Distinguished Speaker Series | Yang Sun, MD, PhD

Yang Sun, MD, PhD is a leading clinician-scientist whose work bridges glaucoma and cataract surgery with groundbreaking research in ocular cell biology. He is Professor of Ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine, Vice Chair for Academic Affairs in the Department of Ophthalmology, and Director of the Stanford Ophthalmology Accelerated Residency Program (SOAR). He also serves as a glaucoma and cataract surgeon at the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford and the Palo Alto VA Medical Center, and is a Laurie Kraus Lacob Faculty Scholar at the Stanford Child Health Research Institute. Dr. Sun earned his B.A. in Biophysics from Johns Hopkins University and his M.D. and Ph.D. in Molecular Cell Biology from Washington University in St. Louis through the Medical Scientist Training Program. He completed his ophthalmology residency at Stanford University and a glaucoma fellowship at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, supported by a Heed Foundation Fellowship. In his laboratory, Dr. Sun investigates phosphoinositide signaling, primary cilia biology, and mitochondrial function in ocular development and disease, with a special focus on translating rare disease genetics into preclinical models. His discoveries have illuminated how inositol 5-phosphatases regulate aqueous outflow, intraocular pressure sensation, and optic nerve regeneration. He has pioneered optogenetic approaches to modulate intraocular pressure and identified novel cilia–mitochondria links in rare syndromes such as Joubert syndrome. Dr. Sun’s research has been continuously supported by the National Eye Institute, the Veterans Administration, and leading foundations. He has authored influential publications in PNAS, Science Advances, EMBO Reports, and JCI, and holds patents on therapeutic strategies for glaucoma. His honors include election to the American Society of Clinical Investigation, the Laurie Kraus Lacob Faculty Scholar Award, and the Heed Ophthalmic Foundation Fellowship.