Faculty / Senior Faculty Research

About LAICO

The Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology (LAICO) is the training, research, consulting and capacity-building arm of the Aravind Eye Care System. LAICO works with eye care organisations in India and internationally to strengthen the planning, delivery, evaluation and sustainability of eye care services.

Research at LAICO has a strong emphasis on generating evidence to improve the accessibility, quality, efficiency and equity of eye care. This includes health services research, epidemiology, operational and implementation research, programme evaluation, and research arising from the extensive clinical and community eye care activities of the Aravind Eye Care System.

Position: Faculty / Senior Faculty – Research

Location: Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology (LAICO)

   72 Kuruvikaran Salai, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

Purpose of the Role

The Faculty / Senior Faculty – Research will provide leadership for health services, epidemiological and programme-related research at LAICO and contribute to strengthening the broader research ecosystem within the Aravind Eye Care System. The position will work closely with LAICO faculty and leadership, clinical and non-clinical teams across Aravind, and the Research Division team, including research associates, biostatisticians and data managers.

The role will be responsible for developing and supporting high-quality research from conceptualisation and study design through implementation, analysis, interpretation, dissemination and publication. A key objective will be to translate Aravind's extensive clinical, community and programme experience into robust evidence that can inform programme improvement, organisational decision-making and the wider development of eye care services.

The successful candidate will also provide leadership and mentorship to the research support team and help strengthen the research capabilities of faculty and staff across LAICO and the Aravind Eye Care System. Appointment at Faculty or Senior Faculty level will be based on the candidate's experience, research leadership, publication record and demonstrated ability to independently develop and lead research programmes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and support the design and conduct of health services, epidemiological, implementation and programme evaluation research.
• Identify and develop research questions arising from LAICO programmes and the clinical, community and operational activities of the Aravind Eye Care System.
• Provide methodological guidance to faculty, clinicians and research teams across the research lifecycle, from study design and protocol development through analysis, interpretation and dissemination.
• Lead and supervise the Research Division team, including research associates, biostatisticians and data managers, and ensure appropriate standards of data management and statistical analysis.
• Facilitate collaborative research involving LAICO faculty, clinical and non-clinical teams, and national and international research partners.
• Support faculty and staff in translating clinical and programmatic work into research, peer-reviewed publications and actionable evidence.
• Lead and contribute to scientific publications, conference presentations, technical reports and other research outputs.
• Lead research capacity-building and mentorship activities, including LAICO's research methodology training programmes.
• Work with LAICO faculty and programme teams to develop appropriate evaluation frameworks and generate evidence for programme improvement and evidence-based planning.
• Contribute to research grant applications and the development of external academic, research and funding partnerships.