Dr M. Vanathi attended medical school at the prestigious Madras Medical College, Chennai and thereafter completed her ophthalmology graduation, senior residency training and research fellowship in cornea in Dr Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. She has done her international clinical fellowship from Singapore National Eye Centre in advanced lamellar transplants of the cornea & refractive surgery. She has served as Cornea Faculty in Aravind Eye Hospitals and Postgraduate institute, Puducherry during the period 2003-2004. She has been a faculty member in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi since September 2005 and is currently working as Professor of Ophthalmology – Cornea & Ocular Surface, Cataract & Refractive Services. She had extensive work experience in the field of cornea and ocular surface (medical and surgical), cataract & refractive surgery, limbal stem cell transplantation, and corneal transplantation procedures. She has to her credit over 250 indexed & non-indexed national & international publications and has contributed chapters for several international sub-specialty books in her field of expertise. She has contributed to several national and international conferences as instructor and speaker and made several scientific paper presentations. She is a compassionate teacher and dedicated ophthalmic surgeon currently working actively in clinical, surgical and research and management of diseases of the cornea, ocular surface and eye banking. Her clinical expertise and special interest include advanced lamellar corneal transplants, limbal stem cell transplantation, ocular surface diseases, pediatric keratoplasty, refractive surgery, contact lenses, & ocular GVHD besides routine clinical work. She is widely acknowledged for her expert clinical teaching and has contributed to several national and international instruction courses. She is well known for her expertise in anterior segment ophthalmic surgeries and is renowned for the high volume of corneal grafting surgeries she has performed. She has several national and international awards to her credit including the coveted AIIMS Research excellence award. She has served as Joint-Treasurer, Scientific Committee member of AIOS, North Zone Chairperson of Eye Bank Association of India, and Executive member of Indian society of Cornea & Kerato-refractive Surgeons. She has also been the past general secretary of Delhi Ophthalmological society and editor of Delhi Journal of Ophthalmology. She is the current EDITOR in CHIEF of Indian Journal of Ophthalmology (2023-2029), member of council of Afro-Asian Council of Ophthalmology, Member of Postgraduate Institute Ethics Committee - AIIMS, & President of Delhi Ophthalmological Society (2026-2027).