Dr. Santosh G. Honavar is the Honorary Secretary of the AIOS, the world’s second largest professional organization of Ophthalmologists. He is a former Associate Director of LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad
New Delhi/ Hyderabad, October 9, 2026: Dr. Santosh G. Honavar, Honorary Secretary of the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS), the world’s second largest professional organization of Ophthalmologists, has once again claimed the top spot among Indian researchers in ophthalmology for the fifth consecutive year. The Hyderabad-based ocular oncologist also tops the list of researchers in ophthalmology for career-long impact.
AIOS, established in 1930, is one of the world’s largest professional organisations of ophthalmologists, with over 28,000 members. It promotes the advancement of ophthalmology, eye research, medical education and public eye health.
The top 10 Indian researchers in ophthalmology featured in the 2026 Stanford list are Dr. Santosh G. Honavar, Dr. Mohd Javed Ali, Dr. Kaliki Swathi, Dr. Namrata Sharma, Dr. Virender S. Sangwan, Dr. Vinod Kumar, Dr. GVS Murthy, Dr. Rohit Shetty, Dr. Savitri Sharma, and Dr. Rajeev Raman.
The top 10 researchers in the Stanford 2026 list for career-long impact are Dr. Santosh G. Honavar, Dr. Gullapalli N. Rao, Dr. Virender S. Sangwan, Dr. Philip Aloysius Thomas, Dr. Savitri Sharma, Dr. Muthiah K. Srinivasan, Dr. Mohd Javed Ali, Dr. D. Balasubramanian, Dr. GVS Murthy, and Dr. Amod Gupta.
A record number of 64 Indian ophthalmologists feature in the list of the world’s top 2% of researchers, based on the impact of their work in 2024. Of these, 29 Indian ophthalmologists are included in the list of the world’s top 2% of researchers for career-long impact.
The researchers represent institutions across India, including LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad; Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, AIIMS, New Delhi; Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai; Aravind Eye Care System, Madurai; Narayana Nethralaya, Bengaluru; Centre for Sight, Hyderabad; and PGIMER, Chandigarh, among others.
Dr. Santosh G. Honavar is Director of Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery and Ocular Oncology at Centre for Sight Eye Hospital, Hyderabad. He is also the former Associate Director of LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, and former Editor of the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology.
An internationally renowned ophthalmologist specialising in eye cancers, Dr. Honavar has earned several accolades during his illustrious career, including the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award from the Government of India. He is the only ophthalmologist from the Indian subcontinent to have received the Honorary Fellowship, the highest honour bestowed by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in the UK. He has over 18,500 citations and an H-index of 73.
The Stanford–Elsevier Top 2% Scientists List is a global ranking that identifies researchers whose published scientific work has achieved significant scholarly impact. The lifetime and annual rankings for 2026 were announced by a panel of experts associated with Stanford University and Elsevier, recognising researchers based on the impact of their work over their careers and during the relevant annual assessment period, respectively.
Dr. Jeewan S. Titiyal, President of AIOS, congratulated the Indian researchers featured in the Stanford list. He highlighted AIOS’s commitment to promoting Indian research through its journals, the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology and IJO Case Reports, scientific activities, and research initiatives under its Vision 2030 strategy. The strategy aims to support and nurture the research potential of Indian ophthalmologists. He expressed optimism that more young Indian ophthalmologists would make their mark on the Stanford list in the coming years.