Veena R. Raiji, MD, MPH
Veena Raiji, MD, MPH, specializes in diseases of the retina and macula, as well as ocular inflammatory disease. She joined Illinois Retina Associates in 2021 and sees patients in our Rush, Oak Park, Loop and Glenview locations. She is Associate Professor and Director of Uveitis and Inflammatory Disease Section at the Department of Ophthalmology at Rush University Medical Center. Dr. Raiji is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. She is fluent in English and Spanish.
After completing her undergraduate studies, Dr. Raiji earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Michigan's School of Public Health, and then attained her medical degree from Michigan State University. Following medical school, Dr. Raiji completed an ophthalmology residency at George Washington University, where she served as chief resident. She completed her fellowship training at the University of Southern California's prestigious Doheny Eye Institute, in Los Angeles. Dr. Raiji was the recipient of the Dr. Sacit Eren Award for Bedside Manner and Compassion from Harbor Hospital, in Baltimore, Maryland.
Dr. Raiji has several collaborations with colleagues across the country and has co-authored numerous medical journal articles and textbook chapters on numerous topics. She serves as principal investigator for multiple national clinical trials in uveitis, retinal disease, and inherited retinal disorders. Her research has been presented at national and international meetings and Dr. Raiji has been awarded several research grants that support her research endeavors.
Dr. Raiji holds several national leadership roles in ophthalmic education. She serves as an American Board of Ophthalmology oral board examiner and has chaired committees focused on subspecialty examination content development. She is an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Retina Specialists, and an elected member of the Macula Society and American Uveitis Society.
Dr. Raiji volunteers at a community health center in Chicago that provides comprehensive care to underserved and medically vulnerable patient populations. Internationally, she has served as a volunteer at the Lions Eye Hospital-Department of Ophthalmology, in Blantyre, Malawi and at the Tarabai Desal Eye Hospital, in Jodhpur, India. These outreach efforts have included screening patients for eye disease, assisting in pediatric and adult cataract surgery, and giving lectures to local students and residents.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Raiji enjoys running, yoga, historical fiction, travel, and spending time with her husband and two children.