Valerie A Purvin MD

Assistant Clinical Professor of Neurology and Ophthalmology
Indiana University Medical Center

Editorial Board Member since 2026: Neuro-Ophthalmology

Dr. Purvin was born and raised in New York City. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin with a major in Philosophy. After working as a free-lance violinist in New York City for several years, she returned to school, finishing pre-medical requirements at the Columbia University School of General Studies. She then went on to receive her MD degree at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans, followed by an Internal Medicine internship and Neurology residency also at Tulane. This was followed by a Neuro-ophthalmology fellowship at LSU Eye Center under the direction of Dr. Henry Van Dyk.

After completing her fellowship, Dr. Purvin joined the faculty of Indiana University Medical Center in 1983 and has remained in Indianapolis since that time. She has been able to combine a busy clinical practice with teaching and clinical research on a wide range of topics. Particular interests include inflammatory optic neuropathies such as optic perineuritis and neuroretinitis, ischemic optic neuropathies, pseudotumor cerebri syndrome, and iatrogenic neuro-ophthalmic complications.

She has been a visiting lecturer and invited speaker on numerous occasions, both in the U.S. and abroad. In addition to journal articles and chapters, she co-authored with Dr. Aki Kawasaki the well-received Common Neuro-ophthalmic Pitfalls, a case-based approach to the specialty. She is a reviewer for many journals, has been an editor for the Journal of Neuro-ophthalmology, and served on several NANOS committees as well as a term on the NANOS board of directors.

Selected to give the Jacobson Memorial Lecture at the NANOS annual meeting in Hawaii in 2024.