Tarun Sharma, MD

Dr. Tarun Sharma is a retina specialist with expertise in the diagnosis and management of both medical and surgical vitreoretinal diseases.

His contributions to the field have been recognized by several prestigious honors from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, including the Achievement Award, International Ophthalmologist Education Award, and International Scholar Award. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Retinal Specialists (FASRS) and a recipient of the ASRS Honor Award for his leadership and dedication to retinal care. At Columbia, Dr. Sharma is proud to have launched and established the Surgical Retina Program at NYC HHC/Harlem.

Prior to joining Columbia, Dr. Sharma served for more than three decades on the faculty of The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University in India. At Sankara Nethralaya, a premier tertiary eye care center in Chennai, he held key academic and clinical leadership positions, including Professor of Ophthalmology, Director of Vitreoretinal Services, and Program Director of the Retina Fellowship. He also led numerous clinical and epidemiological research studies as principal investigator, gaining national and international recognition.

Dr. Sharma has authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications and remains an active peer reviewer for leading ophthalmology journals, including Retina, Ophthalmology, IOVS, TVST, The New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Ophthalmology, The British Journal of Ophthalmology and Eye.

A passionate educator, Dr. Sharma has trained and mentored more than 100 surgical retinal fellows, many of whom now practice across the globe. He has been honored twice with the John Martin Wheeler Memorial Teaching Award at the Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia Ophthalmology, in recognition of his outstanding commitment to resident education and mentorship.