Gullapalli N Rao, Founder and chair of L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), has been awarded the prestigious ICO Jules François Golden Medal for 2024 by the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO).
Dr Rao received the award amongst his peers worldwide at the World Ophthalmology Congress 2024 (WOC2024) in Vancouver, Canada.
The ICO Jules François Golden Medal for 2024 is given once every four years for ‘ophthalmic work of the highest scientific quality.’ Rao is the first Indian and is one of only eleven people in the world to be honoured with this medal.
The Gold Medal is named after Dr Jules François, a preeminent Belgian ophthalmologist and productive researcher who had published over 1,500 papers in the field.
Dr Francois, one of the most influential figures in global ophthalmology, was a Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Ghent Medical School for most of his professional life and passed away in 1984.
In 1986, the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) instituted a Gold Medal in his name to be given to ophthalmologists with excellent scientific contributions every four years. According to a release, Dr. Rao is the first ophthalmologist from India to be honoured with this gold medal.