Joyce Liao

Yaping Joyce Liao, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Associate Professor (by courtesy), Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences; Director, Neuro-ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute and Stanford University School of Medicine.

Research Description: Dr. Liao’s research’s goal is to identify effective treatment for patients with diabetes and vision loss. Having diabetes increases the risk of vision loss since diabetes is one of the most common risk factors for central nervous system ischemia due to stroke and optic nerve ischemia called anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION), the most common acute optic neuropathy in those older than 50. Central nervous system ischemia in the setting of diabetes is attributed to macro- and microvascular damage, activation of immune pathways, hematologic abnormality, and metabolic effects of hyperglycemia. Dr. Liao’s group has evaluated key events following optic nerve ischemia in diabetes and identified potential targets and treatment modalities. They are investigating the effect of glucose control and treatment with potential neuroprotective agents that may salvage retinal ganglion cells or optic nerve axons following injury, using in vitro as well as non-invasive, serial in vivo imaging techniques including spectral-domain optical coherence tomography and fluorescence confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy. They are also investigating changes in retinal ganglion axon after ischemic optic neuropathy, including changes in axonal transport, which lead to axonal and somatic degeneration. Dr. Liao led a Phase 2/3, Randomized, Double-Masked, Sham- Controlled Trial of QPI-1007 Delivered By Single or Multi-Dose Intra-vitreal Injection(s) to Subjects With Acute Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy.

 Selected relevant publications (Stanford DRC Members in BOLD):

  1. Arges K, Assimes T, Bajaj V, Balu S, Bashir MR, Beskow L, Blanco R, Califf R, Campbell P, Carin L, Christian V, Cousins S, Das M, Dockery M, Douglas PS, Dunham A, Eckstrand J, Fleischmann D, Ford E, Fraulo E, French J, Gambhir SS, Ginsburg GS, Green RC, Haddad F, Hernandez A, Hernandez J, Huang ES, Jaffe G, King D, Koweek LH, Langlotz C, Liao YJ, Mahaffey KW, Marcom K, Marks WJ Jr, Maron D, McCabe R, McCall S, McCue R, Mega J, Miller D, Muhlbaier LH, Munshi R, Newby LK, Pak-Harvey E, Patrick-Lake B, Pencina M, Peterson ED, Rodriguez F, Shore S, Shah S, Shipes S, Sledge G, Spielman S, Spitler R, Schaack T, Swamy G, Willemink MJ, Wong CA. The Project Baseline Health Study: a step towards a broader mission to map human health. NPJ Digit Med. 2020 Jun 5;3:84. doi: 10.1038/s41746-020-0290-y. PMID: 32550652; PMCID: PMC7275087. 

  2. Kalnins A, Penta M, El-Sawy T, Liao YJ, Fischbein N, Iv M. Malignant optic glioma masked by suspected optic neuritis and central retinal vein occlusion. Radiol Case Rep. 2018 Nov 13;14(2):226-229. doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2018.10.023. PMID: 30450148; PMCID: PMC6234704. 

  3. Ahmed SF, McDermott KC, Burge WK, Ahmed IIK, Varma DK, Liao YJ, Crandall AS, Khaderi SKR. Visual function, digital behavior and the vision performance index. Clin Ophthalmol. 2018 Dec 10;12:2553-2561. doi: 10.2147/OPTH.S187131. PMID: 30573945; PMCID: PMC6292403.