MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release

Young Ophthalmologists from the Singapore National Eye Centre Powering up in the International Field of Ophthalmology

Singapore, 24 April 2017 – Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) proudly congratulates five of its ophthalmologists on their recent achievements. The consultants – Dr Marcus Ang, Dr Gavin Tan, Dr Daniel Ting Shu Wei, Dr Wong Chee Wai and Dr Kelvin Teo – have each received awards or recognition for their outstanding work and research in the field of ophthalmology.

Most recently, The Ophthalmologist magazine ranked Consultant, Dr Marcus Ang, 37, seventh place in “The Power List: Rising Stars of 2017” in its April issue. Held annually, the Power List is an international celebration and recognition of the most influential people in ophthalmology, defining its thought leaders and inspirational talents. Dr Ang was voted for by fellow professionals in the field, across Europe and North America.

Several other consultants from Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) also received various world-class awards, each making their unique mark on the international field of ophthalmology. Consultant, Dr Gavin Tan, 37, won two awards for his research – the SingHealth Outstanding Clinician Research Award, and the Ministry of Health (MOH) Transition award. Associate Consultant, Dr Daniel Ting Shu Wei, was also awarded the Fulbright US-ASEAN Scholar Award 2017, making him the inaugural recipient at SNEC.

Separately, Associate Consultant Dr Wong Chee Wai, 36 attained the National Medical Research Council Research training fellowship, which is only awarded to notable clinicians to support their pursuit of a post-graduate degree in research. Associate Consultant Dr Kelvin Teo was also awarded multiple grants for his research and development, such as the National Health Innovation Centre Singapore (NHIC) grant worth $250,000 in 2017, and the Co-Investigator for the Industrial Alignment Fund grant worth $250,000, the National Medical Research Council New Investigator grant worth 220,000 and Singhealth Foundation Research grant of $50,000 in 2016.  Dr Teo will be pursuing a Masters in Philosophy (Medical Research) in Sydney later this year.

Medical Director of SNEC, Professor Wong Tien Yin commented, “We are extremely proud to have such a remarkable team of ophthalmologists here at SNEC. Winning these prestigious awards at such a young age is no easy feat in our field. Our mission has always been to lead the development of ophthalmology, and they have done just that. We believe they will continue to excel, and we do hope that more of our doctors will be recognized for their work.”
Please refer to Annex A for the biographies of the award recipients.

Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) is the designated public healthcare facility for eye surgery and treatments. Working in tandem with its research arm – Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), SNEC aims to provide the highest quality cost-effective ophthalmic care, nurture and renew the necessary human resources and pursue high-impact competitive research.
For more information on Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC), please visit www.snec.com.sg.

About Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC)
Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) was incorporated in 1989 and commenced operations in 1990. It is the designated national centre within the public sector healthcare network, and spearheads and coordinates the provision of specialised ophthalmological services with emphasis on quality education and research.

Since its opening in 1990, SNEC has achieved rapid growth and currently manages an annual workload of 300,000 outpatient visits, 35,000 major eye surgeries and laser procedures.

Subspecialties in Cataract, Corneal and External Eye Disease, General Cataract and Comprehensive Ophthalmology,  Glaucoma, Neuro-Ophthalmology, Oculoplastic, Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, Refractive Surgery, Ocular Inflammation and Immunology, Medical Retina and Surgical Retina have been established to provide a full range of eye treatment from comprehensive to tertiary levels for the entire spectrum of eye conditions.

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Singapore National Eye Centre(SNEC)
Mr Ravi Chandran
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E-mail: ravi.chandran@snec.com.sg

ANNEX A – Biographies of Award Recipients
Dr Marcus Ang, Consultant at the Singapore National Eye Centre, 37 years old
Dr Marcus Ang attained his medical degree at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and was awarded Dean’s List for academic excellence and the Best Houseman Award in 2005.
His other early academic achievements include:
- Ministry of Health Scholarship
- Masters in Clinical Investigation (NUS)
- Master of Medicine (Ophthalmology, NUS)
Dr Ang was appointed Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh), and Fellow of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore (FAMS) after being awarded with the four FAMS Examination Medals. He further developed his clinical specialty in Cornea Transplantation and was rewarded with a Hon. Consultant position at the prestigious Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, UK.

A recent graduate of the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology’s Leadership Development Program, Dr Ang is a widely published author. His research work is mostly translational, such as studying prognostic factors to help improve outcomes following corneal transplantation, and this work has been recognized with several international awards.

He has also undertaken voluntary Ophthalmology work in the community, leading volunteer missions to Asia and beyond in his role as Director of Vision Projects at the Singaporean non-profit organization, Global Clinic, where he regularly organizes missions and travels to provide free cataract surgery in countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, India and Myanmar.

Dr Gavin Tan, Consultant in the Vitreo-Retinal Department of the Singapore National Eye Centre, 37 years old
Dr Gavin Tan graduated with a Bachelor in Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) with Distinction in Biochemistry and Medicine from the National University of Singapore in 2003. He was awarded with multiple Dean’s List and the Singapore Medical Association (SMA) Medal for academic excellence.

Dr Gavin Tan started his career in Ophthalmology at the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC). He was a Chief Resident, before completing a two-year Fellowship in Vitreo-Retinal Diseases and Surgery at SNEC in 2014. During this time, he obtained his post-graduate qualifications in Ophthalmology, including a Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh (FRCSEd) and Fellowship of the Academy of Medicine Singapore (FAMS) in 2012.

Dr Tan was awarded the MOH Transition Award to study the progression of diabetic eye diseases using new imaging modalities in order to better understand the disease, improve management and reduce diabetes blindness. He also achieved the SingHealth outstanding clinician researcher award for his work on diabetic retinopathy.

Dr Daniel Ting Shu Wei, Associate Consultant at the Singapore National Eye Centre, 32 years old
Dr Daniel Ting completed his PhD at the University of Western Australia in 2015.
His early achievement includes:
- UK FRCOphth McCartney Prize (2013)
- Richard Fann Gold Medal Award (2014)
- The Khoo Scholar Award (2015)
Between 2013 and 2015, Dr Ting has won several awards, including the Outstanding Resident Award, Young Inspiring Resident Award, ITE award, Young Educator Award and Residents’ Committee Award.

Dr Ting is the inaugural recipient of Fulbright US-ASEAN Visiting Scholar Award from the Singapore National Eye Centre. He will be spending 4 months at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Machine Learning Unit, where he will further his understanding on the utilization and optimization of the artificial intelligence in detecting sight-threatening eye diseases. Given that diabetes is a global epidemic, this project is of high public health significance to fight the ‘War on Diabetes’ as well as to aim towards a Smart Nation initiative for Singapore.

Upon completion of this program, he hopes to continue to integrate the use of artificial intelligence into the tele-medicine network to screen for diabetic eye diseases and prevent blindness for the people with diabetes within Singapore, ASEAN countries and globally.

Dr Wong Chee Wai, Associate Consultant at the Singapore National Eye, 36 years old
Dr Wong Chee Wai obtained his Medical Degree from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2007. He obtained his post-graduate Ophthalmology qualifications in 2012 and completed an additional 3 years of advance surgical training. He was appointed Fellow of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore (FAMS) after being awarded with the three FAMS Exit Examination Gold Medals.

In 2012, Dr Wong served as Chief Medical Officer and was a Chief Resident in 2016. He is also an executive committee member of the Singapore Society of Ophthalmologists (SSO) and a clinical tutor with the NUS-Yong Loo Lin School of medicine.

Dr Wong was awarded the National Medical Research Council Research training fellowship. This award is given to outstanding and talented clinicians to pursue a post graduate degree in research. With the award, Dr Wong will receive the necessary support to embark on a PhD in drug delivery for retinal diseases at Utrecht University.

Dr Kelvin Teo, Associate Consultant at the Singapore National Eye Centre, 34 years old
In 2016, he was awarded the National Medical Research Council New Investigator Grant, the Singapore Heart Foundation Grant and the Ministry of Health Industry Alignment Fund Grant. He was also awarded the National Health Innovation Centre Grant in 2017 for medical device development.

Dr Teo will be pursuing a Masters in Philosophy (Medical Research) in Sydney in 2017.