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Bala Ambati, MD, PhD

Ophthalmologist, educator, and researcher at the University of Utah

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Take Care of Your Eyes by Watching What You Eat

27/02/2015 06:21am | 7300 views

At the age of 17, Dr. Bala Ambati became the world's youngest person to graduate from medical school.  Today he practices general Ophthalmology, and his experience includes cornea transplants, cataract extraction, keratoprosthesis (artificial cornea), LASIK, and other complex procedures of the cornea and anterior segment of the eye. This is his first article for Healthy Hispanic Living.

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About the Author

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Bala Ambati, MD, PhD

Ophthalmologist, educator, and researcher at the University of Utah

Dr. Bala Ambati has joined the Moran faculty as a researcher and physician. We are honored to have Dr. Ambati, who has the distinction of being the world's youngest person to graduate from medical school at 17. Dr. Ambati is experienced in cornea transplants, cataract extraction, keratoprosthesis (artificial cornea), LASIK, and other complex procedures of the cornea and anterior segment of the eye. He plans on building a practice welcoming patients in these areas as well as general ophthalmic issues. He has been an invited speaker at the World Ophthalmology Congress, American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, International Congress of Eye Research, and other national and international conferences. He donates his time overseas on missions with ORBIS, a nonprofit organization with a Flying Eye Hospital, on which Dr. Ambati has operated and trained local surgeons in Ghana and Malaysia. With respect to clinical research, Dr. Ambati is committed to constant analysis of results of cornea transplants, LASIK, cataract extraction, and other anterior segment procedures with a view towards optimization of patient outcomes.

He also maintains a dynamic research laboratory, exploring and advancing new treatments for abnormal blood vessel formation (involved in corneal injury, macular degeneration, diabetes, and cancer) as well as development of novel surgical technology and devices. He has published over 40 peer-reviewed publications and two books. And Dr. Ambati is now the official Utah Utes Team Ophthalmologist.