Prof Cheng Ching Yu

Prof Cheng Ching Yu

ORCID: 0000-0003-0655-885X

Appointment(s)

Director, Centre for Innovation and Precision Eye Health, National University Singapore



Degree(s)

PhD, Genetic Epidemiology, The Johns Hopkins University

MD, Kaohsiung Medical University 

MPH, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health



Biography

Professor Cheng Ching-Yu is a distinguished clinician-scientist renowned for his dual expertise in ophthalmology and data science. His extensive research focuses on the epidemiology, data science, and clinical aspects of blinding age-related ocular diseases, particularly glaucoma. Utilizing cutting-edge genotyping and sequencing technologies, Professor Cheng has made significant strides in identifying susceptibility genes for various ocular traits.

As the Director of the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases (SEED) program (2014-now), Professor Cheng has developed a world-class translational research initiative in population eye health. Under his leadership, SEED has established one of the largest epidemiological databases and biobanks for eye diseases globally, encompassing over 10,000 participants. This monumental achievement has led to numerous high-impact publications in prestigious journals and a wealth of new knowledge in blindness prevention. The data collected from SEED is extensively utilized by leading international agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), further cementing his status as a global authority in population eye health.
In recent years, as the Director of the Centre for Innovation and Precision Eye Health, Professor Cheng has advanced into AI-based big data analytics for disease prediction and risk stratification. By harnessing the power of AI, he and his team are addressing unmet clinical needs to improve eye health care. This innovative work includes developing sophisticated algorithms and predictive models that can accurately identify individuals at high risk of developing diseases. These AI-driven solutions not only enhance early detection and personalized management plans but also align with the Ministry of Health’s priorities in healthy aging and precision medicine, as well as Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative. His pioneering efforts in integrating AI with ophthalmology are setting new standards in the field and paving the way for more efficient, data-driven eye care solutions globally.

Professor Cheng has an impressive publication record, co-authoring over 600 clinical and scientific papers, including those in top-tier journals such as NEJM, JAMA, Cell, Nature Medicine, Nature Genetics, Lancet Global Health, and Lancet Digital Health. His numerous accolades include the Clinician Scientist Award (CSA) from the National Medical Research Council (NMRC) of Singapore in 2012, and the CSA-Senior Investigator awards in 2017 and 2023. Additionally, he has received the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) Achievement Award and Senior Achievement Award, the Outstanding Service in Prevention of Blindness Award, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Achievement Award.

Professor Cheng Ching-Yu’s pioneering work continues to have a profound impact on the field of ophthalmology, enhancing our understanding and management of eye diseases on a global scale.


Selected Publications

Global prevalence of glaucoma and projections of glaucoma burden through 2040: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ophthalmology.

Tham YC, Li X, Wong TY, Quigley HA, Aung T, Cheng CY.

Global prevalence of age-related macular degeneration and disease burden projection for 2020 and 2040: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Wong WL, Su X, Li X, Cheung CM, Klein R, Cheng CY,* Wong TY.*

Genome-wide analysis of multi-ancestry cohorts identifies new loci influencing intraocular pressure and susceptibility to glaucoma

Hysi PG*, Cheng CY*, Springelkamp H, Macgregor S, Bailey JN, Wojciechowski R, Vitart V, Nag A, Hewitt AW, Höhn R, Venturini C, Mirshahi A, Ramdas WD, Thorleifsson G, Vithana E, Khor CC, Stefansson AB, Liao J, Haines JL, Amin N, Wang YX, Wild PS, Ozel AB, Li JZ, Fleck BW, Zeller T, Staffieri SE, Teo YY, Cuellar-Partida G, Luo X, Allingham RR, Richards JE, Senft A, Karssen LC, Zheng Y, Bellenguez C, Xu L, Iglesias AI, Wilson JF, Kang JH, van Leeuwen EM, Jonsson V, Thorsteinsdottir U, Despriet DD, Ennis S, Moroi SE, Martin NG, Jansonius NM, Yazar S, Tai ES, Amouyel P, Kirwan J, van Koolwijk LM, Hauser MA, Jonasson F, Leo P, Loomis SJ, Fogarty R, Rivadeneira F, Kearns L, Lackner KJ, de Jong PT, Simpson CL, Pennell CE, Oostra BA, Uitterlinden AG, Saw SM, Lotery AJ, Bailey-Wilson JE, Hofman A, Vingerling JR, Maubaret C, Pfeiffer N, Wolfs RC, Lemij HG, Young TL, Pasquale LR, Delcourt C, Spector TD, Klaver CC, Small KS, Burdon KP, Stefansson K, Wong TY; BMES GWAS Group; NEIGHBORHOOD Consortium; Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium 2, Viswanathan A, Mackey DA, Craig JE, Wiggs JL, van Duijn CM, Hammond CJ, Aung T.

New loci and coding variants confer risk for age-related macular degeneration in East Asians

Cheng CY, Yamashiro K, Jia Chen L, Ahn J, Huang L, Huang L, Cheung CM, Miyake M, Cackett PD, Yeo IY, Laude A, Mathur R, Pang J, Sim KS, Koh AH, Chen P, Lee SY, Wong D, Chan CM, Loh BK, Sun Y, Davila S, Nakata I, Nakanishi H, Akagi-Kurashige Y, Gotoh N, Tsujikawa A, Matsuda F, Mori K, Yoneya S, Sakurada Y, Iijima H, Iida T, Honda S, Lai TY, Tam PO, Chen H, Tang S, Ding X, Wen F, Lu F, Zhang X, Shi Y, Zhao P, Zhao B, Sang J, Gong B, Dorajoo R, Yuan JM, Koh WP, van Dam RM, Friedlander Y, Lin Y, Hibberd ML, Foo JN, Wang N, Wong CH, Tan GS, Park SJ, Bhargava M, Gopal L, Naing T, Liao J, Guan Ong P, Mitchell P, Zhou P, Xie X, Liang J, Mei J, Jin X, Saw SM, Ozaki M, Mizoguchi T, Kurimoto Y, Woo SJ, Chung H, Yu HG, Shin JY, Park DH, Kim IT, Chang W, Sagong M, Lee SJ, Kim HW, Lee JE, Li Y, Liu J, Teo YY, Heng CK, Lim TH, Yang SK, Song K, Vithana EN, Aung T, Bei JX, Zeng YX, Tai ES, Li XX, Yang Z, Park KH, Pang CP, Yoshimura N, Wong TY, Khor CC.

Development and Validation of a Deep Learning System for Diabetic Retinopathy and Related Eye Diseases Using Retinal Images From Multiethnic Populations With Diabetes

Ting DSW, Cheung CY, Lim G, Tan GSW, Quang ND, Gan A, Hamzah H, Garcia-Franco R, San Yeo IY, Lee SY, Wong EYM, Sabanayagam C, Baskaran M, Ibrahim F, Tan NC, Finkelstein EA, Lamoureux EL, Wong IY, Bressler NM, Sivaprasad S, Varma R, Jonas JB, He MG, Cheng CY,* Cheung GCM,* Aung T,* Hsu W,* Lee ML,* Wong TY.*

Artificial Intelligence to Detect Papilledema from Ocular Fundus Photographs

Milea D, Najjar RP, Zhubo J, Ting D, Vasseneix C, Xu X, Aghsaei Fard M,Fonseca P, Vanikieti K, Lagrèze WA, La Morgia C, Cheung CY, Hamann S, Chiquet C, Sanda N, Yang H, Mejico LJ, Rougier MB, Kho R, Thi Ha Chau T, Singhal S, Gohier P, Clermont-Vignal C, Cheng CY, Jonas JB, Yu-Wai-Man P, Fraser CL, Chen JJ, Ambika S, Miller NR, Liu Y, Newman NJ, Wong TY, Biousse V

Prediction of systemic biomarkers from retinal photographs: development and validation of deep-learning algorithms

Rim TH, Lee G, Kim Y, Tham YC, Lee CJ, Baik SJ, Kim YA, Yu M, Deshmukh M, Lee BK, Park S, Kim HC, Sabayanagam C, Ting DSW, Wang YX, Jonas JB, Kim SS, Wong TY, Cheng CY.

Asian Eye Epidemiology Consortium. Prevalence and pattern of geographic atrophy in Asia: The Asian Eye Epidemiology Consortium

Rim TH, Ryo K, Tham YC, Kang SW, Ruamviboonsuk P, Bikbov MM, Miyake M, Hao J, Fletcher A, Sasaki M, Nangia V, Sabanayagam C, Yu M, Fujiwara K, Thapa R, Wong IY, Kayama T, Chen SJ, Kuang TM, Yamashita H, Sundaresan P, Chan JC, van Rens GHMB, Sonoda KH, Wang YX, Panda-Jonas S, Harada S, Kim R, Ganesan S, Raman R, Yamashiro K, Gilmanshin TR, Jenchitr W, Park KH, Cheung CMG, Wong TY, Wang N, Jonas JB, Chakravarthy U, Cheng CY*, Yanagi Y*

Referral for disease-related visual impairment using retinal photograph-based deep learning: a proof-of-concept, model development study

Tham YC, Anees A, Zhang L, Goh JHL, Rim TH, Nusinovici S, Hamzah H, Chee ML, Tjio G, Li S, Xu X, Goh R, Tang F, Cheung CY, Wang YX, Nangia V, Jonas JB, Gopinath B, Mitchell P, Husain R, Lamoureux E, Sabanayagam C, Wang JJ, Aung T, Liu Y, Wong TY, Cheng CY.

Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies 127 open-angle glaucoma loci with consistent effect across ancestries

Gharahkhani P, Jorgenson E, Hysi P, Khawaja AP, Pendergrass S, Han X, Ong JS, Hewitt AW, Segrè AV, Rouhana JM, Hamel AR, Igo RP Jr, Choquet H, Qassim A, Josyula NS, Cooke Bailey JN, Bonnemaijer PWM, Iglesias A, Siggs OM, Young TL, Vitart V, Thiadens AAHJ, Karjalainen J, Uebe S, Melles RB, Nair KS, Luben R, Simcoe M, Amersinghe N, Cree AJ, Hohn R, Poplawski A, Chen LJ, Rong SS, Aung T, Vithana EN; NEIGHBORHOOD consortium; ANZRAG consortium; Biobank Japan project; FinnGen study; UK Biobank Eye and Vision Consortium; GIGA study group; 23 and Me Research Team, Tamiya G, Shiga Y, Yamamoto M, Nakazawa T, Currant H, Birney E, Wang X, Auton A, Lupton MK, Martin NG, Ashaye A, Olawoye O, Williams SE, Akafo S, Ramsay M, Hashimoto K, Kamatani Y, Akiyama M, Momozawa Y, Foster PJ, Khaw PT, Morgan JE, Strouthidis NG, Kraft P, Kang JH, Pang CP, Pasutto F, Mitchell P, Lotery AJ, Palotie A, van Duijn C, Haines JL, Hammond C, Pasquale LR, Klaver CCW, Hauser M, Khor CC, Mackey DA, Kubo M, Cheng CY,* Craig JE,* MacGregor S,* Wiggs JL.*

Deep-learning-based cardiovascular risk stratification using coronary artery calcium scores predicted from retinal photographs

Rim TH, Lee CJ, Tham YC, Cheung N, Yu M, Lee G, Kim Y, Ting DSW, Chong CCY, Choi YS, Yoo TK, Ryu IH, Baik SJ, Kim YA, Kim SK, Lee SH, Lee BK, Kang SM, Wong EYM, Kim HC, Kim SS, Park S, Cheng CY,* Wong TY.*

The global extent of undetected glaucoma in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Soh ZD, Yu M, Betzler BK, Majithia S, Thakur S, Tham YC, Wong TY, Aung T, Friedman DS, Cheng CY.

Global prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and projection of burden through 2045: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Teo ZL, Tham YC, Yu M, Chee ML, Rim TH, Cheung N, Bikbov MM, Wang YX, Tang Y, Lu Y, Wong IY, Ting DSW, Tan GSW, Jonas JB, Sabanayagam C, Wong TY, Cheng CY.

Detecting visually significant cataract using retinal photograph-based deep learning

Tham YC, Goh JHL, Anees A, Lei X, Rim TH, Chee ML, Wang YX, Jonas JB, Thakur S, Teo ZL, Cheung N, Hamzah H, Tan GSW, Husain R, Sabanayagam C, Wang JJ, Chen Q, Lu Z, Keenan TD, Chew EY, Tan AG, Mitchell P, Goh RSM, Xu X, Liu Y, Wong TY, Cheng CY.

Contribution of common and rarevariants to Asian neovascular age-related macular degeneration subtypes

Fan Q, Li H, Wang X, Tham YC, Teo KYC, Yasuda M, Lim WK, Kwan YP, Teo JX,Chen CJ, Chen LJ, Ahn J, Davila S, Miyake M, Tan P, Park KH, Pang CP, Khor CC,Wong TY, Yanagi Y, Cheung CMG, Cheng CY.