Aakriti Shukla MD

Aakriti Shukla MD, MSc is the Leonard A. Lauder Associate Professor of Ophthalmology atColumbia University Medical Center. She completed her undergraduate education as a Trusteeand Renaissance Scholar at the University of Southern California. She received her medicaldegree at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, where shewas awarded a Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellowship and earned the Edith and DentonMcKane Memorial Award for Outstanding Research in Ophthalmology. She completed hertraining as an ophthalmology resident and served as chief resident at Columbia University’sHarkness Eye Institute. She earned a Master of Science degree at Columbia University’sMailman School of Public Health in Patient-Oriented Research. She pursued further glaucomasubspecialty training at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD.Prior to her appointment at Columbia University, she served as glaucoma faculty at the WillsEye Hospital in Philadelphia, PA.Dr. Shukla has published 90+ peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and has been invited tospeak nationally and internationally on her patient care and research. She serves on theAmerican Glaucoma Society (AGS) Board of Directors as a Junior Member-at-Large and on theeditorial boards of Ophthalmology and Ophthalmology Glaucoma. Her work has earned severalawards and research grants, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)Achievement Award, the AAO Secretariat Award, AGS Mentoring for Advancement of PhysicianScientists Grant, and the AAO Best Paper Award. She was awarded the American Society ofCataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) International Service Grant for her involvement inglobal health initiatives in India, Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and other countries. She ispassionate about trainee education in the clinic and operating room and is committed toexcellent clinical care. Her research interests include structure-function relationships in glaucoma, optimization ofsurgical outcomes, and sustainability in ophthalmology. She is the principal investigator of arandomized clinical trial titled “Nicotinamide and Pyruvate in Open Angle Glaucoma” atColumbia University Medical Center. Her team is studying the potential neuroprotective effectsof nicotinamide and pyruvate supplementation to prevent optic nerve degeneration inglaucoma.