Ningli Wang

Director, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, China

What’s been the biggest breakthrough in ophthalmology/your specific field over the last 10 years?

The abnormal trans-laminar cribrosa pressure difference (TLCPD) has been proved by our and other professors’ studies to be one of the pathogenesis factors of normal-tension glaucoma – and it has been called TLCPD theory. The discovery and development of TLCPD theory have aided in the diagnosis and treatment of open-angle glaucoma and other ocular and cerebral diseases.

Is there a particular tool, technological advance, or instrument you would not have been able to live without over the past 10 years?

Microcatheter. It opens a bright new chapter for minimally invasive glaucoma interventional operation. The technology keeps iterative upgrades and will be more perfect when combined with biotechnology.

Where do you predict ophthalmology/your subspecialty will be 10 years from now?

AI-driven digital and teleophthalmology will become prominent in the next 10 years. The technology is gradually approaching maturity, and the cost-effectiveness is continuously improved. This can solve the uneven distribution of human resources, reduce transportation costs, and improve local hospitals’ diagnosis and treatment capabilities. Ophthalmology is a subject that relies on imaging, so AI technology will have more chances to succeed compared with other subjects.

Do you have any personal missions for the next 10 years?

For my mission, it would be to combine MIGS with biomedical science to achieve precise treatment of glaucoma. In order to achieve the ultimate goal of restoring the aqueous outflow pathway structure and drainage regulation function, I have diligently studied the regulation of trabecular meshwork mechanical pump, cell therapy, and gene therapy.