glaucoma.
• Accelerometer-assessed physical activity and objectively determined dual sensory impairment in US adults.
• The cost of glaucoma care provided to Medicare beneficiaries from 2002 to 2009.
• Association study in a South Indian population supports rs1015213 as a risk factor for primary angle closure.
• The relationship between better-eye and integrated visual field mean deviation and visual disability.

Media Releases

Get to know Ophthalmologist Dr. Pradeep Ramulu, who serves patients in Baltimore, Maryland.

An extraordinary ophthalmologist, Dr. Ramulu is the Director of the Division of Glaucoma at Wilmer Eye Institute, located at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He specializes in caring for both routine and complex glaucomas, including glaucomas requiring repeat operations, glaucoma occurring in the context of corneal or retinal disease, and glaucoma occurring in newborns and young children.

The Glaucoma Division at Wilmer Eye Institute offers the latest in comprehensive glaucoma care, treatments and second opinion consultations to patients of all ages and for all forms of glaucoma, whether primary or related to complex eye problems.

Using a variety of tools including patient reported outcomes, observation of task performance, and real-world behavioral monitoring, Dr. Ramulu has helped define when, how, and why visual impairment results in disability. His work has resulted in over 100 peer-reviewed publications, 10 book chapters, and 2 books. Because of his expertise, he has helped various agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to set vision standards for work.

Alongside his clinical role, he serves as a Professor of Ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins University.

Growing up in suburban Chicago, Dr. Ramulu graduated with Honors from Stanford University, and then joined the MD/PhD program at Johns Hopkins University, completing his PhD work on retinal biology with Jeremy Nathans. He subsequently completed his residency in ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute and a glaucoma fellowship at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. After his fellowship, he returned to Wilmer’s Glaucoma Division, where he began a program to study the functional consequences of visual impairment.

Licensed to practice medicine in Maryland, he is board-certified in ophthalmology by the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO). The ABO is an independent, non-profit organization responsible for certifying ophthalmologists in the United States of America.

Holding leadership positions in various national and international ophthalmic societies, Dr. Ramulu is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Glaucoma Society, and the Association for Research and Vision in Ophthalmology. 

An active teacher, clinician and surgeon, he has mentored numerous medical students, MPH students, residents and fellows clinically and in research projects. He twice won the resident teaching award and, in a model that has now become the standard for Wilmer, reorganized glaucoma teaching by placing lectures on-line and using in-class time for interactive sessions using game-based learning and small-group interactive case review.

The doctor’s research focuses primarily on how glaucoma affects the individual. Specifically, he has studied the types of difficulties that glaucoma patients experience with regards to reading, walking, falling, driving and traveling outside the home.

His long-term interests are to understand when and how glaucoma should be treated based on a more complete understanding of how patients are affected by their disease. Additionally, his work is geared toward developing rehabilitative strategies for individuals with severe vision loss from glaucoma and in developing recommendations to increase the safety and quality of life of all individuals with glaucoma.

Ophthalmology is a branch of medicine and surgery, which deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. Ophthalmologists are experts in the diseases, functions, and anatomy of the eye. They may provide routine care such as vision testing, as well as prescribe and fit eyeglasses or contact lenses. However, ophthalmologists are also surgeons. They repair traumatic injuries to the eye and perform cataract, glaucoma, and corneal surgery.

Receiving continuous NIH funding since 2007, Dr. Ramulu has been the recipient of the Secretariat and Achievement Awards from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Career Development Award from the American Glaucoma Society, the Dennis W. Jahnigen Career Development Scholars Award, and the Pisart Award for Vision Science from the Lighthouse Guild.

On a more personal note, he has been married to his wife and spiritual beacon, Vandana, for 20 years. They have two talented and inspiring children, Shreyas and Priyanka.

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