Singapore National Eye Centre / Singapore Eye Research Institute

24/04/2026

From robotic process automation (RPA) in action to data-driven insights, alongside our SNEC Enterprise Strategic Plan (2024–2034) and Eye Population Health Strategy, the showcases highlighted how we are shaping more sustainable, future-ready eye care.

At the Strategy & Innovation Office SIOcase 2026 held yesterday, we got a closer look at how ideas are turning into real impact at SNEC.

It’s all part of how we are turning insights into meaningful outcomes for our patients and community, one step at a time.

23/04/2026

Inherited eye diseases are a diverse group of conditions that can affect different parts of the eye, including the cornea, eyelids, lens, retina and optic nerve. These conditions may be passed down from one generation to another. As many inherited eye diseases remain undiagnosed for years, delays in diagnosis can affect timely management and care.

SNEC’s Ocular Genetics Service (OGS) brings together a multidisciplinary team of ophthalmologists, geneticists and genetic counsellors to diagnose and manage inherited retinal and ocular conditions, providing genetic diagnostic services and personalised management plans for each patient.

Advances in genetic testing now allow for more precise and routine diagnosis, enabling targeted treatment approaches. Genetic counselling also helps patients and families understand inheritance patterns and support informed family planning decisions.

As a key contributor to global research on rare genetic eye diseases, SNEC continues to advance future therapies and standards of care. Improved genetic testing capabilities have also significantly shortened the diagnostic journey.

Find out more at
👉 https://www.snec.com.sg/our-specialties/clinic-locations/ocular-genetics-service

20/04/2026

Congratulations to Associate Professor Daniel Ting Shu Wei, who has been recognised with the Future Vision Foundation (FVF) Laureate Award, honouring visionary leaders whose work is changing the future of sight.

Presented by the Future Vision Foundation, a US‑based nonprofit organisation, the FVF Laureate Award recognises physician‑scientists and innovators who have made exceptional, transformative contributions to preventing, treating, or restoring vision. The award places strong emphasis on translational, real‑world impact, advancing ophthalmology and related fields.

The FVF Laureate Award also aims to inspire philanthropy and raise public awareness of groundbreaking vision research through storytelling and film.

🎬 Watch the short film to see how A/Prof Ting and his team are leveraging AI to improve diagnostic accuracy and transform eye care:

https://vimeo.com/1176284651?

Congratulations once again, A/Prof Ting!

17/04/2026

Parents, protecting our child’s vision starts with small daily habits.

• Let’s encourage our child to take frequent eye breaks by following the 20-20-20 rule: Look at objects 20 feet away for 20 seconds after every 20 minutes of near work or activity (e.g. homework, reading, usage of electronic device).

• Engage in frequent outdoor activities to prevent onset of, and slow down, myopia progression.

• Reduce the strain on our child’s eyes by increasing the illumination of their study space with a table lamp.

These simple steps can help reduce eye strain and slow myopia progression.

For more information, visit our website:
https://www.snec.com.sg/our-specialties/clinic-locations/myopia-centre/eye-care-tips

16/04/2026

Cataracts are one of the most common eye conditions as we age, caused by the clouding of the eye’s natural lens.
Some signs to look out for include:

▪ Cloudy or blurry vision
▪ Poor night vision
▪ Colours seem faded
▪ Glare and haloes
▪ Frequent prescription changes in your eyeglasses or contact lenses (“power” keeps changing)

The good news is that cataracts are treatable, and an eye examination can help determine if surgery is needed to replace the cloudy lens.

If you notice changes in your vision, consider having your eyes checked. Early assessment can help you better understand your eye health and available options.

Please see https://www.snec.com.sg/symptoms-treatments/cataract

14/04/2026

SNEC was proud to co-organise the SingHealth Public Forum – “Loving Life”, held on Saturday, 11 April 2026. Nearly 600 participants joined us for an inspiring day of engaging talks and meaningful interactions, celebrating health, wellness, and living life to the fullest. It was an inspiring day focused on empowering our vibrant community with the knowledge to take charge of their well-being 💖

We were delighted to connect with participants and share insights on common eye conditions such as Cataracts and Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). The forum featured speakers including Dr Lim Hou-Boon, Senior Consultant (Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology), SNEC, Head of the SNEC Eye Clinic at Changi General Hospital, and Dr Christopher Sun, Consultant (Medical Retina), SNEC. 👨‍⚕️

Speakers from the other SingHealth national specialist centres and hospitals spoke on various healthcare topics at the full-day event. Thank you to everyone who attended and made this forum a success! Please stay tuned for more events and public forums in 2026. 🗓️

13/04/2026

The SNEC 35th Anniversary International Meeting is fast approaching! This meeting is held in conjunction with the 8th Asia-Pacific Glaucoma Congress in Singapore on 24 – 26 July 2026. Hear from our Scientific Programme Co-Chair, Prof Jodhbir Mehta, as he shares what you can expect from this year’s dynamic scientific programme and why you won’t want to miss it!

Early bird deadline for registration closes on Sunday, 24 May 2026. Register now to enjoy a competitive early bird registration rate.

Visit https://apgcongress.org/ for more information. See you in July!

11/04/2026

See an SNEC specialist – near your home

Did you know? You can consult our eye specialists at multiple locations across Singapore:

✅ Sengkang General Hospital (SKH)

✅ Changi General Hospital (CGH)

✅ SNEC Eye Clinic @ Bedok (Blk 212)

✅ KK Women’s & Children’s Hospital (KKH) (for children)

Eye surgeries by SNEC doctors are also available at SKH, CGH and KKH.

Same specialist care, more convenient locations, and a smoother experience for everyone.

📞 Approach our staff for appointment or surgery enquiries.

09/04/2026

Primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) is a major cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, affecting over 20 million people, particularly in Asia and Singapore. Compared with other types of glaucoma, PACG is more than 2.5 times likely to cause blindness. What is worrying is that it often develops without early symptoms and can appear suddenly as a medical emergency.

To better understand what drives this disease and develop new treatments, SERI scientists and collaborators studied the role of rare genetic variants in PACG. Using whole exome sequencing, they analysed the genetic makeup of 4,667 people with PACG and 5,473 unaffected individuals from Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and Vietnam.

The findings point to a gene UBOX5. People carrying a rare, protein-altering variant in UBOX5 had about a 2-fold increased risk of developing PACG. This was confirmed in a study that had over 480,000 participants. The UBOX5 protein appears to work by acting on another protein called BIP, which helps our cells cope with stress. When UBOX5 doesn't function well, this protective mechanism is disrupted, contributing to the development of PACG.

The key collaborators of this study, Prof Aung Tin who is also CEO of SNEC-SERI, Asst Prof Wang Zhenxun from DUKE-NUS/SERI, Prof Chiea Chuen Khor, Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR (GIS) comment, “Through whole exome sequencing, our team discovered that that rare changes in the UBOX5 gene increase risk of Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma (PACG), a major cause of blindness in Asia and worldwide, by disrupting how eye cells handle stress, revealing a new disease mechanism and potential target for treatment.”

Read the full study in Nature Communications: https://ddei5-0-ctp.trendmicro.com:443/wis/clicktime/v1/query?url=https%3a%2f%2fdoi.org%2f10.1038%2fs41467%2d025%2d62775%2dx&umid=71DE2B4D-4E78-2D06-B0DA-160C06CBB80F&auth=ce6a3f6d14c1e3e3f878a8a607dd7ee2cb794b08-4ac2dad87992f2be003185b0ea99fbfc745286a5

07/04/2026

SNEC is enhancing patient care through our new Routine Eye Assessment Clinic (REAC) model. Designed for newly referred, non-urgent cases from polyclinics, REAC introduces a more streamlined triage approach to improve access and efficiency. By leveraging app-assisted questionnaires and image-based assessments, the model supports clinical decision-making while enabling smoother workflows and a more seamless patient journey. Prof Aung Tin, CEO, SNEC updated on REAC and how this has improved the patient care process at SNEC.

Our staff are our greatest asset, and mental well-being is important. The Intellect app, supported by SingHealth’s Staff Wellness Office, provides our staff with personalised self-guided programmes, mood tracking, and access to professional coaching when needed. Dr Anita Chan, co-chair from SNEC Staff Wellness Committee encouraged staff to download and use the app and shared the Wellness Committee’s plans for the year.

Also, as part of our Digital Health Readiness, SNEC is preparing over the next two years to align with One Digital SingHealth initiatives — Next Generation Electronic Medical Record (EPIC), the National Billing System, and the National Harmonised Integrated Pharmacy System, marking an exciting step forward for the SNEC-SERI team. Dr Ng Si Rui, one of the key representatives for SNEC-SERI Digital Health Readiness shared these initiatives.

03/04/2026

We're hiring!

Walk-in interviews for Patient Service Associate (PSA) is happening at SNEC on April 14th.

If you enjoy working with people and want to be part of a team that cares for patients' eye health, come join us.

Date: 14 April 2026, Tuesday

Place: Singapore National Eye Centre, Level 4 Auditorium (via Lobby C), 11 Third Hospital Ave, Singapore 168751

Time: 9am – 12pm | 2pm – 5pm (last registration at 4.30pm)

Scan the QR code on the poster to register, or just walk in.

01/04/2026

Can we prevent blindness?

Earlier diagnosis is a big part of the answer, says Prof Leopold Schmetterer, Head of Ocular Imaging Research Group, SERI and the inaugural SNEC-SERI Professor in Ophthalmic Engineering & Technology.

With a grant gift in 2023 to enhance education and research at NTU, the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) and Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) jointly established the SNEC/SERI Professorship in Translational Ophthalmic Engineering. This Professorship will strengthen collaboration between SNEC/SERI and NTU in ocular engineering research, through joint initiatives spanning discovery, development and translation.

Under the SERI-NTU Advanced Ocular Engineering (STANCE) programme, Prof Schmetterer is integrating hardware innovation with advanced software to develop customised imaging and diagnostic tools that could measure signals that were previously difficult to visualise such as blood flow and neural activity. This will lead to improved disease understanding and management.

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNA8bsRdc6s

What if blindness could be detected and prevented before vision is lost? Prof Leopold Schmetterer, the inaugural SNEC/SERI Professor in Ophthalmic Engineerin...