Prof Chee Soon Phaik

Biography

Prof Chee graduated from the National University of Singapore in 1984 and received her FRCS(G), FRCS(Ed), FRCOphth and MMed(S’pore) in 1990. She was one of the pioneer ophthalmologists of the Singapore National Eye Centre which she joined in February 1991. She did her fellowship training in the both Oculoplastics and Uveitis in 1993 at the Moorfields Eye Hospital, London. On her return, she directed her time and efforts to building up the Ocular Inflammation and Immunology Department in SNEC. She has trained 4 local fellows and 6 international fellows and continues to attract fellows from the Asia-Pacific region and even as far as the Middle-East. She became a member of the International Uveitis Study Group in 2002 and continues to play an active role organizing symposia in international meetings. She is a member of the VKH International Committee and hosted the 6th VKH 2nd Sarcoidosis international workshop in Singapore in February 2009. In addition, she is a member of both the Clinical Consensus Group for Standardisation of Uveitis Nomenclature, and International Sarcoidosis Workshop. Prof Chee was instrumental in the formation of the Asia Pacific Intraocular Study Group in June 2006 of which she is the Secretary General. She organized both the inaugural and second meeting in Singapore. Prof Chee’s other passion is in cataract surgery. She is actively engaged in the evaluation of cutting edge technology intraocular lenses (IOL) and phacoemulsification equipment. She specializes in anterior segment reconstruction and managing complicated cases, such as subluxated cataracts and IOLs. She has been invited to speak on her technique of cataract surgery both in the region and internationally, and has been the director of many cataract teaching courses and performed numerous live surgeries. She has also developed new techniques for managing complicated cataracts, which she has published.In addition to clinical work and research, Prof Chee is a keen teacher and received the Best Teacher award by SNEC in 2000 and the American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement award 2007. She is also an Asia Pacific Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (APACRS) Certified Educator (A.C.E), recognized for her contribution in teaching cataract surgery in the region. She has over 100 peer review publications, co-authored 3 textbooks and contributed several book chapters.

Research Interest

Prof Chee’s uveitis research interests are mainly in Vogt-Koyanagi Harada Disease, Cytomegalovirus infection in the immunocompetent, dengue maculopathy and endogenous endophthalmitis; and have made significant contributions to the ophthalmic literature.