Rajesh K. Rajpal, MD

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. and SANTA ANA, Calif.—Johnson & Johnson Vision, a global leader in eye health, has appointed Rajesh K. Rajpal, MD, as chief medical officer and global head of clinical and medical affairs. In this role, Dr. Rajpal will lead the integration of rapidly evolving medical and clinical insights into new product development to address unmet needs of patients and eyecare professionals around the world. He will also oversee clinical trials and the generation of surgical and vision care evidence, and serve as the critical liaison to government agencies and to the academic, scientific and industry communities, according to the announcement on Thursday.

Dr. Rajpal joins Johnson & Johnson Vision from Avedro, where he served as chief medical officer. In addition to being part of the senior executive team, he directly oversaw clinical operations, medical affairs, regulatory affairs, and professional relations for professional societies and clinicians.

In addition, he is the founder of the See Clearly Vision Group, an ophthalmology and optometry group practice with multiple offices in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area, according to the announcement.

“We are very pleased to welcome Raj to Johnson & Johnson Vision and are extremely excited to add his expertise and strategic thinking to the business,” Shlomi Nachman, company group chairman, Johnson & Johnson Vision and cardiovascular and specialty solutions group, said in the announcement. “His experience as both a practicing ophthalmologist and product development leader will be invaluable as we advance our pipeline of new products and services and seek to provide eye health solutions for everyone around the world.”

Dr. Rajpal is a distinguished ophthalmologist who for over 25 years has specialized in cataract surgery, cornea/external diseases, anterior segment surgery, LASIK and refractive surgery. As a corneal specialist, he has extensive expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of corneal disease, corneal trauma, and surgical complications. Dr. Rajpal also has a special interest in the diagnosis and treatment of ocular surface conditions such as dry eye syndrome.

“I am very excited to be part of the excellent team at Johnson & Johnson Vision, who each day work to impact health care, and more specifically eyecare, for so many patients,” Dr. Rajpal said. “I am looking forward to guiding and contributing to the continued development of leading-edge products and technology that clinicians, who are my peers, can use to provide the highest level of care to patients globally. It is an honor to be part of Johnson & Johnson Vision, which truly prioritizes patient care and collaboration with our customers.”

Dr. Rajpal has served as principal investigator in numerous clinical trials, authored multiple original peer-reviewed publications and textbook chapters, and has lectured internationally on topics related to corneal disease, cataract and refractive surgery. In recognition of his contributions to the field, Dr. Rajpal has also been awarded the Senior Achievement and Secretariat awards from the American Academy of Ophthalmology.