Dr. Bhim Rai

Biography

Bhim Rai is a research fellow in the Maddess Group at the Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, Australian National University. With 15 years of clinical practice as an ophthalmologist and 5 years as a vitreoretinal surgeon, he has made significant contributions to the field through his work in clinical medicine and research. Bhim is a faculty member at the Postgraduate Medical Education Centre at the University Medical Sciences Bhutan, where he teaches optometry, nursing, and paramedics. He is also the founding head of the Vitreoretinal unit in Bhutan, where he established and implemented national programs, including the National Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Program and the National Retinopathy Prematurity Screening Program. He played a crucial role in introducing advanced technologies in Bhutanese medical practice, such as the phaco-emulsification technique for cataract operations and diode-green Nd:YAG laser therapies. Bhim completed his PhD while working as a research fellow at the John Curtin School of Medical Research at Australian National University, under the guidance of Professor Ted Maddess, focusing on diagnostics in eye disease. His current research interests include age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, macular edema, glaucoma, Alzheimer's disease, concussion injuries in footballers, and multiple sclerosis. He is actively involved in several projects, including the multi-centre FAME 1 study, and contributes to the Our Health Hands initiative funded by ANU.

Research Interests

Experience