Biography

Karanjit Kooner, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He specializes in treating glaucoma and cataracts.

Dr. Kooner earned his medical degree at Punjab University in India and completed board certification in ophthalmology at the Royal College of Surgeons in the United Kingdom. He completed internships in ophthalmology in India (Christian Medical College and Clara Swain General Hospital), and residencies in ophthalmology in Belgium (University of Ghent) and England (Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, Sutton General Hospital, and Middlesex Hospital). He received advanced training in glaucoma treatment through a fellowship at Ochsner Medical Center/LSU Eye Clinic. 

He also holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Dallas and a doctoral degree in ocular epidemiology from the University of Leicester in England. 

Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology, he joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 1988. 

Dr. Kooner is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Glaucoma Society, and the American Medical Association. In 2011, he earned the Dr. A.D. Grover Memorial Oration Award for outstanding achievement in ophthalmology at the 24th Annual Conference of the Chandigarh Ophthalmological Society in India. 

Dr. Kooner has delivered scores of presentations, contributed to books such as Clinical Pathways in Glaucoma and Textbook of Ocular Pharmacology, and published numerous academic articles. He plays an active role in the teaching of residents and fellows, including international fellows. His humanitarian efforts have taken him to more than a dozen countries in Asia, South America, and Africa.

His interests include the treatment of glaucoma and cataracts. He emphasizes a holistic approach to the management of glaucoma, paying close attention to a patient’s diet, lifestyle, and exercise in conjunction with treatments. He provides the latest diagnostic methods and treatments for glaucoma, including optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA-A), micropulse laser trabeculoplasty (MLT), and microinvasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGS). Dr. Kooner is involved in the development of a novel glaucoma shunt and smart contact lenses to measure eye pressure.

Education & Training
  • Medical School - Punjab University, India (1968-1974)
  • Internship - Clara Swain General Hospital, India, Christian Medical College, India (1974-1975), Ophthalmology
  • Residency - Univ. Ghent Eye Clinic, Belgium (1977), Ophthalmology; Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, Sutton Gen. Hos., Middlesex Hos., England (1981), Ophthalmology (1977-1981), Ophthalmology
  • Fellowship - Ochsner Medical Center/LSU Eye Clinic, New Orleans (1981-1983), Glaucoma
Professional Associations & Affiliations
  • Texas Ophthalmological Association
  • ARVO (Assn. for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology)
  • American Medical Association
  • American Glaucoma Society
  • American Academy of Ophthalmology
Honors & Awards
  • Second Place, Presentation (Strauss C, Hurd A, Davis A, Tong B, Gu J, Wooliscroft J, Bhatnagar S, Kooner KS: Racial Differences in Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography [OCTA] Among Subjects Without Glaucoma) 2021-2021, ASCRS annual meeting, Las Vegas, NV
  • Third Place/$5,000 award, Winning Pitch Challenge for Squid Glaucoma Shunt 2021-2021, ASCRS annual meeting, Las Vegas, NV
  • First place/$500 award, 10th Anniversary Symposium at UT Dallas 2021-2021, Graphene-based contact lens sensor for semi-continuous intraocular pressure monitoring
  • Achievement Award 2020-2020, American Academy of Ophthalmology
  • First place/$25,000 award in the Big Idea Competition at UT Dallas 2020-2020, Squid Glaucoma Shunt
  • U.S. Patent pending 29/736,954 2020 2020-2020, Forceps
  • U.S. Patent Pending 63/034,527 2020 2020-2020, Eye Shunt and Methods
  • Starup Success Award and Effective Visualization Award at U-Hack Med 2019-2019, Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) in Glaucoma
  • D Magazine 2013, Best Doctors in Dallas
  • Dr. AD Grover Memorial Oration Award 2011, XXIV Annual Conference of the Chandigarh Ophthalmological Society, India
Books & Publications
Research
  • Natural history and epidemiology of legal blindness in glaucoma
  • Dallas Glaucoma Registry
  • Artificial intelligence in glaucoma using OCTA
  • Glaucoma surgery, MIGS, micropulse laser trabeculoplasty
  • Noncompliance in Glaucoma management and treatment
  • Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) in glaucoma
  • Smart contact lens for semi-continuous intraocular pressure measurement
  • Squid glaucoma shunt

Clinical Focus

  • Glaucoma

See More