Sapna Gangaputra, M.D., M.P.H.

Associate Vice Chair for Clinical Research, Director for Clinical Trials, Uveitis Division Chief

Education

M.D., Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belgaum, India
M.P.H., Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
 

Post Graduation Education

Internship
Duke University, Durham, NC

Residency
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

Fellowship
National Eye Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD

 

Professional Affiliations

2006 – present American Academy of Ophthalmology
2008 – present The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
2017- American Uveitis Society
2022 - Macula Society
2022 - International Uveitis Study Group
2023 - International Ocular Inflammation Society
 

 

Honors & Awards

  • Paper "Long-term risk of malignancy...a critical assessment of the evidence" (AJO 2008, 146:802-812) selected by the European Uveitis Patient Interest Group for 1st prize in the field of "Clinical Uveitis" for manuscripts published in 2008
  • Paper “Risk of overall and cancer mortality….. retrospective cohort study” (BMJ 2009;339(31);b2480) selected by the European Uveitis Patient Interest Group for 2nd prize in the field of "Clinical Uveitis" for manuscripts published in 2009
  • Paper “Methotrexate for ocular inflammatory diseases“ was selected as one of the ten must read papers for ophthalmology residents and fellows in 2009.
  • FA Davis Research support funds to conduct a research study to evaluate the anatomic characteristics of choroidal melanoma using a new imaging modality in 2013.
  • Received funding from the Research to prevent blindness/American Academy of Ophthalmology grant for IRIS Registry Research on pediatric uveitis in 2018
  • Completed the ARVO women’s leadership program in 2019-2020
  • Received funding from the Vanderbilt Discovery grant for research on Coronavirus affecting the eye in 2020
  • Completed the Geoffrey Fleming Academy for Excellence in Education Mentorship Program 2021-2023.
  • Co-Investigator on the NIH R01 grant to study the role of inflammation in diabetic retinopathy in 2021
  • Recipient of NIH funding for grant to study the long-term impact of eye surgeries in patients with uveitis in 2021
  • American Academy of Ophthalmology 2021 Achievement award
  • Denis Oday award for medical and surgical instruction in 2022
  • Karla Johns award for ophthalmic education in 2022
  • Received funding from the International Retina Research foundation to evaluate the ocular microbiome in diabetics in 2022
  • Recipient of NIH funding for grant to study the ocular microbiome in healthy individuals in 2023
    Recipient of the Distinguished alumni award from residency program University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2024
     

 

Background

Gangaputra completed her ophthalmology residency at University of Wisconsin-Madison and her specialty fellowship training in uveitis and medical retina at the National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD. In addition to her medical degree, she received a Master’s degree in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She specializes in the evaluation and treatment of inflammatory diseases of the eye, including the use and monitoring of systemic immunosuppression. In addition to her clinical practice, Gangaputra is actively involved in clinical research. She has published multiple papers in leading peer-reviewed, scientific journals, presented at national meetings, and authored several chapters in ophthalmology textbooks. She is involved in federal and pharmaceutical funded clinical trials in uveitis and she is very involved in international research collaborations on the use of multimodal imaging for the diagnosis and management of uveitis.

 

Practice Location

Vanderbilt Eye Institute- Campus

(615) 936-2020