Carol YL CHEUNG

Research Programmes

1. Development and application of image analysis techniques and artificial intelligence (AI) for eye disease detection and prognosis.
2. Implementation of AI algorithms in primary care and tertiary care settings to support eye disease screening, triaging and referral pathway for timely eye disease treatment and management.
3. Identification of new imaging-based makers for predicting diabetic retinal disease and its clinical outcomes.
4. Identification of vascular imaging markers for predicting normal tension glaucoma progression.
5. Studying the human microcirculation and central nervous system via the retinal and choroidal vessels, the optic nerve and retinal neuronal and axonal layers using state-of-the-art ocular imaging technologies.
6. Understanding of the epidemiology, systemic associations, and clinical implications of hypertensive eye disease.
7. Using retinal imaging to study Alzheimer′s disease.
8. Linking age-related eye disease (e.g. glaucoma) and Alzheimer′s disease.

Accomplishments

1. Dr Cheung developed and validated 3-dimensional deep-learning algorithms for eye disease classification including diabetic macular edema and glaucomatous optic neuropathy.
2. Dr Cheung developed the world′s first deep-learning model using fundus photographs alone to detect Alzheimer′s disease.
3. Dr Cheung developed a deep-learning system for the assessment of cardiovascular disease risk via the measurement of retinal-vessel calibre.
4. Dr Cheung developed and validated different methods to quantify retinal vasculature and capillary network.
5. Dr Cheung conducted pilot studies to validate AI algorithms in real-world settings.
6. Received competitive research grant funding from General Research Fund (GRF), HKSAR Food and Health Bureau, and BrightFocus Foundation.
7. Published more than 300 research articles and delivered more than 100 invited lectures. The H-index of Dr Cheung is 78 (citations > 21,100) as of October 2023.
8. Dr Cheung has been recognized with several prestigious awards including International Travel Grant, Annual meeting of Macula Society, the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) Distinguished Service Award and Achievement Award, the Award of SH Ho Visiting Professorship Exchange Programme between CUHK and Stanford University, the Singapore GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) Academic Centre of Excellence (ACE) Award, the SingHealth Publish! Award (Medical Research), the Singapore Young Investigator Gold Award and the Singapore Eye Research Institute Outstanding Young Researcher Award.

Representative Publications:

(* corresponding author)

1. Szeto SKH, Lai TYY, Vujosevic S, Sun JK, Sadda SVR, Tan G, Sivaprasad S, Wong TY, Cheung CY*. Optical Coherence Tomography in the Management of Diabetic Macular Oedema. Prog Retin Eye Res. (In press 2023)
2. Yang DW, Tang ZQ, Tang FY, Szeto SK, Chan J, Yip F, Wong CY, Ran AR, Lai TY, Cheung CY*. Clinically relevant factors associated with a binary outcome of diabetic macular ischaemia: an OCTA study. Br J Ophthalmol. 2023 Sep;107(9):1311-1318.
3. Yang D, Tang Z, Ran A, Nguyen TX, Szeto S, Chan J, Wong CYK, Hui V, Tsang K, Chan CKM, Tham CC, Sivaprasad S, Lai TYY, Cheung CY*. Assessment of Parafoveal Diabetic Macular Ischemia on Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Images to Predict Diabetic Retinal Disease Progression and Visual Acuity Deterioration. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2023 Jul 1;141(7):641-649.
4. Lin TPH, Hui HYH, Ling A, Chan PP, Shen R, Wong MOM, Chan NCY, Leung DYL, Xu D, Lee ML, Hsu W, Wong TY, Tham CC*, Cheung CY*. Risk of Normal Tension Glaucoma Progression From Automated Baseline Retinal-Vessel Caliber Analysis: A Prospective Cohort Study. Am J Ophthalmol. 2023 Mar; 247:111-120.
5. Cheung CY*, Ran AR, Wang S, Chan VTT, Sham K, Hilal S, Venketasubramanian N, Cheng CY, Sabanayagam C, Tham YC, Schmetterer L, McKay GJ, Williams MA, Wong A, Au LWC, Lu Z, Yam JC, Tham CC, Chen JJ, Dumitrascu OM, Heng PA, Kwok TCY, Mok VCT, Milea D, Chen CL, Wong TY. A deep learning model for detection of Alzheimer’s disease based on retinal photographs: a retrospective, multicentre case-control study. Lancet Digit Health. 2022 Nov;4(11): e806-e815.
6. Wong DYL, Lam MC, Ran A, Cheung CY*. Artificial intelligence in retinal imaging for cardiovascular disease prediction: current trends and future directions. Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2022 Sep 1;33(5):440-446.
7. Cheung CY, Biousse V, Keane PA, Schiffrin EL, Wong TY. Hypertensive eye disease. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2022 Mar 10;8(1):14.
8. Cheung CY, Ling Li S, Chan N, Chan PP, Wang Y, Wong M, Lai I, Tham CC. Intraocular Pressure Control Predicts Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thinning in Primary Angle Closure Disease: The CUPAL Study. Am J Ophthalmol. 2022 Feb; 234:205-214.
9. Tang F, Wang X, Ran AR, Chan CKM, Ho M, Yip W, Young AL, Lok J, Szeto S, Chan J, Yip F, Wong R, Tang Z, Yang D, Ng DS, Chen LJ, Brelén M, Chu V, Li K, Lai THT, Tan GS, Ting DSW, Huang H, Chen H, Ma JH, Tang S, Leng T, Kakavand S, Mannil SS, Chang RT, Liew G, Gopinath B, Lai TYY, Pang CP, Scanlon PH, Wong TY, Tham CC, Chen H, Heng PA, Cheung CY*. A Multitask Deep-Learning System to Classify Diabetic Macular Edema for Different Optical Coherence Tomography Devices: A Multicenter Analysis. Diabetes Care. 2021 Sep;44(9):2078-2088.
10. Cheung CY*, Mok V, Foster PJ, Trucco E, Chen C, Wong TY. Retinal imaging in Alzheimer’s disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2021 Sep;92(9):983-994.
11. Cheung CY, Xu D, Cheng CY, Sabanayagam C, Tham YC, Yu M, Rim TH, Chai CY, Gopinath B, Mitchell P, Poulton R, Moffitt TE, Caspi A, Yam JC, Tham CC, Jonas JB, Wang YX, Song SJ, Burrell LM, Farouque O, Li LJ, Tan G, Ting DSW, Hsu W, Lee ML, Wong TY. A deep-learning system for the assessment of cardiovascular disease risk via the measurement of retinal-vessel calibre. Nat Biomed Eng. 2021 Jun;5(6):498-508.
12. Sun Z, Tang F, Wong R, Lok J, Szeto SKH, Chan JCK, Chan CKM, Tham CC, Ng DS, Cheung CY*. OCT Angiography Metrics Predict Progression of Diabetic Retinopathy and Development of Diabetic Macular Edema: A Prospective Study. Ophthalmology. 2019 Dec;126(12):1675-1684.
13. Ran AR, Cheung CY*, Wang X, Chen H, Luo LY, Chan PP, Wong MOM, Chang RT, Mannil SS, Young AL, Yung HW, Pang CP, Heng PA, Tham CC. Detection of glaucomatous optic neuropathy with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography: a retrospective training and validation deep-learning analysis. Lancet Digital Health. 2019 Aug;1(4):e172-e182.
14. Chan VTT, Sun Z, Tang S, Chen LJ, Wong A, Tham CC, Wong TY, Chen C, Ikram MK, Whitson HE, Lad EM, Mok VCT, Cheung CY*. Spectral-Domain OCT Measurements in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Ophthalmology. 2019 Apr;126(4):497-510.
15. Cheung CY*, Ikram MK, Chen C, Wong TY. Imaging Retina to Study Dementia and Stroke. Prog Retin Eye Res. 2017 Mar; 57:89-107.

Find out more on