Lingyun Cheng, M.D. is an Adjunct Professor and Director of Ocular Pharmacology and an internationally acclaimed physician-scientist in vitreoretinal diseases. A graduate of Shanxi Medical University in China, Cheng completed his residency at The First Teaching Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China before becoming a vitreoretinal fellow at Ideta Eye Hospital, Japan and then at University of California, San Diego. Dr. Cheng also completed postdoctorate training in ocular pharmacology at the University of California at San Diego.

Dr. Cheng is committed to research in local ocular drug delivery and pharmacological management of vitreoretinal diseases. His team is developing new local ocular drug delivery systems including a new intraocular crystalline lipid prodrug delivery platform, a porous silicon based ocular drug delivery system, and transscleral drug delivery system. These drug delivery systems are an effective approach to achieve a sustained therapeutic drug level in the posterior segment of an eye. With these systems, patients can avoid frequent intravitreal injections for treatment of many refractory vitreoretinal diseases such as macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema. He and his colleague have been published extensively in the area of ocular drug delivery, ocular toxicology, ocular pharmacology, as well as clinical management of vitreoretinal diseases.

Dr. Cheng also actively engages in translational research using various animal models in collaboration with pharmaceutical industry. He is also actively engaged in scientific reviews of publications and grants in his research area.