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FY2026 HMDP VISITING EXPERT IN ADVANCING OPHTHALMIC INNOVATION: IRD RESEARCH, INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS AND TRANSLATIONAL CARE– PROF FRED K CHEN
26 October 2026
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Prof Fred Kuanfu Chen is the Ministry’s HMDP Visiting Expert in Updates in Advancing Ophthalmic Innovation: IRD Research, Industry Partnerships and Translational Care. The HMDP Programme is scheduled for 7 to 11 December 2026.
Professor Fred Kuanfu Chen is an internationally recognized surgeon-scientist and consultant vitreoretinal specialist. He serves as the Director of Research and Head of the Ocular Tissue Engineering Laboratory at the Lions Eye Institute in Perth, Western Australia, as well as Principal Research Fellow at The University of Western Australia.
After completing his ophthalmology training in Australia, Prof Chen undertook advanced subspecialty fellowship training in medical and vitreoretinal surgery at the renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. He subsequently earned his PhD in retinal cell transplantation from the University College London (UCL) Institute of Ophthalmology.
Prof Chen’s clinical and translational research centers on inherited retinal disease (IRD), dry and wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), high-resolution cellular imaging, and clinical trial endpoint validation. His pioneer work bridges laboratory benchwork and bedside application—notably utilizing patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and retinal organoids to model eye diseases, evaluate gene therapies, and advance personalized medicine. He is also a co-inventor of novel therapeutic targeted approaches (such as antisense oligonucleotides) currently undergoing clinical trials for genetic retinal dystrophies.
With over 300 peer-reviewed journal publications, Prof Chen serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief for Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology and sits on the editorial boards of several leading ophthalmic journals. Clinically, he holds consultant appointments at Royal Perth Hospital, Perth Children’s Hospital, and the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.
During his HMDP visit, Prof Chen will share his expertise in cutting-edge retinal diagnostics, surgical strategies for complex vitreoretinal conditions, and translational approaches to novel genetic and cellular therapies.
Programme: Prof Fred K Chen (opens in new tab)
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