Dr. Ramesh Ayyala, MD, FRCS, FRCOphth is Professor and Chairman of Ophthalmology and the James P. and Heather Gills Chair in Ophthalmology at the University of South Florida, Tampa, FL. Prior to USF, Dr. Ayyala was a tenured professor of ophthalmology, director of the glaucoma service, and served as both ophthalmology residency director and director of the glaucoma/anterior segment fellowship program at Tulane University. He graduated from Gandhi Medical College, Osmania University in Hyderabad and completed residency training in ophthalmology at Mersey Region Hospitals, United Kingdom (UK), and at USF, Tampa, FL. He completed fellowships in glaucoma at Massachusetts Eye and Ear infirmary, Harvard Medical School and cornea/external disease at Boston University Medical Center. Dr. Ayyala is board certified in 3 continents (India, UK and USA), a fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmology (Lon) and the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh), and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He is a past president of the Louisiana Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons. He is a recipient of theAcademic Achievement Award (2013) and the Secretariat Award (2014) by the Board of Trustees, American Academy of Ophthalmology. The ACGME awarded him the Parker J. Palmer, Courage to Teach award for saving the Tulane Ophthalmology residency program following Hurricane Katrina. He developed and ran the online Board Review Course Meditred. Dr. Ayyala helped to establish the Anand Eye Institute in India. A tireless crusader for providing access to quality care to the indigent population. He organized the Glaucoma Awareness Program, providing screenings in the African American Community Churches in the Greater New Orleans Area. Following Hurricane Katrina, he established an Eye Screening Program in Louisiana's Plaquemines Parish where he conducted eye camps three times a year for 13 years. Through the Community Ophthalmology Outreach Program of Anand Eye Institute and the Savera Anand Foundation (based in Hyderabad, India), his organization conducted eye camps designed to screen under privileged populations. In 2015, Anand Eye Institute was recognized as the best eye hospital for its care of the indigent. Dr. Ayyala has pioneered translational research involving slow release drug delivery systems resulting in a biotechnology start-up company (ElutiMed Inc.) of which is President and CEO. Dr. Ayyala lives his passion of patient care, teaching, and research in Ophthalmology every day and he rarely sleeps.