New faculty spotlight: Amrita Vuppala, M.D.

Amrita Vuppala, M.D., is a new faculty member at UNMC.

• Name: Amrita Vuppala, M.D.
• Hometown: Orlando, Fla,
• Title and department at UNMC: Assistant professor, UNMC Department of Neurological Sciences

Research/professional interests:

• Optic nerve pathologies
• Visual complaints following head injury
• Vestibular neurology
• Abnormal eye movements

How I fell in love with neurology/neuro-ophthalmology:

I fell in love with neurology in medical school. I enjoyed localization and neuroanatomy but also the ability to impact the life of a patient, even at times when there is no medical/surgical intervention. I also have family members with neurologic illnesses and learning about this specialty allowed me to better understand and care for them. During residency, I struggled with the fundus exam and ventured into neuro-ophthalmology primarily to learn this skill. I was pleasantly surprised to find my new passion! As a neuro-ophthalmologist, I get to take care of numerous medical conditions affecting the optic nerves, visual pathways and eye movements. Every case is fun, unique and interesting in its own way.

Degrees:

• M.D., University of Health and Medical Sciences, Basseterre, St. Kitts
• Residency, internal medicine/neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
• Post-doctoral research, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
• Fellowship, neuro-ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore

Memberships:

• American Academy of Neurology
• North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society

Three things people may not know about me:

• I have a graduate degree in Indian classical dancing (Bharatanatyam).
• I love to travel.
• I can speak Spanish.