Philosophy of Care

Dr. Balakrishnan believes in providing individualized, evidence-based care grounded in listening to each patient and understanding their unique needs, goals, and concerns. She strives to clearly explain each diagnosis and treatment option, empowering patients to make informed decisions about their eye health. Her goal is to build lasting partnerships with her patients and provide thoughtful, comprehensive care focused on preserving vision and achieving the best possible long-term vision health and optimizing quality of life.

Clinical Interests

Dr. Balakrishnan is a fellowship-trained glaucoma and cataract surgeon and clinical scientist providing individualized, evidence-based care across the full spectrum of glaucoma and cataract disease. She completed her ophthalmology residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and glaucoma fellowship at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins, with doctoral and postdoctoral training in epidemiology and genetics at Johns Hopkins University and Columbia University. She is skilled in comprehensive cataract surgery and advanced glaucoma procedures, including minimally invasive and traditional glaucoma surgeries, with a focus on individualized, evidence-based care and optimizing long-term visual outcomes.

Research/Academic Interests

Dr. Balakrishnan’s research focuses on understanding the genetic and epigenetic factors that contribute to glaucoma susceptibility and disease progression, with the goal of improving glaucoma diagnosis, management, and long-term outcomes. Her work integrates ophthalmology, epidemiology, genetics, and population health to investigate risk factors and mechanisms underlying glaucoma and to translate research findings into clinically meaningful advances in patient care. She is also interested in developing and evaluating innovative approaches to glaucoma diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment, with a particular emphasis on evidence-based and patient-centered care.

Division

Ophthalmology