EXPERTISE
Where clinical expertise meets science and innovation
Clinical, scientific, and strategic expertise across anterior segment disease and emerging ophthalmic technologies.
Clinical Expertise
Dr. Shekhawat maintains an active cornea, cataract, and anterior segment practice at the Wilmer Eye Institute in Baltimore and Bethesda, Maryland. He has particular expertise in severe and complex corneal infections and regularly cares for patients with vision-threatening disease referred for advanced medical and surgical management, including challenging cases that have progressed despite prior treatment.
As a corneal surgeon, Dr. Shekhawat performs the full range of corneal transplantation including DMEK, DSAEK, DALK, and PKP, as well as routine and complex cataract surgery. His referral practice spans the U.S. National Capital Region and includes national and international referrals.
For clinical appointments at the Wilmer Eye Institute, please contact the clinical scheduling office.
Scientific Advisory
Dr. Shekhawat’s work spans the translation of new diagnostics and therapeutics from early clinical development through prospective validation and clinical trials. His expertise is grounded in his work as a clinician-scientist, clinical trialist, and technology developer, with particular experience in corneal disease and anterior segment medicine.
CLINICAL TRIAL ENDPOINTS & BIOMARKERS
A major challenge in anterior segment clinical trials is the limited availability of objective, reproducible outcome measures for many corneal diseases. Dr. Shekhawat’s research develops quantitative imaging biomarkers and clinical endpoints designed to improve measurement of disease severity, treatment response, and clinical outcomes. His work includes ASOCT-derived endpoints, imaging protocol development, reproducibility and validation studies, and approaches to standardized image acquisition, grading, and automated analysis.
CLINICAL TRIAL DESIGN & EXECUTION
Dr. Shekhawat has experience designing and conducting prospective, multi-site clinical research across academic and international settings. Through the IMPACT Consortium, he has built infrastructure for coordinated multi-site studies in the United States and India, including protocol development, regulatory coordination, site initiation, standardized data collection, and study oversight. He has also served as Johns Hopkins site principal investigator for an NIH-funded randomized clinical trial in infectious keratitis, providing direct experience conducting a multi-institutional therapeutic trial under regulatory oversight.
DIAGNOSTICS & DIGITAL HEALTH
As Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Visilant, Dr. Shekhawat has helped lead the development of a smartphone-based diagnostic and teleophthalmology platform from technology development through prospective clinical validation and large-scale real-world deployment. His work spans diagnostic study design, reference-standard development, clinical validation of AI-enabled tools, and evaluation of diagnostic technologies in diverse care settings.
TRANSLATIONAL STRATEGY
Across these programs, Dr. Shekhawat works at the interface between clinical need, scientific evidence, and technology development. His experience includes evaluating emerging diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, identifying evidence required for clinical translation, and designing studies that determine whether promising technologies produce meaningful clinical benefit. Dr. Shekhawat welcomes scientific collaborations with academic, nonprofit, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical technology partners working to advance new approaches to diagnosis and treatment of eye disease.
Science Communication
Dr. Shekhawat’s research has been featured in national and international media, including The New York Times, TIME, U.S. News & World Report, and the JAMA News Network. He welcomes inquiries from science journalists and health correspondents seeking expert perspective on eye health, emerging medical technologies, artificial intelligence, clinical research, and access to eye care around the world.
Media inquiries may be submitted using the form below.
ADVISORY INQUIRY
Dr. Shekhawat welcomes inquiries regarding scientific collaboration, translational research, technology evaluation, and select advisory engagements. This form is intended for professional, institutional, and philanthropic inquiries.
For clinical appointments at the Wilmer Eye Institute, please contact the clinical scheduling office.