Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases (SEED) Centre

 

Research Objectives

 

The objectives of the SEED programme are to describe the prevalence, incidence, risk factors and impact of major age-related eye diseases, including diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), myopia, angle-closure glaucoma and cataract, through various population-based epidemiological studies.

 

Specific Aims:

 

1. To document the prevalence, incidence, risk factors and public health significance of blinding eye diseases in Singapore and Asia through the conduct of large scale epidemiological studies
2. To foster international collaborations with other public health and ophthalmic institutes in Asia and worldwide
3. To provide research expertise, training and consultation to other researchers and ophthalmic institutions in Singapore and Asia
4. To provide a one-stop “data portal” and information source for eye diseases

 

Research Areas

 

• Prevalence, incidence, risk factors and impact of major age-related eye diseases, including diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), myopia, angle-closure glaucoma and cataract
• Correlations between stroke and dementia with eye diseases
• Retinal imaging for prediction of stroke, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases
• Prevalence and risk factors for visual impairment and age-related eye diseases in 3 major ethnic groups in Singapore
• Identifying risk factors for CVD and Type 2 Diabetes through diet, health and lifestyle
• Identifying novel genes, genetic loci and gene-environment interactions with myopia and other eye diseases

 

 

Programme Highlights

 

1. Retinal Imaging for Disease Prediction: From Bench to Bedside
   PI: Prof Wong Tien Yin
   Funded by NMRC: S$5,500,000
2. Singapore Indian Chinese Cohort Study (SICC)
   PI: Prof Wong Tien Yin
   Funded by BMRC: S$2,272,200
3. Singapore Retinal Image Archival and Analysis Network (SiRIAN) for Disease Prediction
   Network Director: Prof Wong Tien Yin
   PIs: Dr Lim Joo Hwee, A/Prof Tai E Shyong, A/Prof Wynne Hsu, A/Prof Lee Mong Li
   Funded by SBIC: S$987,850, NMRC: S$505,787
4. Multi Centre Retinal Stroke Study
   PI: Prof Wong Tien Yin
   Funded by NMRC: S$271,004, Singhealth: S$43,751
5. The Singapore Prospective Study Programme (SP2)
   PIs: A/Prof Tai E Shyong, Prof Chia Kee Seng
   Funded by NMRC: S$286,700, BMRC: S$550,000
6. Multi Centre Retinal Stroke Study
   PI: Prof Wong Tien Yin
   Funded by NMRC: S$271,004, Singhealth: S$43,751
7. Multi Centre Retinal Stroke Study
   PI: Prof Wong Tien Yin
   Funded by NMRC: S$271,004, Singhealth: S$43,751

 

Collaborations

Through the large-scale epidemiological studies involving thousands of participants, the SEED programme collaborates with researchers from the institutions and hospitals under the Singhealth cluster, NUS, MOH and SNEC, and also leading researchers from Australia, USA and UK.

 

National Collaborators: Institute for Infocomm Research (A*STAR), Genome Institute of Singapore (A*STAR), Alexandra Hospital, Duke–NUS, Health Promotion Board, Ministry of Health, National Cancer Centre Singapore, National Heart Centre, National University Hospital, National University of Singapore, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore Polytechnic, SingHealth, Tan Tock Seng Hospital

 

International Collaborators: Centre for Eye Research (Australia), University of Melbourne (Australia), Duke University (US), Johns Hopkins University (US), Moorfields Eye Hospital (UK), Sankara Nethralaya (India), The University of Sydney (Australia), University of Wisconsin-Madison (US), Zhong Shan Ophthalmic Centre (China)

  

  

Research Achievements

Awards

A/Prof Saw Seang Mei

2009       Faculty Research Excellence Award, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS

2009       American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Achievement Award

Prof Wong Tien Yin

2009       Outstanding Researcher of the Year, National University of Singapore (NUS)

2008       Singapore Translational Researcher (STaR) Award, NMRC

 

Key Representative Publications

 

1. Wong TY, Rosamond WR, Chang P, Couper DJ, Sharret AR, Hubbard LD, Folsom AR, Klein R. Retinopathy and risk of congestive heart failure. Journal of the American Medical Association 2005; 293:63-69
2. Wong TY, Klein R, Sun C, Mitchell P, et al. Age-related macular degenerationand risk for stroke. New England Journal of Medicine 2006;145:98-106
3. Gillies MC, Wong TY, Ranibizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Letter to Editor. New England Journal of Medicine. 2007;356;748-9
4. Wong TY, Mitchell P. The eye in hypertension. Lancet 2007; 369 (9559): 425-35
5. Wong TY. Liew G, Mitchell P. Clinical update: new treatment for age-related macular degeneration. Lancet 2007;370(9583):204-6
6. Mohamed Q, Gillies, MC, Wong TY. Management of diabetic retinopathy: a systematic review. Journal of the American Medical Association 2007;298:902-916
7. Saw SM, Hong CY, Chia KS, Stone RA, Tan Dd. Nearwork and myopia in young children Lancet 357:390 (2001)
8. Chong YS, Liang Y, Gazzard G, Stone RA, Saw SM. Association between breastfeeding and likelihood of myopia in children. JAMA 293:3001-2 (2005)
9. Khor WB, Tin A, Saw SM, Wong TY, Tambyah PA, Tan AL, Beuerman R, Lim L, Chan WK, Heng WJ, Lim J, Loh RSK, Lee SB, Tan DTH. An outbreak of contact lens-associated Fusarium keratitis in Singapore. JAMA 295:2867-73 (2006)
10. Saw SM, Chua WH, Hong CY, Wu HM, Chan WY, Chia KS, Stone RA, Tan D. Nearwork in early onset myopia. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 43:332-9 (2002)

 

Member(s) of programme

 

Program Directors:

Professor Wong Tien Yin

A/Prof Saw Seang Mei

 

Scientific Co-Director:

Dr Ecosse Lamoureux

 

Research Fellows:

Dr Zheng Ying Feng

Dr Wu Renyi

Dr Sabanayagam Charumathi

Dr Carol Cheung Yim Lui

Dr Wong Teck Yee

Dr Mohamad Dirani

 

 

Contact Details

 

Professor Wong Tien Yin Singapore Eye Research Institute 11 Third Hospital Avenue SNEC Building, Level 5 Singapore 168751 Tel     :  6322 4571 Fax    :  6323 1903 Email :  ophwty@nus.edu.sg

Associate Professor Saw Seang Mei Department of Epidemiology and Public Health Yong Loo Ling School of Medicine National University of Singapore 11 Medical Drive MD3, Level 3 Singapore 117597 Tel     :  6516 4976 Fax    :  6779 1489 Email :  ephssm@nus.edu.sg Website :  http://www.seed.com.sg/