Associate Professor Tan is the Head of the Ocular Diagnostics department which includes the SNEC ocular reading centre (SORC), which is one of the major imaging reading centres for diabetic retinopathy and retina clinical trials in Singapore. He is involved in the development and implementation of a national diabetic retinopathy telemedicine screening program in Singapore (SiDRP) and is currently the program director for the SiDRP. SORC is also instrumental in the development artificial intelligence methods for the interpretation of retinal imaging. Besides imaging, Associate Professor Tan has research studies aimed at identifying novel biomarkers and improving treatment strategies in diabetic retinopathy. He also works in collaboration with the Endocrine and Nephrology groups at examining ophthalmic complications in diabetes and nephropathy trials.
Associate Professor 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 multiple Dean’s List Awards and the Singapore Medical Association (SMA) Medal for academic excellence. Associate Professor Tan started his career in Ophthalmology at the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC). From residency training, where he served as Chief Resident, he went on to complete a two-year fellowship in vitreo-retinal diseases and surgery at SNEC in 2014. Under the SingHealth scholarship, Associate Professor Tan pursued further overseas training in the field of vitreo-retinal. At the Byer Eye Institute at Stanford University, USA, he mentored with world-renowned Retinal specialists in paediatric vitreo-retinal diseases and the use of novel lasers for Retinal diseases. At the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), he honed his clinical expertise in advanced retinal imaging, management of intraocular tumours, and the use of human stem cell derived RPE in the treatment of Retinal diseases.
In clinical practice, Associate Professor Tan’s philosophy is to provide his patients with the highest quality of care in a compassionate and patient centred approach. His expertise includes general ophthalmology, cataract surgery and retinal diseases of the eye in both adults and children. Associate Professor Tan is an experienced Cataract surgeon, performing complicated cataract surgery, offering multifocal and toric (astigmatism) intraocular lens as well as femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery; and managing dislocated cataracts and cases requiring lens fixation. His main interests in the Retina are in advanced techniques in Retinal detachment and macular surgery, treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, paediatric retinal diseases and intraocular tumours including uveal melanoma.
Being passionate about eye research, Associate Professor Tan was awarded multiple grants to study Diabetic Retinopathy. His goal is to eliminate diabetic visual impairment and blindness by developing and evaluating new methods in screening, diagnosis and treatment of diabetic retinopathy with the goal of transforming clinical care and improving patient outcomes. His other research interests include the use of deep learning and artificial intelligence in ophthalmology, cell replacement therapy for retinal diseases and islet cell transplantation in the eye for treatment of diabetes. He has published scientific papers in respected peer-reviewed journals and has presented at numerous international scientific meetings. He also actively mentors medical students, residents and fellows and holds the concurrent appointments as Associate Professor at the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School.
