Department of Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery, Orbit and Ocular Oncology, PBMA’s H V Desai Eye Hospital, Maharashtra, India

Dr. Sonal P Yadav MS FACS (née Dr Sonal S Chaugule) is a well-known ophthalmic plastic surgeon, orbit, and ocular oncologist from India. She has been passionate about the field of ocular oncology which focuses on the management of cancers in and around the eye. Her areas of specialty include diagnosis and management of intraocular tumors with special interest in retinoblastoma and uveal melanoma, ocular surface, eyelid, and orbital tumors, diseases of lacrimal apparatus and functional and cosmetic ophthalmic plastic surgery.

After gaining her master's in Ophthalmology, she completed her fellowship in ophthalmic plastic surgery and ocular oncology from Centre For Sight Super-Specialty Eye Hospital, Hyderabad (2015-16) and fellowship in ocular tumors, orbital diseases and ophthalmic radiation therapy at The New York Eye Cancer Center, New York, USA (2016-17) followed by a brief visiting observership at the Department of Ophthalmic Plastic and Orbital Surgery at M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA (2017).

After gaining the expertise in her niche sub-specialties, she helped develop an integrated Retinoblastoma Treatment Program in Western Maharashtra. Recognizing the lacunae and the hurdles of retinoblastoma diagnosis and treatment in India, she has been instrumental in bridging the gap of accessibility by raising awareness about retinoblastoma, emphasizing early detection. She strongly believes timely detection and protocol-based management can improve globe salvage and survival rates in children affected by retinoblastoma.

Along with patient care, she has a very keen interest in academia and teaching. She has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and authored chapters in reference textbooks. She has been the editor and co-author of the recently published book titled Surgical Ophthalmic Oncology – A Collaborative Open Access Reference by Springer. It has been a well-received resource for ophthalmologists around the globe, aiding them in managing various eye cancers. She has been the recipient of various national as well as international awards and accolades for her work thus far. She has had an opportunity to train many post-graduate residents as well as sub-specialty fellows.

This book has been a product of hard work and dedication by eminent ocular oncologists, pediatric oncologists, and onco-pathologists around the world. Dr. Sonal considers herself fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to work with such stalwarts for this book project. She further wishes to continue her work in the field of retinoblastoma and strive to improve retinoblastoma treatment outcomes in India.