Assoc Prof Donny Hoang
MD, PhD (UIC, USA)
Researcher Interests
- Novel approaches toward the diagnosis and treatment of pathologic myopia.
- Scleral collagen-crosslinking
- Multimodal imaging (OCT, US, MRI) of staphylomatous pathologic myopia
- In vivo measurement of scleral stiffness
- Stunting progression of short-sightedness
- Improvement of surgical outcomes in highly myopic eyes
Research Appointments
Clinician Scientist, Singapore Eye Research Institute
Academic Appointments
Associate Professor
Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Programme
About Researcher
Associate Professor Donny Hoang is a Senior Consultant in the Surgical Retina Department at the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) with a clinical and research focus on extreme short-sightedness (high and pathologic myopia). He graduated from Northwestern University in Chicago, USA where he received a triple major with honours in Chemistry, Biology and Integrated Science in 1997, and his joint Medical Degree (M.D.) and Ph.D. in Anatomy and Cell Biology from the University of Illinois at Chicago where he was awarded the 2006 Top Thesis Award in the Life Sciences. He undertook Ophthalmology training at the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary in Chicago under Drs. William Mieler and Dmitri Azar where he won the Top Research Awards in 2009 and 2010.
Associate Professor Hoang subsequently completed a two-year vitreo-retinal fellowship at the Columbia University Medical Centre and the Vitreous, Retina, Macula Consultants of New York (VRMNY) in 2012. Working under the supervision of world-renowned specialists Profs. Stanley Chang, Lawrence Yannuzzi, Richard Spaide and Bailey Freund, he was trained in vitreo-retinal surgery and medical retina. Since 2012, he split his time between clinical work as a vitreo-retinal surgeon and Director of the High Myopia Laboratory at Columbia University in New York City where he received a Clinician Scientist Research Career Development Award from the National Institutes of Health.
Associate Professor Hoang is a member of the prestigious Macula Society, Retina Society, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology and American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS). He has received numerous awards, including the Clinician Scientist Award from the National Medical Research Council (NMRC) in Singapore, the ASRS Honour award and selection as one of America's Top Ophthalmologists in 2016. He is a well-published physician scientist with over 60 peer-reviewed articles in major international ophthalmology journals, including Ophthalmology, IOVS and JAMA Ophthalmology and is a guest editor and/or reviewer for 20 of these journals.
His work profile at SNEC is divided between clinical work (seeing patients) and research, with both endeavours mainly focused on extreme short-sightedness, an important blinding condition in Singapore. Although minimal levels of short-sightedness are considered a minor inconvenience, pathologic myopia occurs at extreme levels of lifelong, progressive eye elongation and subsequent eye wall thinning, which allows for localized deformations (called staphyloma), and subsequent vision-threatening changes.
As a clinician scientist, he feels it is his patients who ultimately fuel his passionate focus on advancing treatments and cures for retinal disease and other blinding disorders. He treasures his time with patients, and strives to provide the best possible care, which includes both treatments that currently exist as well as developing novel treatments in the laboratory.
Associate Professor Hoang’s current research, funded by the NMRC CSA focuses on clinical studies employing cutting-edge non-invasive multimodal imaging to identify patients at greatest risk of vision loss from short-sightedness. Concurrently, he is continuing laboratory-based studies funded by both an NMRC CS-IRG grant and the National Institutes of Health (NIH, USA) aimed at discovering novel treatments to stunt short-sightedness and avoid vision-threatening changes, including scleral collagen crosslinking to selectively strengthen areas of the eye wall. These techniques have the potential to benefit millions of highly myopic individuals who are at high-risk of eventual vision loss.
He Hoang holds concurrent local appointments as Associate Professor at the Duke-NUS Medical School and Clinical Scientist at the Singapore Eye Research Institute, and is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University in New York, USA.
Associate Professor Hoang subsequently completed a two-year vitreo-retinal fellowship at the Columbia University Medical Centre and the Vitreous, Retina, Macula Consultants of New York (VRMNY) in 2012. Working under the supervision of world-renowned specialists Profs. Stanley Chang, Lawrence Yannuzzi, Richard Spaide and Bailey Freund, he was trained in vitreo-retinal surgery and medical retina. Since 2012, he split his time between clinical work as a vitreo-retinal surgeon and Director of the High Myopia Laboratory at Columbia University in New York City where he received a Clinician Scientist Research Career Development Award from the National Institutes of Health.
Associate Professor Hoang is a member of the prestigious Macula Society, Retina Society, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology and American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS). He has received numerous awards, including the Clinician Scientist Award from the National Medical Research Council (NMRC) in Singapore, the ASRS Honour award and selection as one of America's Top Ophthalmologists in 2016. He is a well-published physician scientist with over 60 peer-reviewed articles in major international ophthalmology journals, including Ophthalmology, IOVS and JAMA Ophthalmology and is a guest editor and/or reviewer for 20 of these journals.
His work profile at SNEC is divided between clinical work (seeing patients) and research, with both endeavours mainly focused on extreme short-sightedness, an important blinding condition in Singapore. Although minimal levels of short-sightedness are considered a minor inconvenience, pathologic myopia occurs at extreme levels of lifelong, progressive eye elongation and subsequent eye wall thinning, which allows for localized deformations (called staphyloma), and subsequent vision-threatening changes.
As a clinician scientist, he feels it is his patients who ultimately fuel his passionate focus on advancing treatments and cures for retinal disease and other blinding disorders. He treasures his time with patients, and strives to provide the best possible care, which includes both treatments that currently exist as well as developing novel treatments in the laboratory.
Associate Professor Hoang’s current research, funded by the NMRC CSA focuses on clinical studies employing cutting-edge non-invasive multimodal imaging to identify patients at greatest risk of vision loss from short-sightedness. Concurrently, he is continuing laboratory-based studies funded by both an NMRC CS-IRG grant and the National Institutes of Health (NIH, USA) aimed at discovering novel treatments to stunt short-sightedness and avoid vision-threatening changes, including scleral collagen crosslinking to selectively strengthen areas of the eye wall. These techniques have the potential to benefit millions of highly myopic individuals who are at high-risk of eventual vision loss.
He Hoang holds concurrent local appointments as Associate Professor at the Duke-NUS Medical School and Clinical Scientist at the Singapore Eye Research Institute, and is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University in New York, USA.
Education & Training
- PhD (UIC, USA) (2006)
- MD (2006)
- BA (1997)
Professional Appointments & Committee Memberships
- Member, Macula Society (2017 - present)
- Member, Retina Society (2017 - present)
- Member, Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (2015 - present)
- Member, American Society of Retina Specialists (2011 - present)
- Member, American Association of Ophthalmology (2007 - present)
- Member, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (2005 - present)
Awards
NMRC Clinician Scientist Award (2019)
Inductee, The Macula Society (2017)
Inductee, The Retina Society (2017)
Honour Award, American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS)(2016)
NIH/NEI, K08 Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (2014 - 2017)
NIH R21, Co-investigator (2015 - 2017)
Research to Prevent Blindness Career Development Award (2014-2017)
John Cushman Private Grant (2016-2017)
Joseph Connors Private Grant (2014)
NIH K12 Clinical Translational Sciences Career Development Award (2013 - 2014)
AR Peacock and JR Peacock Trust Private Foundation Grant Award (2013 - 2015)
Top Resident Research Award, Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary (2010)
Top Graduate Thesis Award in the Life Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago Graduate College (2006)
Grass Fellowship in the Neurosciences (2005)
Top Speaker, National Student Research Forum, Anatomy/Neuroscience Division, USA (2004)
Top Speaker, 35th Midwest Student Biomedical Research Forum, USA (2004)
NIH/NIDDK T32 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (T32DK007739) (2003)
Research Interests
- Novel approaches toward the diagnosis and treatment of pathologic myopia.
- Scleral collagen-crosslinking
- Multimodal imaging (OCT, US, MRI) of staphylomatous pathologic myopia
- In vivo measurement of scleral stiffness
- Stunting progression of short-sightedness
- Improvement of surgical outcomes in highly myopic eyes
Publications
Hoang QV, Chang S, Yu DJG, Yannuzzi LA, Freund KB and Grinband J. 3-D Assessment of Gaze-Induced Eye Shape Deformations and Downgaze-Induced Vitreous Chamber Volume Increase in Highly Myopic Eyes with Staphyloma. Br J Ophthalmol. 2020. In press.
Jung JJ, Yu DJG, Ito K, Rofagha S, Lee SS, Hoang QV. Quantitative Assessment of Asymmetric Choroidal Outflow in Pachychoroid Eyes on Ultra-Widefield Indocyanine Green Angiography. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2020. In press.
Zheng F, Wong CW, Sabanayagam C, Cheung YB, Matsumura S, Chua J, Man REK, Ohno-Matsui K, Wong TY, Cheng CY, Tai ES, Lamoureux ELED, Schmetterer L, Kuo A, Hoang QV, Saw SM. Prevalence, risk factors and impact of posterior staphyloma diagnosed from wide-field optical coherence tomography in Singapore adults with high myopia. Acta Ophthalmol. 2020 Jun 29. doi: 10.1111/aos.14527.
Jung JJ, Soh YQ, Sha P, Yu S, Durbin MK, Hoang QV. Effects of Induced Astigmatism on Spectral Domain-OCT Angiography Quantitative Metrics. Am J Ophthalmol. 2020 Jul 15:S0002-9394(20)30356-1
Matsumura S, Sabanayagam C, Wong CW, Tan CS, Kuo A, Wong YL, Ohno-Matsui K, Wong TY, Cheng CY, Hoang QV, Saw SM. Characteristics of myopic traction maculopathy in myopic Singaporean adults. Br J Ophthalmol. 2020 May 23:bjophthalmol-2020-316182.
Jung JJ, Yu DJG, Zeng A, Chen MH, Shi Y, Nassisi M, Marion KM, Sadda SR, Hoang QV. Correlation of Quantitative Measurements with Diabetic Disease Severity Using Multiple En Face OCT Angiography Image Averaging. Ophthalmol Retina. 2020 May 7:S2468-6530(20)30192-5.
Hoang QV, Rohrbach D, McFadden SA, Mamou J. Regional changes in the elastic properties of myopic Guinea pig sclera. Exp Eye Res. 2019 Sep;186:107739.
Jung JJ, Cheng J, Pan JY, Brinton DA and Hoang QV. Anatomic, Visual and Financial Outcomes for Traditional and Nontraditional Primary Pneumatic Retinopexy for Retinal Detachment. Am J Ophth. 2019 Apr;200:187-200.
Matsumura S, Saw SM, Hoang QV. Prevention and management of myopia-related blindness. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2019 Feb 1;60(2):488-499.
Jung JJ, Chen MH, Shi Y, Nassisi M, Marion K, Sadda SR and Hoang QV. Correlation of En Face OCT Angiography Averaging versus Single Image Quantitative Measurements with Retinal Vein Occlusion Visual Outcomes. Retina. 2020 Apr;40(4):786-794.
Hoang QV, Chen CL, Garcia-Arumi J, Sherwood PR and Chang S. Radius of curvature changes in spontaneous improvement of foveoschisis in highly myopic eyes. Br J Ophthalmol. 2016 Feb;100(2):222-6.
Sepulveda G, Chang S, Freund KB, Park S and Hoang QV. Late recurrence of myopic foveoschisis after successful repair with primary vitrectomy and membrane peeling. Retina.2014 Sep;34(9):1841-7.
Kim M, Takaoka A, Hoang QV, Trokel SL and Paik DC. Pharmacologic alternatives to riboflavin photochemical corneal cross-linking: a comparison study of cell toxicity thresholds. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014 Apr 10;55(5):3247-57.
Warrow D, Hoang QV and Freund KB. Pachychoroid pigment epitheliopathy. Retina. 2013 Sep;33(8):1659-72.
Hoang QV, Tsuang AJ, Gelman R, Mendonca LS, DellaTorre KE, Jung JJ and Freund KB. Clinical predictors of sustained intraocular pressure elevation from intravitreal Anti-VEGF therapy for neovascular AMD. Retina. 2013 Jan;33(1):179-87.
Hoang QV, Mendonca LS, DellaTorre KE, Jung JJ, Tsuang AJ and Freund KB. Effect on intraocular pressure in patients receiving unilateral intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections. Ophthalmology. 2012 Feb;119(2):321-6.
Hoang QV, Qian H and Ripps H. Functional analysis of hemichannels and gap-junctional channels formed by connexins 43 and 46. Molecular Vision. 2010 Jul 15;16:1343-52.
Hoang QV, Zhao P, Nakajima S, and Nakajima Y. Orexin (hypocretin) effects on constitutively active inward rectifier K+ channels in cultured nucleus basalis neurons. J Neurophysiology. 2004; 92:3183-91
Hoang QV, Bajic D, Yanagisawa M, Nakajima S, and Nakajima Y. Effects of orexin (hypocretin) on GIRK channels. J Neurophysiology. 2003; 90:693-702.
Hoang QV, Linsenmeier RA, Chung CK, and Curcio CA. Photoreceptor inner segments in monkey and human retina: mitochondrial density, optics, and regional variation. Visual Neurosci. 2002;19:395-407.
Research Trials
- Establishment of novel biomarkers for myopia progression in a pathologic myopia cohort
- Targeting scleral stiffness as a therapeutic approach in pathologic myopia in a guinea pig model
- Fine-resolution elastic-property maps of myopic sclera by means of acoustic microscopy
- Quantitative-ultrasound assessment of the myopic sclera
- Development of sustained release hydrogels for delivery of collagen crosslinking agents
- Novel MRI pipeline to localize focal areas of weakness in highly myopic eyes
- Finite element modelling of optic nerve strains in highly myopic eyes with staphyloma
- Establishment of baseline predictors for outcomes after primary pneumatic retinopex
Stay Healthy The Easy Way
Get trusted health advice, offers and more.
Stay Ahead in Healthcare Industry
Subscribe to our exclusive updates for healthcare professionals.
Stay Healthy With
HealthXchange
Health Videos
© 2025 SingHealth Group. All Rights Reserved.