Tel (65) 6576 7286
Email charusaba@duke-nus.edu.sg

I developed an AI tool for detecting CKD from retinal images and was awarded the HPHSR-Clinician Scientist Award (HCSA) for its validation in the community. I have published over 300 peer-review articles with Google Scholar H-Index of 75. I was named among the top 2% of scientists by Stanford for three consecutive years (2021-2023) and was recognized as an Expertscape expert in diabetic retinopathy in 2021. I am passionate about teaching, mentoring, and leading global meta-analysis projects. I recently developed a virtual educational course on clinical research skills training (basic and intermediate level) tailored specifically to ophthalmic researchers.

• NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (Adjunct)
• Singapore Eye Research Institute (Primary)
• The Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Programme (EYE- ACP) and Centre for Quantitative Medicine, Duke-NUS Medical School (Joint)

Epidemiology including ethnic differences, risk factors and novel biomarkers of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and age-related eye diseases/visual impairment in populations and risk prediction using traditional and novel machine learning including deep learning models.

• Run short courses/CME talks
• Clinical research training for residents/researchers
• Choosing the optimal study design for observational studies
• Systematic review and meta-analysis
• Critical appraisal of a research paper

• MBBS, 1980-1985, University of Madras, India
• MD (Microbiology), 1995-1998, The Tamilnadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai, India
• M Med (PH), 2005-2006 , National University of Singapore, Singapore
• PhD (Epidemiology and Biostatistics), 2008-2010, National University of Singapore, Singapore

Grant Awards

• 2012-2016 NMRC Transition Award- 2012
• 2015-2018 Duke-NUS Khoo Mentored Research Award (KMRA)
• 2022-2025 NMRC Health Service Research Clinician Scientist Award (HCSA)
• 2023-2024 Duke-NUS Eye-ACP Education grant

Other Awards

• 2015 SERI Best Mentor/Role Model
• 2020 SingHealth Publish Award
• 2021 SERI Long Service Award (10 years)

• 2006-2008: Research Fellow, Department of Community, Occupational and Family Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
• 2010-2011: Postdoctoral Fellow, West Virginia University School of Medicine, USA
• 2012-2017: Assistant Professor, Duke-NUS Medical School, and Department of Ophthalmology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
• 2012-Current: Clinician Scientist and Principal Investigator, Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), Singapore
• 2018- Current: Associate Professor, The Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Programme (EYE ACP) and Centre for Quantitative Medicine, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore

• Deputy Head, Ocular Epidemiology, Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI)

• Research methodology consultation sessions to researchers in KKH (2019-current)
• Member, Publications committee, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), USA (2024-2027)

• Sabanayagam C, Lye WK, Klein R, Klein BE, Cotch MF, Wang JJ, Mitchell P, Shaw JE, Selvin E, Sharrett AR, Wong TY. Retinal microvascular calibre and risk of diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and participant-level meta-analysis. 2015 Nov;58(11):2476-85. PMID: 26232097
• Wong CW, Lamoureux EL, Cheng CY, Cheung GC, Tai ES, Wong TY, Sabanayagam C. Increased Burden of Vision Impairment and Eye Diseases in Persons with Chronic Kidney Disease – A Population-Based Study. 2016 Jan 19; 5:193-7. PMID: 27077127
• Lim CC, Chee ML, Cheng CY, Kwek JL, Foo M, Wong TY, Sabanayagam C. Simplified end stage renal failure risk prediction model for the low-risk general population with chronic kidney disease. PLoS One. 2019 Feb 22; 14(2):e0212590. PMID: 30794622
• Sabanayagam C, Banu R, Chee ML, Lee R, Wang YX, Tan G, Jonas JB, Lamoureux EL, Cheng CY, Klein BEK, Mitchell P, Klein R, Cheung CMG, Wong TY. Incidence and progression of diabetic retinopathy: a systematic review. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2019 Feb;7(2):140-149. PMID: 30005958
• Sabanayagam C, Chee ML, Banu R, Cheng CY, Lim SC, Tai ES, Coffman T, Wong TY. Association of Diabetic Retinopathy and Diabetic Kidney Disease with All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in a Multiethnic Asian Population. JAMA Netw Open. 2019 Mar 1;2(3):e191540. PMID: 30924904
• Sabanayagam C, Xu D, Ting DSW, Nusinovici S, Banu R, Hamzah H, Lim C, Tham YC, Cheung CY, Tai ES, Wang YX, Jonas JB, Cheng CY, Lee ML, Hsu W, Wong TY. Lancet Digit Health. 2020 Jun;2(6):e295-e302. PMID: 33328123
• Ling CNY, Lim SC, Jonas JB, Sabanayagam C. Obesity and risk of age-related eye diseases: a systematic review of prospective population-based studies. Int J Obes (Lond). 2021 Sep;45(9):1863-1885. PMID: 33963292
• Ng Yin Ling C, Seshasai S, Chee ML, He F, Tham YC, Cheng CY, Wong TY, Sabanayagam C. Visual Impairment, Major Eye Diseases, and Mortality in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Population and a Meta-analysis of Prospective Studies. Am J Ophthalmol. 2021 Nov; 231:88-100. PMID: 33965416
• Betzler BK, Sultana R, Banu R, Tham YC, Lim CC, Wang YX, Nangia V, Tai ES, Rim TH, Bikbov MM, Jonas JB, Cheng CY, Sabanayagam C. Association between Body Mass Index and Chronic Kidney Disease in Asian Populations: A Participant-level Meta-Analysis. 2021 Dec; 154:46-54. PMID: 34736579
• Li M, Tan CS, Xu L, Foo LL, Yap F, Sun CH, Tham EKH, Cai S, Ang M, Saw SM, Sabanayagam C. Sleep Patterns and Myopia Among School-Aged Children in Singapore. Front Public Health. 2022 Mar 25; 10:828298. PMID: 35400064
• Lim CC, Chong C, Tan G, Tan CS, Cheung CY, Wong TY, Cheng CY, Sabanayagam C. A deep learning system for retinal vessel calibre improves cardiovascular risk prediction in Asians with chronic kidney disease. Clin Kidney J. 2023 Sep 19;16(12):2693-2702. PMID: 38046002
• Cai J, Chong CCY, Cheng CY, Lim CC, Sabanayagam C. Circulating metabolites and cardiovascular disease in Asians with chronic kidney disease. Cardiorenal Med. 2023 Sep 5;13(1):301-309. PMID: 37669626
• Sabanayagam C, He F, Nusinovici S, Li J, Lim C, Tan G, Cheng CY. Prediction of diabetic kidney disease risk using machine learning models: A population-based cohort study of Asian adults. Elife. 2023 Sep 14;12: e81878. PMID: 37706530
• Betzler BK, Chee EYL, He F, Lim CC, Ho J, Hamzah H, Tan NC, Liew G, McKay GJ, Hogg RE, Young IS, Cheng CY, Lim SC, Lee AY, Wong TY, Lee ML, Hsu W, Tan GSW, Sabanayagam C. Deep learning algorithms to detect diabetic kidney disease from retinal photographs in multiethnic populations with diabetes. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2023 Nov 17;30(12):1904-1914. PMID: 37659103
• Vu TA, Gupta P, Gan AT, Fenwick EK, Man RE, Sabanayagam C, Cheng CY, Lamoureux EL. Synergistic Impact of Visual and Cognitive Impairments on Health-Related Quality of Life in a Multiethnic Asian Population. Gerontology. 2024;70(1):37-47. PMID: 37903480

• AI screening tools use eyes to screen for chronic kidney disease, assess biological health, The Straits Times, 20 June 2022

• AI innovation to assess kidney health using retina scans, CNA 938 FM, 23 June 2022

• The eyes tell a million stories, Singapore Health Newsletter, 1 November 2022