Bio
Chase A. Ludwig, MD, MS is a vitreoretinal surgeon and clinician-scientist focused on improving outcomes for patients with high and pathologic myopia. His work integrates surgical expertise with artificial intelligence and large-scale clinical data to develop practical tools that predict risk, guide treatment, and prevent myopia-related vision loss.
Dr. Ludwig’s research centers on translating data-driven insights into surgical and preventive strategies for retinal detachment, myopic traction maculopathy, and myopic macular degeneration. By combining multimodal imaging, real-world data, and computational modeling, his lab aims to better understand disease mechanisms and design interventions that can be applied directly in clinical practice.
Dr. Ludwig specializes in the management of complex vitreoretinal diseases, with a particular focus on:
• Retinal tears and detachments caused by high myopia
• Myopic macular degeneration and myopic traction maculopathy
• Complex macular holes, especially those related to myopia
• Epiretinal membranes (macular pucker), dislocated lenses, trauma, and proliferative vitreoretinopathy
His surgical expertise includes repairing highly complex retinal detachments, treating advanced macular pathology, and restoring vision in cases that demand precision, innovation, and a deep understanding of myopic disease processes.
Dr. Ludwig currently serves as a Vitreoretinal Surgeon and Assistant Professor in Ophthalmology at the Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, at Stanford University School of Medicine. He graduated summa cum laude from Duke University with a degree in Biology before completing medical school and residency at Stanford University, where he earned induction into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and numerous research awards, including the prestigious Heed Fellowship. He further honed his expertise during a 2-year vitreoretinal surgery fellowship at Massachusetts Eye and Ear at Harvard Medical School, receiving both the Ronald G. Michels Fellowship Foundation Award for outstanding fellows and Harvard’s Thomas J. Madden Fellowship in Retina.
Committed to patient-centered care and surgical education, Dr. Ludwig mentors future vitreoretinal surgeons while advancing practical innovations in myopia management. His work emphasizes collaboration, data-driven decision-making, and precision surgery to reduce the global burden of myopic retinal disease.
