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About Dr Cynthia Yu-Wai-Man

Dr Cynthia Yu-Wai-Man MBBS PhD FRCOphth is a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon and Clinician Scientist with expertise in glaucoma and cataract, who has undertaken joint clinical and academic training in ophthalmology at King's College London & St Thomas' Hospital and University College London & Moorfields Eye Hospital.

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She qualified from Newcastle University in 2005 and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (London) in 2013. In 2014, she was awarded a prestigious NIHR UCL Francis Crick Institute Clinical Research Fellowship and spent three years researching how to improve the success rate in glaucoma surgery at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital (PhD 2014-2017).

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In 2019, she was awarded a prestigious King's Prize Fellowship and she has set up her independent research lab. She has completed her subspecialty surgical fellowship in glaucoma at St Thomas' Hospital (London). She is a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon and specialises in cataract surgery and in the medical, laser and surgical management of glaucoma. She has also received a Medical Research Council Clinician Scientist Award in 2020, and a Medical Research Council Transition Fellowship in 2025.

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Dr Yu-Wai-Man has been awarded over £3 million in research funding over the last five years. She leads the Glaucoma and Therapeutics Lab at King's College London. She has set up a unique UK Glaucoma BioResource of RNA, DNA and tissue samples from glaucoma patients, linked to detailed longitudinal phenotyping, which will open unprecedented avenues for translational research and future collaborations. She is also the Chief Investigator of advanced therapeutics and nanomedicine in glaucoma surgery. She has published many peer-reviewed publications and receives several invitations to speak and chair conferences internationally.

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Funders

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QUALIFICATIONS

  • PhD 2017 Doctor of Philosophy (University College London)

  • FRCOphth 2013 Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (London)

  • MBBS 2005 Bachelor of Medicine & Surgery (Newcastle University)

Professional Memberships

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

  • Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (London)

  • Member of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

  • Member of the World Glaucoma Congress

  • Member of the World Ophthalmology Congress

  • Member of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology

  • Member of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy

  • Member of the General Medical Council

Awards

AWARDS

  • MRC Transition Fellowship (PI), 2025-2027; £536,880

  • MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship (PI), 2020-2025; £1.5 million

  • Industry funded Project Grant (PI), 2024-2025; £250,000

  • King’s-China Scholarship Council PhD studentship (PI), 2024-2027; £182,377

  • Self-funded PhD studentship (PI), 2022-2025; £166,402

  • Innovate UK Project Grant (Co-I), 2020-2022; £494,648

  • King’s Prize Fellowship (PI), 2019-2020; £134,612

  • NIHR CRN London Strategic Greenshoots Funding (PI), 2019-2020; £12,500

  • Moorfields Eye Charity Project Grant (Co-I), 2017-2018; £82,402

  • MRC Confidence-in-Concept Project Grant (PI), 2016-2017; £100,000

  • UCL MSc in Gene Therapy Studentship (Co-I), 2017; £2,500

  • ARVO International Travel Research Grant (PI), 2016; $1,100

  • EUREKA Fellowship in Translational Medicine (PI), 2015; €2,500

  • NIHR UCL Francis Crick Institute Clinical Research Fellowship (PI), 2014-2017; £190,000

  • North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society Best Oral Presentation Prize, 2013; $750

  • International Ophthalmology Society Best Research Poster Prize, 2012; $200

  • Royal College of Ophthalmologists Ivor Levy Research Prize, 2011; £250

Publications

PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

  • Jiang W, Ulker Z, Thong KX, Qin M, Yu-Wai-Man C. Applying nanotechnology to glaucoma therapy: past, present, and future. Nanomedicine (Lond). 2025 Apr 25:1-3. doi: 10.1080/17435889.2025.2497748.

  • Luo J, Fajardo-Sanchez J, Qin M, Patel B, Mahtani K, Ho H, Yu-Wai-Man C. Preliminary antifibrotic and vasoconstrictor effects of adrenaline in Schlemm’s canal and suprachoroidal minimally invasive glaucoma surgery in primary open-angle glaucoma. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2025;263(2):489-500.

  • Qin M, Luo J, Patel B, Thong KX, Latefa S, Yu-Wai-Man C. Developing a synergistic rate-retarding polymeric implant for controlling monoclonal antibody delivery in minimally invasive glaucoma surgery. Int J Biol Macromol. 2024;272(Pt 1):132655.

  • Paleel F, Qin M, Tagalakis AD, Yu-Wai-Man C, Lamprou DA. Manufacturing and Characterisation of 3D-printed sustained-release Timolol implants for glaucoma treatment. Drug Deliv Transl Res. 2025;15(1):242-252.

  • Thong KX, Andriesei P, Luo J, Qin M, Ng J, Tagalakis AD, Hysi P, Yu-Wai-Man C. Adrenaline blocks key cell cycle genes and exhibits antifibrotic and vasoconstrictor effects in glaucoma surgery. Exp Eye Res. 2023;233:109561.

  • Qin M, Yu-Wai-Man C. Glaucoma: Novel antifibrotic therapeutics for the trabecular meshwork. Eur J Pharmacol. 2023; 954:175882.

  • Kafetzis KN, Papalamprou N, McNulty E, Thong KX, Sato Y, Mironov A, Purohit A, Welsby PJ, Harashima H, Yu-Wai-Man C, Tagalakis AD. The Effect of Cryoprotectants and Storage Conditions on the Transfection Efficiency, Stability, and Safety of Lipid-Based Nanoparticles for mRNA and DNA Delivery. Adv Healthc Mater. 2023;12(18):e2203022.

  • Ioannou N, Luo J, Qin M, Di Luca M, Mathew E, Tagalakis AD, Lamprou DA, Yu-Wai-Man C. 3D printed long-acting 5-fluorouracil implant to prevent conjunctival fibrosis in glaucoma. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2023;75(2):276-286.

  • Luo J, Tan G, Thong KX, Kafetzis KN, Vallabh N, Sheridan CM, Sato Y, Harashima H, Tagalakis AD, Yu-Wai-Man C. Non-viral gene therapy in trabecular meshwork cells to prevent fibrosis in minimally invasive glaucoma surgery. Pharmaceutics. 2022; 14(11):2472.

  • Tan G, Ioannou N, Mathew E, Tagalakis AD, Lamprou DA, Yu-Wai-Man C. 3D printing in Ophthalmology: From medical implants to personalised medicine. Int J Pharm. 2022;625:122094.

  • Tanner A, Haddad F, Fajardo-Sanchez J, Nguyen E, Thong KX, Ah-Moye S, Perl N, Abu-Bakra M, Kulkarni A, Trikha S, Lascaratos G, Parnell M, Kailani O, King AJ, Agrawal P, Stead R, Giannouladis K, Rodrigues I, Goyal S, Hysi PG, Lim S, Yu-Wai-Man C. One-year surgical outcomes of the PreserFloTM MicroShunt in glaucoma: a multicentre analysis. Br J Ophthalmol. 2023;107(8):1104-1111.

  • Magan T, Tanner A, Fajardo-Sanchez J, Lim KS, Goyal S, Rodrigues I, Amaya L, Trikha S, Kulkarni A, Hammond C, Lascaratos G, Yu-Wai-Man C. Long-term outcomes in Primary Congenital Glaucoma, Aniridia and Anterior Segment Dysgenesis. Eur J Ophthalmol. 2022; 32(5):2920-27.

  • Salazar-Quiñones L, Yu-Wai-Man C, De Antonio Ramirez A, Méndez-Hernández CD, Daas A, Garcia-Feijoo J, Guzman-Almagro E, Fernández-Pérez C, Sheng Lim K. Peripapillary and optic nerve head vessel density of Afro-Caribbean and European descent glaucoma and healthy subjects: a pilot study. J Fr Opthalmol. 2022; 45(2):207-15.

  • Sanghani A, Andriesei P, Kafetzis KN, Tagalakis AD, Yu-Wai-Man C. Advances in exosome therapies in ophthalmology-From bench to clinical trial. Acta Ophthalmol. 2022; 100(3):243-52.

  • Sanghani A, Kafetzis KN, Sato Y, Elboraie S, Fajardo-Sanchez J, Harashima H, Tagalakis AD, Yu-Wai-Man C. Novel PEGylated Lipid Nanoparticles Have a High Encapsulation Efficiency and Effectively Deliver MRTF-B siRNA in Conjunctival Fibroblasts. Pharmaceutics. 2021;13(3):382.

  • Gupta A, Kafetzis KN, Tagalakis AD, Yu-Wai-Man C. RNA therapeutics in ophthalmology - translation to clinical trials. Exp Eye Res. 2021;205:108482.

  • Nagar A, Daas A, Danieliute L, Alaghband P, Yu-Wai-Man C, Amon A, Galvis E, Lim KS. Effect of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HiFU) treatment on intraocular pressure and aqueous humour dynamics: 12 -months results. Eye (Lond). 2021;35(9):2499-2505.

  • Fernando O, Tagalakis AD, Awwad S, Brocchini S, Khaw PT, Hart SL, Yu-Wai-Man C. Development of targeted siRNA nanocomplexes to prevent fibrosis in experimental glaucoma filtration surgery. Mol Ther. 2018 Dec 5; 26(12): 2812-2822.​

  • Liang Y, Peng J, Li N, Yu-Wai-Man C, Wang Q, Xu Y, Wang H, Tagalakis AD, Du Z. Smart Nanoparticles Assembled by Endogenous Molecules for siRNA Delivery and Cancer Therapy via CD44 and EGFR Dual-targeting. Nanomedicine. 2019 Jan; 15(1): 208-217.​

  • Tagalakis AD, Madaam S, Larsen SD, Neubig RR, Khaw PT, Rodrigues IA, Goyal S, Lim KS, Yu-Wai-Man C. In vitro and in vivo delivery of a sustained release nanocarrier-based formulation of an MRTF/SRF inhibitor in conjunctival fibrosis. J Nanobiotechnology. 2018 Nov 27; 16(1): 97.​​

  • Yu-Wai-Man C, Arno G, Brookes J, Garcia-Feijoo J, Khaw PT, Moosajee M. Primary congenital glaucoma including next-generation sequencing-based approaches: clinical utility gene card. Eur J Hum Genet. 2018 Nov; 26(11): 1713-1718.​

  • Yu-Wai-Man C, Tagalakis AD, Meng JH, Bouremel Y, Lee RM, Virasami A, Hart SL, Khaw PT. Genotype-phenotype associations of IL-6 and PRG4 with conjunctival fibrosis after glaucoma surgery. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2017 Nov 1; 135(11): 1147-1155.​

  • Yu-Wai-Man C, Owen N, Lees J, Tagalakis AD, Hart SL, Webster AR, Orengo CA, Khaw PT. Genome-wide RNA-Sequencing analysis identifies a distinct fibrosis gene signature in the conjunctiva after glaucoma surgery. Sci Rep. 2017 Jul 17; 7(1): 5644. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-05780-5.​

  • Yu-Wai-Man C, Spencer-Dene B, Lee RM, Hutchings K, Lisabeth EM, Treisman R, Bailly M, Larsen SD, Neubig RR, Khaw PT. Local delivery of novel MRTF/SRF inhibitors prevents scar tissue formation in a preclinical model of fibrosis. Sci Rep. 2017 Mar 31; 7(1): 518.​

  • Tagalakis AD, Maeshima R, Yu-Wai-Man C, Meng J, Syed F, Wu LP, Aldossary AM, McCarthy D, Moghimi SM, Hart SL. Peptide and nucleic acid-directed self-assembly of cationic nanovehicles through giant unilamellar vesicle modification: targetable nanocomplexes for in vivo nucleic acid delivery. Acta Biomater. 2017 Mar 15; 51: 351-362.​

  • Yu-Wai-Man C, Treisman R, Khaw PT, Bailly M. Targeting the MRTF/SRF gene transcription pathway in conjunctival fibrosis in glaucoma. Lancet. 2016; 387: S111, doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00498-0.​

  • Yu-Wai-Man C, Khaw PT. Personalised medicine in ocular fibrosis: myth or future biomarkers. Adv Wound Care (New Rochelle). 2016; 5(9): 390-402.​

  • Yu-Wai-Man C, Tagalakis AD, Manunta MD, Hart SL, Khaw PT. Receptor-targeted liposome-peptide-siRNA nanoparticles represent an efficient delivery system for MRTF silencing in conjunctival fibrosis. Sci Rep. 2016 Feb 24; 6: 21881; doi: 10.1038/srep21881.​

  • Yu-Wai-Man C, Khaw PT. Developing novel anti-fibrotic therapeutics to modulate post-surgical wound healing in glaucoma: big potential for small molecules. Expert Rev Ophthalmol. 2015; 10(1): 65-76.​

  • Yu-Wai-Man C, Treisman R, Bailly M, Khaw PT. The role of the MRTF-A/SRF pathway in ocular fibrosis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014; 55(7): 4560-4567.​

  • Yu-Wai-Man C, Smith FE, Firbank MJ, Guthrie G, Guthrie S, Gorman GS, Taylor RW, Turnbull DM, Griffiths PG, Blamire AM, Chinnery PF, Yu-Wai-Man P. Extraocular muscle atrophy and CNS involvement in chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia. PLoS One. 2013; 8(9): e75048.​

  • Yu-Wai-Man C, Petheram K, Davidson AW, Williams T, Griffiths PG. A supranuclear disorder of ocular motility as a rare initial presentationof motor neurone disease. Neuro-ophthalmology. 2011; 35(1): 38-39.​

  • Yu-Wai-Man C, Steel D. Visual survival after open globe injury predicted by the Ocular Trauma Score and the Classification and Regression Tree Analysis. Eye (Lond). 2010; 24(1): 84-89.​

  • Longley MJ, Clark S, Yu-Wai-Man C, Hudson G, Durham SE, Taylor RW, Nightingale S, Turnbull DM, Copeland WC, Chinnery PF. Mutant POLG2 disrupts DNA polymerase g subunits and causes progressive external ophthalmoplegia. Am J Hum Genet. 2006; 78: 1026-1034.​

  • Yu-Wai-Man C, Chinnery PF, Griffiths PG. Extraocular muscles have fundamentally distinct properties that make them selectively vulnerable to certain disorders. Neuromuscul Disord. 2005; 15(1): 17-23.​

  • Yu-Wai-Man C, Smith T, Chinnery PF, Turnbull DM, Griffiths PG. Assessment of visual function in chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia. Eye (Lond). 2006; 20(5): 564-568.​

  • Yu-Wai-Man C, Chinnery PF, Griffiths PG. Optic neuropathies- Importance of spatial distribution of mitochondria as well as function. Med Hypotheses. 2005; 65(6): 1038-1042.

Presentations

PRESENTATIONS

  • May 2025, ARVO meeting, Utah. Synergistic rate-retarding poly(caprolactone)-based implant: A novel strategy for sustained monoclonal antibody delivery in Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.

  • May 2024, Asia-Pacific Glaucoma Congress, Philipinnes. Non-viral gene therapy in glaucoma – translation to clinical trials. Oral presentation

  • May 2024, Asia-Pacific Glaucoma Congress, Philipinnes. Use of Anterior segment OCT in the assessment of filtration blebs. Oral presentation

  • Feb 2024, Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Congress, Bali. Non-viral gene therapy in glaucoma – translation to clinical trials. Oral presentation

  • Feb 2024, Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Congress, Bali. How to start my research project. Oral presentation

  • Oct 2023, Women in Vision UK. How I got my funding. Oral presentation

  • Jun 2023, World Glaucoma Congress, Rome. Anterior segment OCT imaging after Trabeculectomy and PreserFlo  Microshunt: a multicentre, prospective, masked, quantitative interobserver study.

  • May 2023, S. Brownstein Vision Research Lecture, Ottawa, Canada. UK Glaucoma BioResource: A disease-specific large-scale biobank of tissue samples and clinical data for advancing translational research in glaucoma. Oral presentation

  • Feb 2023, Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Congress, Malaysia. UK Glaucoma BioResource: A disease-specific large-scale biobank of tissue samples and clinical data for advancing translational research in glaucoma. Oral presentation

  • May 2022, ARVO meeting, Denver. High concentration of adrenaline blocks key cell cycle genes and exhibits potent antifibrotic and vasoconstrictor effects in glaucoma surgery. Oral presentation

  • May 2022, 13th European and global Summit for Nanomedicine meeting, virtual. RNA Therapeutics in Ophthalmology - Translation to Clinical Trials. Oral presentation

  • Jul 2021, World Glaucoma Congress, virtual. One-year surgical outcomes of the PreserfloTM Microshunt in glaucoma. Oral presentation

  • May 2019, ARVO meeting, Vancouver. Development of a novel sustained release nanocarrier-based formulation of an MRTF/SRF inhibitor to prevent conjunctival fibrosis. Oral presentation

  • Mar 2019, World Glaucoma Congress meeting, Melbourne. In vitro and in vivo delivery of a sustained release nanocarrier-based formulation of an MRTF/SRF inhibitor in conjunctival fibrosis. Oral presentation

  • Oct 2018, Apollo London meeting, UK. What is Translational Medicine. Oral presentation

  • May 2018, ARVO meeting, Hawaii, USA. Development of targeted siRNA nanotherapeutics to prevent fibrosis in experimental glaucoma filtration surgery. Oral presentation

  • May 2017, ARVO meeting, Baltimore, USA. Genome-wide RNA-Sequencing analysis reveals a distinct fibrosis gene signature in the conjunctiva after glaucoma surgery.

  • Mar 2017, Moorfields Alumni meeting, London. To scar or not to scar- ask your genes. Oral presentation

  • May 2016, ARVO meeting, Seattle, USA. Novel MRTF/SRF pathway inhibitors prevent conjunctival scarring after glaucoma filtration surgery: An ex vivo and in vivo study.

  • Apr 2016, Michigan State University, Michigan, USA. Targeting the MRTF/ SRF gene transcription pathway in ocular fibrosis. Oral presentation

  • Feb 2016, Academy of Medical Sciences Meeting, London. Targeting the MRTF/ SRF gene transcription pathway in conjunctival fibrosis in glaucoma. Oral presentation

  • Feb 2016, World Ophthalmology Congress, Mexico. Downregulating the Myocardin-related transcription factor/ Serum response factor (MRTF/ SRF) pathway is a novel therapeutic approach to prevent post-surgical fibrosis in glaucoma. Oral presentation

  • Jul 2015, NIHR Doctoral Research Training Camp, Ashridge Business School, UK. Scar wars: Transcription factors open our Eyes to new treatments.

  • Oct 2014, UCL SLMS Clinical Academic Training Meeting, London. Developing novel gene therapeutic targets in ocular fibrosis. Oral presentation

  • Feb 2013, North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society Meeting, Utah, USA. Extraocular muscle atrophy and CNS involvement in progressive external ophthalmoplegia. Oral presentation

  • May 2012, RCOphth Congress, Liverpool, UK. Long-term efficacy of botulinum toxin in the treatment of blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm.

  • Mar 2011, UK Neuro-Ophthalmology Special Interest Group Meeting, Birmingham, UK. Supranuclear disorders of ocular motility. Oral presentation

  • Oct 2010, American Academy of Ophthalmology Meeting, Chicago, USA. Investigation of Chronic Progressive External Ophthalmoplegia using Functional MRS.

  • Oct 2009, American Academy of Ophthalmology Meeting, San Francisco, USA. Visual outcome after open globe injury- A comparison of two prognostic models: The Ocular Trauma Score and the Classification and Regression Tree.

  • Jun 2009, European Society of Ophthalmology Meeting, Amsterdam. Riboflavin/ UVA induced collagen cross-linking for the treatment of keratoconus.

  • May 2008, RCOphth Congress, Liverpool, UK. Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy: success rate and cost-efficiency over the external approach.

  • Dec 2006, International Neuro-Ophthalmology Society Meeting, Tokyo. Mutation of POLG2 causes progressive external ophthalmoplegia characterised by mtDNA deletions.

  • May 2005, RCOphth Congress, Birmingham, UK. Assessment of visual function in chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia.

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