Dr Teo Zhen Ling

Dr Teo Zhen Ling is an Associate Consultant with the Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology Department at the Singapore National Eye Centre, and is a sub-specialty fellow with the Refractive Surgery Department under the Advanced Clinical Specialist Programme. Her current practice includes the management of cataracts, dry eyes and refractive error such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism and presbyopia.

Dr Teo completed her medical training at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore in 2017 graduating on the Dean’s List. She obtained her diploma with the Membership of Royal Colleges of Surgeons (Edinburgh) in 2018. Dr Teo completed her specialist training in Ophthalmology at the Singapore National Eye Centre in 2025 and was award the Gold Medal (Oculoplastics) in the Exit Examination. She obtained the Master of Medicine (Ophthalmology) in 2024 and Fellow of The Royal College of Ophthalmologists, United Kingdom in 2023. During her training at SingHealth, she received multiple awards including the SingHealth Quality Service Award (Gold in 2025, Silver in 2024), Outstanding Resident Award (2025, 2021) and the Outstanding Medical Officer Award (2020). Dr Teo also served as the Chief Resident of the Ophthalmology Residency Programme.

Dr Teo has an interest in research and utilises evidence-based science to enhance her clinical practice to care for patients. She completed the Artificial Intelligence Applied Data Science Programme by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2023. Some of her notable publications include ‘Non-fungible tokens for the management of health data. Nature Medicine (2023)’, ‘AI telemedicine screening in Ophthalmology: health economic considerations. The Lancet Global Health (2023), ‘Eyeing severe diabetes upfront. Nature Biomedical Engineering (2022)’ and ‘Global prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and projection of burden through 2045: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Ophthalmology (2021) – top cited article within Ophthalmology in 2022.

Dr Teo has also received multiple research awards at international and regional conferences including the Best Free Paper Award at the Taiwan Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons Conference (2025), Trainee Award at the European Cataract and Refractive Surgeons Conference (2024) and the Young Innovator Travel Grant at the Asia Pacific Tele-Ophthalmology Society Conference (2023), SingHealth Publish Award (2023).

Dr Teo strongly believes in education and values mentoring the next generation. She is a keen clinical educator and has been recognised with the SingHealth Associate in Education Award (2024) and Junior Doctor Teaching Award (2025, 2021).

• FAMS (2025)
• M Med (Ophth) (2024)
• FRCOphth (2023)
• MRCS (Ed) (2018)
• MBBS (2017)

• Fellow, The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth), United Kingdom (2025– present)
• Fellow, Academy of Medicine, Singapore (2025 – present)
• Member, Singapore Society of Ophthalmology (2023 – present)
• Member, European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (2023 – present)
• Member, Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (2022 – present)
• Honorary Committee Member, SingHealth Cluster Artificial Intelligence (AI) Program (2021 – present)
• Member, The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (2022 – 2023)  

• Outstanding Resident Award, SingHealth RiSE Awards, 2025
• Junior Doctor Teaching Award, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine MedACE Awards, 2025
• Gold Award, Singapore Health Quality Services Awards, 2025
• Best Free Paper Award, 20th Taiwan Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (TSCRS), 2025
• Global Young Ophthalmologist Travel Grant Award, 3rd Global Young Ophthalmologist Summit, 2025
• Gold Medal, Oculoplastic & Adnexal Disease, Ophthalmology Exit Examination, 2025
• Best Presentation Award 1st Runner-Up, 2nd Taiwan Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons- Singapore National Eye Centre-Korean Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Joint Meeting, 2024
• Silver Award, Singapore Health Quality Services Awards, 2024
• SingHealth Associate in Education (AIE) Award, 2024
• Trainee Bursary Award, European Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons, 2024
• Best Poster Award, Artificial Intelligence Health Summit, 2023
• Best Poster Award, Asia-Pacific Vitreo-Retina Society (APVRS), 2023
• Young Innovator Travel Grant Award, Asia Pacific Tele-Ophthalmology Society (APTOS), 2023 
• SingHealth Publish! Award, 2023
• Young Educator Award, SNEC-SERI Educator Awards, 2022
• Outstanding Resident Award, SingHealth RiSE Awards, 2021
• Junior Doctor Teaching Award, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine MedACE Awards, 2021
• Best Medical Officer Award, SingHealth RiSE Awards, 2020
• Best Poster Award, SG-ANZICS Intensive Care Forum, 2017
• Dean’s List, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 2017
• Dean’s List, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 2016

1.   Evaluation of Visual Outcomes in Patients With Aberrated Corneas Implanted With the IC-8 Small-Aperture IOL. Teo ZL, NM Sie, J S Mehta. J Refract Surg 2024; 40(10) 
2.   Cybersecurity in the generative artificial intelligence era. Teo ZL, Quek CWN, Wong JLY, Ting DSW.  Asia Pac J Ophthalmol (Phila). 2024 Jul-Aug;13(4):100091.  
3.   Femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis versus small-incision lenticule extraction: current approach based on evidence. Teo ZL, Ang M. Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2024 Jul 1;35(4):278-283.  
4.   Non-fungible tokens for the management of health data. Teo ZL, Ting DSW. Nature Medicine vol. 29,2 (2023): 287-288. 
5.   Six-year incidence and risk factors for primary angle closure disease: The Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases Study. Teo ZL, ZD Soh, Tham YC, M Yu, Chee ML, S Thakur, M Nongpiur, V Koh, Wong TY, Aung T, Cheng CY. Ophthalmology 2022 
6.   Global Prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy and Projection of Burden through 2045: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Teo ZL, Tham YC, Yu M, Chee ML, Rim TH, Cheung N, Bikbov MM, Wang YX, Tang Y, Lu Y, Wong IY, Ting DSW, Tan GSW, Jonas JB, Sabanayagam C, Wong TY, Cheng CY. Ophthalmology. 2021 May 
7.   Second-generation keratorefractive lenticule extraction: will there be a third? J S Mehta, Teo ZL, C J Roberts. J Cataract Refract Surg 2025 Mar 1; 51 (3) 
8.   AI Based Diabetic Macular Edema Screening for Improved Care in Low-Resource Settings. Tan TE, Teo ZL, S Vujosevic, Ting DSW. New England Journal Medicine AI. Aug 2024;1(9) 
9.   International incidence and temporal trends for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ge JY, Teo ZL, Chee ML, Tham YC, Rim TH, Cheng CY, Wong TY; SNEC Surgical Retina Research Group; Wong EYM, Lee SY, Cheung N. Surv Ophthalmol. 2024 May-Jun;69(3):330-336.  
10.   Six-Year Incidence and Risk Factors for Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension: The Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases Study. Thakur S, Lavanya R, Yu M, Tham YC, Da Soh Z, Teo ZL, Koh V, Majithia S, Qian C, Aung T, Nongpiur ME, Cheng CY. Ophthalmol Glaucoma. 2024 Mar-Apr;7(2):157-167. 
11.  Federated machine learning in healthcare: A systematic review on clinical applications and technical architecture. Teo ZL, Jin L, Li S, Miao D, Zhang X, Ng WY, Tan TF, Lee DM, Chua KJ, Heng J, Liu Y, Goh RSM, Ting DSW. Cell Rep Med. 2024 Feb 20;5(2):101419. 
12.  Artificial intelligence innovation in healthcare: Relevance of reporting guidelines for clinical translation from bench to bedside. Teo ZL, Kwee A, Lim JC, Lam CS, Ho D, Maurer-Stroh S, Su Y, Chesterman S, Chen T, Tan CC, Wong TY, Ngiam KY, Tan CH, Soon D, Choong ML, Chua R, Wong S, Lim C, Cheong WY, Ting DS. Ann Acad Med Singap. 2023 Apr 27;52(4):199-212.  
13.  AI telemedicine screening in ophthalmology: health economic considerations. Teo ZL, Ting DSW. The Lancet. Global health vol. 11,3 (2023) 
14.  Federated Learning in Ophthalmology: Retinopathy of Prematurity. Teo ZL, Ting DSW. Ophthalmol Retina. 2022 Aug;6(8):647-649. doi: 10.1016/j.oret.2022.03.019. 
15.  Digital health in medicine: Important considerations in evaluating health economic analysis. Kwee A, Teo ZL, Ting DSW. Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 2022 May 8;23:100476. doi: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2022.100476  
16.  Normative Data and Associations of OCT Angiography Measurements of the Macula: The Singapore Malay Eye Study. Teo ZL, Sun CZ, Chong CCY, Tham YC, Takahashi K, Majithia S, Teo CL, Rim TH, Chua J, Schmetterer L, Cheung CMG, Wong TY, Cheng CY, Tan ACS. Ophthalmol Retina. 2022 May 14:S2468-6530(22)00244-5. 
17.  Eyeing severe diabetes upfront. Teo, ZL, Ting DSW. Nat. Biomed. Eng (2022). 
18.  Deep learning algorithms for automatic detection of pterygium using anterior segment photographs from slit-lamp and hand-held cameras. Fang X, Deshmukh M, Chee ML, Soh ZD, Teo ZL, Thakur S, Goh JHL, Liu YC, Husain R, Mehta J, Wong TY, Cheng CY, Rim TH, Tham YC. Br J Ophthalmol. 2021 Jul 
19.  Severe Dysfunctional Tear Syndrome Patients and Resolution of Central Corneal Staining: Retrospective Cohort Study. Teo ZL, C Chu, Tong L. British Journal of Ophthalmology. 2020 Mar 
20.  Do we have enough ophthalmologists to manage vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy? A global perspective. Teo ZL, Tham YC, Yu M, Cheng CY, Wong TY, Sabanayagam C. Eye (Lond) 2020 Jan 28