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Dr Tham Yih Chung

PhD

Senior Clinical Research Fellow, Ocular Epidemiology Research Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute

Research Interest:

Ocular epidemiology
Glaucoma
Ocular imaging
Deep learning/ Digital health

Research Appointments

Senior Clinical Research Fellow, Ocular Epidemiology Research Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute

Academic Appointments

Assistant Professor SingHealth Duke-NUS Ophthalmology ＆ Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Programme

Profile

Dr Tham is a clinically trained-optometrist (allied health) with PhD training in ophthalmologyand ocular epidemiology from the National University of Singapore. He is currently a senior clinical research fellow at Singapore Eye Research Institute, and an Assistant Professor at the Duke-NUS Medical School. His current research scope focuses on visual impairment and age-related eye diseases, but also extends into the areas of clinical imaging and deep learning. He has a solid track record in eye and public health research. To date, he has published extensively with 150 peer-reviewed scientific papers in notable journals such as Lancet Digital Health, Nature Biomedical Engineering, Ophthalmology, JAMA Ophthalmology, British Journal of Ophthalmology etc.

In his current role, Dr Tham is driving new AI-related projects, developing new AI solutions to screen for visual impairment and major age-related eye diseases in the community. The AI projects involve both upstream development and downstream implementation evaluations. In addition, he also manages the landmark Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases (SEED) cohort study and coordinates the Asian Epidemiology Eye Consortium (AEEC).

Professional Appointments and Committee Memberships

Member, Association for Research Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), USA (2012 - Present)

Education

PhD (2015)
BSc (2007)

Awards

Best Publication Award – SERI, SNEC Research Day (2021)
Best Oral Presentation (Clinical Research), Singapore General Hospital 23rd Annual Scientific Meeting (2019)
Best Oral Presentation (Allied Health), Singapore General Hospital 23rd Annual Scientific Meeting (2019)
International Travel Grant Award, Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) (2017)
Most cited paper – Global prevalence of glaucoma and projections of glaucoma burden through 2040, Ophthalmology (2015 – 2016)
Best Oral Presentation (Clinical Research), SingHealth Duke-NUS Scientific Congress (2014)
President Graduate Fellowship Award, National University of Singapore (NUS) (2013)
Best Paper Presentation Award 2nd Runner Up, National University Health System (NUHS) Ophthalmology Research Day (2012)
Best Oral Presentation Award 1st Prize, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS, 2nd Annual Graduate Scientific Congress (2012)
Best Paper Presentation Novartis Travel Award 1st Prize, NUHS Ophthalmology Research Day (2011)
Outstanding Charismatic Speaker Award, NUHS Ophthalmology Research Day (2011)
Best Slides Presentation Award, NUHS Ophthalmology Research Day (2011)
Research Scholarship Award, National University of Singapore (NUS) (2011)

Research Studies

MARIO: Multimodal AI-Driven Decision Making for Ophthalmology (2021 – Present)
Digital and Precision Community Screening Platform for Ageing Diseases: Vision, Metabolism and Heart (2021 – Present)
COVID-19 Pandemic: Triaging of ‘Only Urgent Eye Referrals’ from Polyclinics (TOP) using Retinal Photograph-based Deep Learning (2021 – Present)
Community-based Screening for Pathological Visual Impairment among Elderly Residents using Artificial-Intelligence Integrated Retinal Imaging (2019 – Present)
Artificial Intelligence for Functional VIsion Screening Using Retinal Imaging (AVIRI) (2019 – 2020)
TAAP: Translational Asian Age-related macular degeneration Program (2018 – Present)
SingCLOUD (2017 – Present)
Asian Eye Epidemiology Consortium (2017 – Present)
Consortium for Refractive Error and Myopia (CREAM) (2016 – Present)
The Singapore Malay Eye Study 3 (SIMES-3): Prospective cohort study of 12-year incidence, risk factors, and impact of major age-related eye diseases (2016 – 2018)
International Glaucoma Genetics Consortium (IGGC) (2015 – Present)
The Singapore Chinese Eye Study 2 (SCES-2) ¬ Prospective cohort study of 6-year incidence, risk factors, and impact of major age-related eye diseases (2015 – 2018)
The Singapore Chinese Eye Study 2 (SCES-2): Prospective cohort study of 6-year incidence, risk factors, and impact of major age-related eye diseases (2015 – 2017)
Evaluation of Novel Lamina Cribrosa Imaging Marker (2013 – 2015)
Automatic Glaucoma Screening through Cup-to-Disc Ratio (CDR) Measurement (2012 – 2015)

Publications

Rim TH*, Lee CJ*, Tham YC*, ..., Cheng CY, Wong TY. Deep-learning-based cardiovascular risk stratification using coronary artery calcium scores predicted from retinal photographs. Lancet Digit Health. 2021 May;3(5):e306-e316.
Lim ZW, Chee ML, ..., Cheng CY, Tham YC. Albuminuria and Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma: the Singapore Chinese Eye Study (SCES). Br J Ophthalmol. 2021 May;105(5):669-673.
Teo ZL*, Tham YC*, Yu MC*, ...Wong TY, Cheng CY. Global Prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy and Projection of Burden through 2045: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Ophthalmology. 2021 Apr 30:S0161-6420(21)00321-3. Epub ahead of print.
Gunasekeran DV*, Tham YC*, Ting DSW, Tan GSW, Wong TY. Digital health during COVID-19: lessons from operationalising new models of care in ophthalmology. Lancet Digit Health. 2021 Feb; 3(2):e124-e134.
Tham YC, Husain R, Teo KYC, et al. New digital models of care in ophthalmology, during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Br J Ophthalmol. 2021 Mar 22:bjophthalmol-2020-317683. Epub ahead of print.
Tham YC, Anees A, Zhang L, et al. Referral for disease-related visual impairment using retinal photograph-based deep learning: a proof-of-concept, model development study. Lancet Digital Health. 2021; 3(1): e29-e40
Majithia S, Tham YC, Chee ML, et al. Cohort Profile: The Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases study (SEED). Int J Epidemiol. 2021 Mar 3;50(1):41-52.
Wong MYZ, Gunasekeran DV, ..., Tham YC. Telehealth Demand Trends During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Top 50 Most Affected Countries: Infodemiological Evaluation. JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2021 Feb 19;7(2):e24445.
Rim TH*, Lee G*, Kim Y*, Tham YC*, ..., Wong TY, Cheng CY. Prediction of systemic biomarkers from retinal photographs: development and validation of deep-learning algorithms. Lancet Digit Health. 2020 Oct;2(10):e526-e536.
Tham YC, Tao Y, Zhang L, et al.; Asian Eye Epidemiology Consortium (AEEC). Is kidney function associated with primary open-angle glaucoma? Findings from the Asian Eye Epidemiology Consortium. Br J Ophthalmol. 2020 Sep; 104(9):1298-1303. Epub 2020 Jan 20.
Tham YC, Chee ML, Dai W, et al. Profiles of Ganglion Cell Inner Plexiform Layer Thickness in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Population: The Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases Study. Ophthalmology. 2020 Aug; 127(8):1064-1076.
Teo ZL*, Tham YC*, Yu M, Cheng CY, Wong TY, Sabanayagam C. Do we have enough ophthalmologists to manage vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy? A global perspective. Eye (Lond). 2020 Jul;34(7):1255-1261.
Tham YC, Liu L, Rim TH, et al. Association of Cataract Surgery With Risk of Diabetic Retinopathy Among Asian Participants in the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases Study. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Jun 1; 3(6):e208035.
Lim ZW, Chee ML, .., Tham YC. Association Between Visual Impairment and Decline in Cognitive Function in a Multiethnic Asian Population. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Apr 1; 3(4):e203560. Erratum in: JAMA Netw Open. 2020 May 1; 3(5):e209437.
Tham YC, Cheng CY, Wong TY. Detection of anaemia from retinal images. Nat Biomed Eng. 2020 Jan;4(1):2-3.
Yu M, Tham YC, Rim TH, Ting DSW, Wong TY, Cheng CY. Reporting on deep learning algorithms in health care. Lancet Digit Health. 2019 Nov;1(7):e328-e329.
Wong TY, Tham YC, Sabanayagam C, Cheng CY. Patterns and Risk Factor Profiles of Visual Loss in a Multiethnic Asian Population: The Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases Study. Am J Ophthalmol. 2019 Oct; 206:48-73. Epub 2019 May 13.
Tham YC, Lim SH, Shi Y, et al. Trends of Visual Impairment and Blindness in the Singapore Chinese Population over a Decade. Sci Rep. 2018 Aug 15; 8(1):12224.
Tham YC, Liao J, Vithana EN, et al.; International Glaucoma Genetics Consortium. Aggregate Effects of Intraocular Pressure and Cup-to-Disc Ratio Genetic Variants on Glaucoma in a Multiethnic Asian Population. Ophthalmology. 2015 Jun; 122(6):1149-57.
Tham YC, Li X, Wong TY, Quigley HA, Aung T, Cheng CY. Global prevalence of glaucoma and projections of glaucoma burden through 2040: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ophthalmology. 2014 Nov; 121(11):2081-90.