An inaugural Academic Symposium, "Academic Symposium on Frontiers of Ocular-Brain Neurology and Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Optic Nerve Diseases" jointly initiated by Professor Patrick Yu-Wai-Man, Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and Director of the Cambridge Clinical Vision Laboratory, Professor Wu Wencan, Vice President of Wenzhou Medical University and Chief Physician at Wenzhou Medical University Eye Hospital, and Researcher Fang Xiaohong, Deputy Director of the Hangzhou Institute of Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, was successfully held at the University of Cambridge on 11 June 2026.

 Leading experts from the Cambridge Clinical Vision Laboratory, Wenzhou Medical University, and the Hangzhou Institute of Medicine,CAS, Sciences conducted in-depth discussions and exchanges on precision diagnosis and treatment of optic nerve diseases. Additionally, both parties explored their shared vision for establishing a close collaborative partnership and outlined a comprehensive and beautiful blueprint for promoting mutual development.

During the conference, experts respectively presented updates on their respective institutions and team development. Professor Patrick Yu-Wai-Man, a leading international authority in neurophthalmology, serves not only as Director of the Cambridge Clinical Vision Laboratory (CCVL) and Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Cambridge but also as Senior Consultant Physician at Adenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, and Moorfields Eye Hospital, University College London (UCL). He systematically shared original innovations and outstanding achievements in cutting-edge fields such as mitochondrial dysregulation mechanisms in optic nerve diseases and gene therapy. Professor Wu Wencan delivered a lecture titled "Establishment of mini-invasive endoscopic surgery system for Optic nerve diseases and its clinical application", while Research Fellow Fang Xiaohong presented lecture themed "Single-Molecule Imaging of Protein: Tumor Biomarker Discovery and Molecular Therapy".

Professor Patrick Yu-Wai-Man highly commended the outstanding academic achievements and standards of the Eye Hospital at Wenzhou Medical University and the Hangzhou Institute of Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He particularly praised Professor Wu Wencan for pioneering the development of the endoscopic minimally invasive treatment system for optic nerves, describing it as "a marvelous and groundbreaking advancement in neurophthalmology." He expressed anticipation that this key technology would facilitate enhanced collaboration between basic research and clinical transform and application, leading to further original and significant breakthroughs. Additionally, he demonstrated great interest and appreciation for Researcher Fang Xiaohong's intelligent molecular diagnostic technology, hoping it could be applied to the precise diagnosis and treatment of neurophthalmic diseases, thereby advancing the field of neurophthalmology.

Professor Wu Wencan stated that Wenzhou Medical University Eye Hospital ranks among the top tier in China's ophthalmology field in terms of clinical diagnosis and treatment, ophthalmic medical education, talent cultivation, scientific research, and translational applications. The Hangzhou Institute of Medicine of the Chinese Academy of Sciences serves as the primary platform for China's life sciences and health innovation hub, and the jointly established "Eye Research Center" has gradually become a leading force in cutting-edge fundamental research in ophthalmology, demonstrating significant leading role. The Cambridge Clinical Vision Laboratory is a global benchmark for translational vision medicine. It is hoped that both parties will collaborate closely, leverage their respective strengths, focus on developing key technologies for eye-brain information interaction and neural function reconstruction, overcome challenges, and achieve landmark, breakthrough results to propel the leapfrog development of neuro-ophthalmology.

Research Fellow Fang Xiaohong pointed out that the Hangzhou Institute of Medicine of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is the first directly affiliated medical research institution under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and has now entered a phase of rapid development. The "Eye Research Center" jointly established with Wenzhou Medical University Eye Hospital is demonstrating robust growth momentum. Collaborating with the University of Cambridge and Moorfields Eye Hospital through sincere cooperation among all parties will inject a significant boost to ophthalmology research.

Professor Patrick Yu-Wai-Man explicitly stated that the Cambridge Clinical Vision Laboratory and Moorfields Eye Hospital will establish a regular joint academic exchange mechanism with the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University and the Hangzhou Institute of Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, through collaborative research projects, co-hosting high-level international academic conferences, mutual talent exchange and training, a novel model of international cooperation and exchange will be developed, aims to fully leverage each institution's strengths and expertise, fostering close collaboration among all four parties to advance technological innovation in the field of international neurophthalmology.

Researcher He Min, Member of the Executive Committee at the Hangzhou Institute of Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with Dr. Cai Shenglin from the Cambridge Clinical Vision Laboratory and other leading scholars in the field, jointly attended this conference. (Photo provided by Chen Lulu)

The photo shows Professor Wencan Wu, Researcher Xiaohong Fang, and Researcher Min He visiting the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

Expert Introduction

Professor Patrick Yu-Wai-Man

Patrick Yu-Wai-Man, MD, Ph.D; Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists; Senior Research Fellow at the National Health Research Institute; Chair of Ophthalmology, University of Cambridge, Director of the Cambridge Clinical Vision Laboratory; Senior Consultant at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and Moorfields Eye Hospital in London; President of the European Association for Visual and Ophthalmic Research (EVER); and Trustee of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO).

https://mitocamb.medschl.cam.ac.uk/meet-our-staff/patrick-yu-wai-man/