Xiaoying Zhu, PhD

Associate Clinical Professor
Biological and Vision Sciences
https://www.sunyopt.edu/education/academics/faculty/xiaoying-zhu
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Bio

Dr. Xiaoying Zhu is currently the Lead Clinician at Myopia Management at the University Eye Center of the SUNY, College of Optometry. She is also leading both clinical and basic research for myopia control, and teaching some didactic courses. Dr. Zhu completed her Ophthalmology residency training in China, after which she started myopia research by investigating the morphological changes in form-deprivation myopia using the chick model. Since herpost-doctoral training at the City College of City University of New York, she has been studying the signaling molecules regulating emmetropization and temporal integration of defocus, in search of potential methods for preventing and/or controlling myopia progression in school-aged children. Dr. Zhu also studied some intrinsic, non-visual factors involved in emmetropization and eye growth during her PhD in Australia. Hoping to apply her knowledge and clinical and research experience on patients for myopia control, she completed an OD from the New England College of Optometry. She is currently a full-time faculty member at SUNY College of Optometry, and serves as Principle Investigator for multiple clinical trials for myopia control. She mentors Master students, and reviews manuscripts for multiple peer-reviewed journals. She is currently the Section Chair at the Annual Meeting Program Committee for The Association for Research inVision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). She is also serving on the Curriculum Committee and Academic Advising Committee at the college. She received the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research Annual Emerging Vision Scientist Award in 2020.

Education

  • PhD, Vision Science, University of Newcastle, 2017
  • OD, Doctor of Optometry, New England College of Optometry, 2015
  • MS, Ophthalmology, China Medical University, 1998
  • MD, Clinical Medicine, China Medical University, 1993

Residency/Other Post Graduate Training

  • Research Associate - City College of City University of New York, 2012
  • Ophthalmology - First Hospital, China Medical University, 1998

Certifications

  • Euclid OrthoK - , 2016
  • Paragon CRT - , 2016
  • New York State Optometry License - The University of the State of New York, Education Department, Office of the Professions,

Awards/Honors

  • Alliance for Eye and Vision Research Annual Emerging Vision Scientist, 2020
  • ARVO Leadership Development Program for Women, 2019
  • The NIH Loan Repayment Program, 2019
  • The NIH Loan Repayment Program, 2016

Professional Experience

  • Associate Clinical Professor, SUNY College of Optometry, 2022 - Present
  • Assistant Clinical Professor, SUNY College of Optometry, 2015 - Present
  • Research Associate, City College of City University of New York, 1999 - 2012
  • Attending Ophthmalologist, First Hospital, China Medical University, 1998 - 1999
  • Ophthalmology Resident, First Hospital, China Medical Unuversity, 1993 - 1998

Teaching Interests

-Myopia Control

-Clinical Medicine

-Clinical Optometry

-Human Biosciences

-Gross Human Anatomy

Courses Taught Most Recent Academic Year

BVS 225SA
Clinical Medicine

BVS 225SA
Clinical Medicine

Research Interests

Dr. Zhu's principal research interests encompass emmetropization, visual development and myopia. Specifically, she has been studying the signaling molecules regulating emmetropization and temporal integration of defocus, in search of potential methods for preventing and/or treating myopia in school-aged children, because myopia is a major public health concern and is speculated to affect half of the population by 2050. It is important to understand the molecular pathways involved in eye growth modulation and myopia development, and her research has shown that glucagon and insulin are potential signaling molecules that act to reduce and enhance myopia development, respectively. In addition, Dr. Zhu also discovered that the retina does not integrate defocus in a linear fashion. In fact, the signals regulating eye growth rise quickly and become saturated during the exposure, and decay slowly between exposure. Also, the signals regulating hyperopic development are very long lasting, which may explains why myopic defocus can be used to reduce myopia progression, Dr. Zhu is currently collaborating with Drs. Regan Ashby and Pauline Kang in Australia to further investigate the retina’s response to defocus.

Dr. Zhu is also conducting multiple clinical trials to study the effect of accommodation on the effect of multifocal contact lenses for myopia control. Preliminary results that reduced accommodation during contact lens wear is associated with axial elongation.

Clinical Interests

Myopia control in school-aged children and adults with progressive myopia, using Orthokeratology, multifocal soft contact lenses, low dose atropine, and bifocals/PALs.

Publications

  • Temporal properties of positive and negative defocus on emmetropization, Nature Scientific Reports 12 3582 3582, 2022
  • Chick Eyes Can Recover from Lens Compensation without Visual Cues, Optom Vis Sci 97 (8): 606–615 606–615, 2020
  • In vitro effects of insulin and RPE on choroidal and scleral components of eye growth in chicks., Experimental eye research 116 439-48 439-48, 2013
  • Temporal integration of visual signals in lens compensation (a review). , Exp Eye Res 114 (Sep): 69-76 69-76, 2013
  • Effects of muscarinic agents on chick choroids in intact eyes and eyecups: evidence for a muscarinic mechanism in choroidal thinning., Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists) 33 (3): 245-56 245-56, 2013
  • Eyes in various species can shorten to compensate for myopic defocus., Investigative ophthalmology & visual science 54 (4): 2634-44 2634-44, 2013
  • Temporal properties of compensation for positive and negative spectacle lenses in chicks, IOVS 50 (1): 37-46 37-46, 2009
  • Opposite effects of glucagon and insulin on compensation for spectacle lenses in chicks., Investigative ophthalmology & visual science 50 (1): 24-36 24-36, 2009
  • In a matter of minutes, the eye can know which way to grow., Investigative ophthalmology & visual science 46 (7): 2238-41 2238-41, 2005
  • Ocular compensation for alternating myopic and hyperopic defocus., Vision research 45 (13): 1667-77 1667-77, 2005
  • Potency of myopic defocus in spectacle lens compensation., Investigative ophthalmology & visual science 44 (7): 2818-27 2818-27, 2003

Presentations

  • Uncorrected Visual Acuity Showed More OFF-Pathway Deficit in Myopic Children, 2023
    Poster

Services

University

  • 2018 - 2022 : Curriculum Committee - Committee member

Clinical

  • 2016 - Present : Myopia Control Clinic - Lead Clinician

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