With surgery, research and mentorship, Dr. Clara Chan is on a mission to revolutionize corneal care
With a background in economics from Stanford University, Dr. Clara Chan made a pivotal shift to medicine, training under renowned mentors like Dr. David Rootman and Dr. Edward Holland. Today, Dr. Chan is a leading authority in corneal surgery in Canada, dedicated to enhancing treatment options and training the next generation of ophthalmologists.
Wearing many hats, Dr. Clara Chan is a corneal specialist, refractive surgeon, researcher, and academician who takes on multiple roles in Canada’s ophthalmology fraternity. She serves as an associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of Toronto, where she teaches residents and fellows at two academic centers: Toronto Western Hospital and St. Michael’s Hospital.
In addition to performing corneal transplantation and cataract surgeries, ocular surface rehabilitation, and refractive surgeries, she also runs a private practice with an associate and conducts refractive cataract and laser vision correction surgeries at a private laser clinic.
It is not surprising then that Dr. Chan, a second-generation Chinese Canadian, has excelled since a young age. Her parents, both professionals in the healthcare industry, immigrated from Hong Kong to Toronto in the 1970s. After high school, Dr. Chan was admitted to Stanford University as an undergraduate, where she majored in economics and completed pre-med courses.
From Silicon Valley to surgical suites
“During my college summers, I interned at an investment banking firm, Goldman Sachs, and a small start-up at the time called Google. I was tempted to stay in Silicon Valley to work after graduation,” she recalled.
“However, my path ultimately led me to medical school, where I had the opportunity to spend a summer working in a cornea clinic and doing research with the world-renowned cornea surgeon Dr. David Rootman, who became one of my chief mentors,” Dr. Chan shared.
That experience solidified Dr. Chan’s ambition to pursue ophthalmology, particularly her interest in cornea, cataract, and refractive surgery—which was also sparked by working with Dr. Rootman. In 2001, she returned to Canada for medical school and completed her ophthalmology residency, followed by a cornea fellowship in the US. Eventually, she was recruited back to the University of Toronto, where she has been practicing for the last 15 years.
Needless to say, Dr. Chan enjoys the ‘fast-paced, high-volume, high- impact clinics, as well as the fine microsurgery techniques’ involved in suturing a cornea transplant or performing cataract surgery.
“Striving for a clear cornea or a perfectly circular capsulorhexis appeals to my appreciation of symmetry and organization,” she shared. “I enjoy the ability to make a visual diagnosis, and I feel compelled to master the superb surgical skills and fine manual dexterity required in this field.”
Training under a luminary in cornea surgery
During her residency, Dr. Chan dedicated her free time to the cornea clinics and operating rooms. When it came time to apply for fellowships, she felt fortunate to train with Dr. Edward Holland at the Cincinnati Eye Institute.
Dr. Holland is a world expert in cornea and ocular surface disease, having pioneered surgical techniques to manage the complex condition known as limbal stem cell deficiency. Learning cornea surgeries and seeing a wide range of pathologies—as well as conducting research and networking with industry leaders—opened new doors for her.
Dr. Chan is passionate about research and has published over 140 papers and abstracts, which she has presented at conferences and meetings around the world.
“My husband, who is also a physician, jokes that doing research is my hobby,” shared Dr. Chan. “After spending the evening with my family and putting my nine-year-old son to bed, I often spend a few hours each night working on research projects, guiding trainees in manuscript preparations, taking conference calls with industry reps, and preparing lectures.”
“I feel fortunate to work at a tertiary cornea center in a big multicultural city, where I see a high volume of complex cornea diseases and have access to a multitude of treatment modalities, both medical and surgical,” she continued. “I feel a sense of responsibility to make a greater impact through publications, teaching at meetings, and sharing our research findings—so that other ophthalmologists and their patients around the world can benefit from them,” she enthused.
Some of Dr. Chan’s research interests include cell-based therapies for corneal endothelial disease, enhancing corneal wound healing and improving ocular surface reconstruction outcomes for limbal stem cell deficiency, which can result from chemical injuries, genetic mutations like aniridia or chronic inflammatory conditions like Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
Breaking new ground
Earlier this year, Dr. Chan became the first one in Canada to perform endothelial cell injection therapy as part of Aurion Biotech’s CLARA trial.
“This exciting technology has the potential to address the shortage of donor corneas worldwide, as 200 injections can be manufactured from just one donor cornea,” she explained. “Our group has also published on the use of dehydrated amniotic membrane, which can be stored at room temperature, as well as serum tears, other blood products, and insulin drops. These drops are nutrient and growth factor supportive modalities aimed at accelerating corneal surface healing and reducing ocular surface inflammation,” she added.
Subsequently, her group’s collaborations with transplant medicine specialists have led to a modified systemic immunosuppression regimen to help patients undergoing limbal stem cell transplants from deceased donors achieve outcomes similar to those receiving tissue from living matched donors.
A commitment to peer support
As if her busy practice weren’t enough, Dr. Chan is also deeply involved with various ophthalmology associations and holds professional memberships both in Canada and internationally.
She is the president of the Canadian Cornea, External Disease and Refractive Surgery Society, where one of her primary responsibilities os organizing the agendas for cornea and refractive meeting sessions at the annual meeting of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society.
Additionally, she is one of the Cornea Section editors for the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology, which currently ranks as the 12th highest in impact factor among ophthalmology journals.
“I am also one of the founding editors of Canadian Eyecare Today, the only peer-to-peer journal distributed quarterly to all Canadian ophthalmologists and optometrists,” she continued. “With the American Academy of Ophthalmology, I sit on the committee that evaluates the annual surgical skills courses to ensure those selected remain relevant, up to date, and of high quality for the attendees. With the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ASCRS), I was the Cornea section editor for Eyeworld, the organization’s official magazine for almost 10 years, curating their cornea-related educational content for each edition.”
Connecting through mentorship
Dr. Chan feels a profound sense of pride as she watches each of her cornea fellows graduate. Over the years she has trained 38 ophthalmologists from around the world and finds it very rewarding to see their knowledge base expand and their surgical skills grow as they progress through their training.
“The most inspiring is seeing them return to their home countries to establish their own cornea practices, become leaders in the field locally and internationally and share their knowledge from the podium at conferences or have their names featured in publications,” she remarked.
Dr. Chan often receives messages from her former fellows, reaching out for advice about a patient case, sharing a research idea or recounting surgical insights they gained during their time with her that have helped them tackle tough cases.
“Or sometimes they just message to say ‘hi’. That feeling of human connection—knowing that the fellows I have helped to train are now making a difference for thousands of their own patients—is just as energizing as the endorphin rush of seeing a 20/20-happy post-op cataract patients!” she quipped.
Life beyond the OR
Dr. Chan thrives on the variety and diversity of her multiple roles, skillfully managing and organizing her weekly schedule with aplomb.
“Usually, I do three days of surgery a week—a day of transplants, a day of cataracts, and a day of either minor procedures like pterygiums and superficial keratectomies or refractive surgery,” she shared. “Clinic days are packed with about 60 to 80 patients, and each week, I spend half a day in my role as the medical director of our provincial Eye Bank, which processes and distributes cornea and other ocular tissues, amniotic membrane, and research/training eyes.”
Despite her numerous commitments and responsibilities, Dr. Chan, a master of time management, prioritizes having a work-life balance.
She shared that she uses a Google Calendar, which is accessible to both her family and her administrative staff at all the sites where she works—to stay organized.
“We live near a great hiking trail, so I love going out for walks or enjoying dinners out with my husband and son,” she said. “We also plan our vacations a year in advance, and I really love exploring different cities with them and attending live sporting events. Once you have kids, it forces you to find that work-life balance. They are relentless in demanding your attention, so you quickly learn to use any free time efficiently,” she concluded.
Editor’s Note: A version of this article was first published in CAKE Magazine Issue 24.
