I completed the resident training in Ophthalmology and fellowship training in Cornea and External Eye Diseases in Taiwan and obtained the specialist accreditation in Ophthalmology in 2009 before I joined Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) in 2012. I am currently a Clinician Scientist at the Department of Cornea, Singapore National Eye Center (SNEC), Principal Investigator at the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), Co-Head of Regenerative Therapy Group, SERI, and Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Duke-NUS (National University of Singapore). Before joining SNEC/SERI in 2012, I was an Attending Ophthalmologist (equivalent to Consultant) with subspecialty training in Cornea in Taiwan. I further obtained my Master degree (Master of Clinical Investigation (MCI)) from NUS in 2015, and PhD degree (PhD in Clinical Translational Science) from Duke-NUS in 2022.
I have been recognized as the Asia-Pacific Top 100 Influential Ophthalmologist, Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology. I have also been listed as World Top 2% Scientist since 2022 (2022, 2023, 2024). My research work leads to 154 peer-reviewed publications, including two in prestigious journals: LANCET and LANCET RESPIRATORY MEDICINE. Among these publications, I am the first author or last author in half of these publications (79/156). 30 of my publications are published in top 10% journals, and 69 of my publications are in top 20% journals. My H-index, as of 22 May 2025, is 38 (i10-index: 85; Citation: 4564). I have been awarded 20 independent national or institutional grants as the Principal Investigator, including NMRC Clinician Scientist-Individual Research Grant (CS-IRG), Clinician Scientist Award (CSA) twice, Transition Award (TA), totaling 6.5 million SGD. I also won 20 international and national awards, including the Achievement Award, Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology, Best Presentation and Best Paper Awards, Asia-Pacific Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, and 1st Prize Presentation Award, European Society of Cataract & Refractive surgeons Congress, for my research and clinical work. My grants generated 2 patents on corneal imaging and more intellectual properties are expected.
Besides the publications and grants, I am also actively involved in international academic activities. I have been invited as a committee member in 9 major ophthalmology societies, including the Advisory Board of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Global One (Clinical), Scientific Review Committee of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (Research), and Education Committee of the Taiwan Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (Education). I am appointed as the Editor of 7 ophthalmology or scientific journals. Additionally, I am regularly invited to chair or deliver a talk at major international conferences, having more than 200 invited talks or presentations. I am also invited to contribute to 6 book chapters, and 2 of them are in the leading textbooks in the field of Cornea.
I have also devoted significant effort to teaching. I have been mentoring or supervising more than 40 medical students, resident doctors, fellows, and junior clinical investigators on their research projects both in Singapore and internationally. Several of my mentees received international awards (such as Travel Grant, ARVO, USA), institutional awards (5 awards such as Distinction Research Award, NUS) and research fundings (such as Academia Medicine grants, SingHealth).