Dr. PremNandhini Satgunam received her Bachelor’s degree in Optometry from the Elite School of Optometry (Sankara Nethralaya), BITS, Pilani. She was awarded the Best Outgoing Student in her class. After working as a clinical faculty member in her school, she came to The Ohio State University College of Optometry to pursue her graduate studies. She received her MS (2004) and PhD (2007) in Vision Science under the guidance of Dr. Nick Fogt. She received her postdoctoral training in low vision rehabilitation at Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School. While in the United States, she was actively involved with community activities through Ohio State’s Global School Bus program and with the student organization, Association for India’s Development (AID), through both the Ohio State and Massachusetts Institute of Technology chapters.
After spending 10 years in the US, Dr. Satgunam returned to India in early 2012. Upon her return, she first conducted a free vision-screening program for the victims and survivors of the Bhopal gas disaster. Now she is a research faculty member at L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), India, where she has set up an independent vision rehabilitation lab. She recently was awarded a Fast Track grant from the Department of Science and Technology, India, to pursue research in the area of pediatric vision rehabilitation. She also teaches at LVPEI’s Bausch + Lomb School of Optometry and says that she continues to draw her inspiration from her mentors and teachers at The Ohio State University College of Optometry.