Specialties

  • Cataract
  • Cornea

Dr. Rao is a board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in cornea, cataract and anterior segment surgery, and is Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Tufts University School of Medicine.  Prior to joining OCB, Dr. Rao was a Senior Staff Ophthalmologist at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center where he was Residency Program Director of the Lahey portion of the Tufts Ophthalmology Residency Program.

Dr. Rao earned his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry at Duke University. He completed his internship in Internal Medicine at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, MA, his residency in Ophthalmology at Casey Eye Institute/Oregon Health & Science University, in Portland, OR, and his fellowship training in Cornea, External Disease and Anterior Segment Surgery at New England Eye Center/Tufts Medical Center and Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston.

Dr. Rao’s surgical interests include cataract surgery, advanced lens-implant fixation, and endothelial keratoplasty (including DMEK and DSAEK). He is the senior director of two popular surgical courses for advanced lens-implant fixation at the annual conferences of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.

As a researcher, Dr. Rao has authored many scientific papers and peer-reviewed medical journal articles. He has authored several book chapters on topics related to cornea and cataract surgery. He enjoys teaching and is a frequent presenter at national and international ophthalmology conferences. Dr. Rao received the Tufts ophthalmology residency program teaching award in 2018 and the American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award in 2021.

Dr. Rao holds numerous leadership appointments. Among them, he serves as Medical Director of the Lions VisionGift East eye bank in Boston. He is a Cornea Committee member for the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ASCRS), a Cataract Committee member for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, a Board Examiner for the American Board of Ophthalmology, and an Information Technology Committee member for the New England Ophthalmological Society.