ARVO announces Swathi Kaliki, MD, as recipient of 2025 Ludwig von Sallmann Clinician-Scientist Award

(Image Credit: AdobeStock/yta)

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Foundation announced the recipient of the Ludwig von Sallmann Clinician-Scientist Award is Swathi Kaliki, MD.

The Ludwig von Sallmann Clinician-Scientist Award honors Ludwig von Sallmann, MD, a “distinguished international ophthalmologist and ophthalmic investigator whose contributions greatly increased the basic and clinical understanding of vision and ophthalmology.” Those who receive the award also receive a $1,250 honorarium. Eligible candidates are invited speakers to the ARVO Annual Meeting who hold an MD or MD/PhD (or equivalent), aged 45 or younger at the time of presentation. The award is supported by an anonymous donor through the ARVO Foundation.

Kaliki heads the Operation Eyesight Universal Institute for Eye Cancer, LV Prasad Eye Institute, India. According to a press release from ARVO, Kaliki has delivered over 350 lectures in various national and international forums, published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles, contributed 35 oncology book chapters, and holds editorial board positions in various international journals. Furthermore, she was recognized among India's top 5 highly cited ophthalmologists in 2023, based on a Stanford University study, and was among the top 2% of scientists worldwide. 

Swathi Kaliki, MD (Photo courtesy ARVO)

Kaliki commented on receiving the award in a press release from ARVO.

"I am committed to disseminating knowledge of eye cancer to future generations who may not receive the global training and opportunities. I seek to expand the impact of my team’s work by integrating global networks, basic science research, and artificial intelligence to revolutionize global eye cancer outcomes. I hope to uphold the award’s legacy of excellence and dedication to clinical care and scientific discovery and continue to make groundbreaking contributions to the advancement of ophthalmology and ocular oncology,” said Kaliki.

Kaliki’s career in ocular oncology includes noteworthy contributions in retinoblastoma, of which she says there is an “unmet need for noninvasive screening strategies.”

"With clinical experience managing thousands of patients with retinoblastoma at a world-renowned ocular oncology center in India, I focused on these differences in care and outcomes in children with retinoblastoma from 21 retinoblastoma treatment centers across five continents. This colossal work led me to identify and focus on these lacunae to optimize retinoblastoma care,” said Kaliki.

Kaliki's lab has worked on understanding retinoblastoma tumor biology through small extracellular vesicles (sEVs). They characterized the sEVs using “nanoparticle tracking analysis, electron microscopy, immunoblotting, RNA sequencing, and polymerase chain reaction techniques and identified key players in retinoblastoma tumorigenesis.”

Kaliki's team was able to distinguish between retinoblastoma with and without high-risk histopathology features; advances she stated “offer the ability to detect retinoblastoma early and predict treatment response, making them invaluable in clinical decision-making.”

Reference:

1. ARVO Foundation announces 2025 Ludwig von Sallmann Clinician-Scientist Award recipient. Published March 11, 2025. Accessed March 13, 2025.https://www.newswise.com/articles/arvo-foundation-announces-2025-ludwig-von-sallmann-clinician-scientist-award-recipient