Bio
Since joining Stanford University in 2009, Dr. Robert Chang has emerged as a trailblazer in cataract and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS). He leads a data science team focused on building Stanford’s Glaucoma Registry and Biorepository and testing the implementation of new technology such as large language models for personalized patient education. His cutting-edge work includes the pursuit of novel glaucoma biomarkers in the aqueous humor as well as the reliability of home virtual reality visual fields and home eye pressure monitoring.
Dr. Chang is renowned for his expertise in both traditional and MIGS (i.e. Hydrus, iStent infinite, OMNI, KDB, Alloflo, iTrack, ECP, Xen, MP3, iDose), along with presbyopia-correcting refractive and complex cataract surgery. He serves as the Co-Director of the Stanford Glaucoma Fellowship and holds the position of Medical Director of Employer-Based Optometry. Additionally, he is an alum of the Stanford Biodesign Faculty Fellowship and Stanford Medicine Leadership Academy which helped him pioneer a week-long design thinking international bootcamp for aspiring innovators in digital health entrepreneurship. He has also served on committees for the American Glaucoma Society, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (digital), and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (program) among others.
Among his notable contributions is the invention of the first universal smartphone adapter designed for capturing images of the eye, licensed out of Stanford. He also previously co-founded a seed-funded digital health startup incubated out of Stanford that brought a smart air pollution wearable from concept to product launch. His latest entrepreneurial endeavor involves a durable medical equipment (DME) for eyecare.
With over 90 peer-reviewed publications, hundreds of lectures delivered globally, and multiple patents to his name, Dr. Chang enjoys combining clinical work, academic scholarship, and medical education. He was a founding member and former vice president of the Asia Pacific Tele-Ophthalmology Society which ushered in the age of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Notably, Dr. Chang was the first medical advisor for Verana Health, a leading real-world electronic record data curation company.
When not immersed in ophthalmology, Dr. Chang cherishes time with his family in the Bay Area, where he was raised. Currently, he loves playing tennis, golf, and pickleball, exploring new technologies as well as new countries, and discovering restaurants, having reviewed over 6,000 on Yelp.
