NEI Director Highlights Pediatric Advances, AI’s Promise in Eye Care


At the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) 2026 Annual Meeting, Michael F. Chiang, MD, director of the National Eye Institute (NEI), discussed his path from academic pediatric ophthalmology to federal research leadership and the NEI-supported work he sees as moving the field forward.

Chiang pointed to the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group, an NEI-funded clinical trials network. Because it is often difficult for clinicians to track which of its many published trials apply to which patient, the group launched a digital tool this year to help diagnose and manage amblyopia.1 “Clinical research is most important to the extent that it can be used in the real world,” he said.

Chiang said his 20-year academic career progressed from clinical practice to running a laboratory, leading a department, and directing national projects. “Ultimately, what I learned [about] myself is that I love defining problems and building teams to solve them, and that’s really what led me to the National Eye Institute,” he said.



Source link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *