Stephen H Tsang, MD, PhD
Locations and Appointments
CUIMC/Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute
Insurances Accepted
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About Stephen H Tsang, MD, PhD
Stephen H. Tsang, M.D, Ph.D. is an acclaimed clinical geneticist in the care of individuals with retinal degenerations. He has been culturing stem cells since 1992 and created the first mouse model for a recessive form of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) by applying genome engineering to stem cell technology in 1995. He successfully treated preclinical models of Pde6a, Pde6b, Mfrp, Rho, Cngb1 and autosomal recessive bestrophin retinopathies.
He has expertise in designing and testing genome engineering strategies in pre-clinical models, developing patient-specific knock-in models, generating of patient cell lines and providing care to patients with a precision medicine approach. He is also leading efforts in FDA trials for gene therapies, including PDE6A, RAB geranylgeranyl transferase, RPGR, CNGB3, CNGA3 and ABCA4 retinopathies.
He wrote 3 books: "Precision Medicine, CRISPR, and Genome Engineering: Moving from Association to Biology and Therapeutics" and "Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in Ophthalmology", Springer Press, NY; and "CRISPR Genome Surgery in Stem Cells and Disease Tissues", Elsevier Inc. He is an elected member of several honorary societies including the American Society for Clinical Investigation, Alcon Research Institute and American Ophthalmological Society. He is consistently named to various NIH study sections (DPVS standing member 2014-8 and PED2 2022-6) and other review committees; Alcon Research Institute Grant Review Committee (2022-27), Scientific Advisory Panel - Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB, 2019-29), Chair of American Ophthalmological Society Thesis Review Committee (2022-2023). Many of his publications are in widely-read general interest journals such as Science, NEJM, Lancet, Cell Stem Cell, Nature Genetics, and Journal of Clinical Investigation, which attests to the broad impact that his work has had.
Dr. Tsang received a resident teaching award in 2008 and was the Columbia Ophthalmology Basic Science Course Director (2006-2018).
Dr. Tsang graduated from Johns Hopkins University, where he began his medical genetics training under the tutelage of Professor Victor A. McKusick. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the NIH-National Institute of General Medical Sciences Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at Columbia University. Dr. Tsang then completed his residency at Jules Stein Eye Institute/UCLA, followed by studies with Professors Alan C. Bird and Graham E. Holder on improving the care of individuals with macular degenerations.
Board Certifications
- Ophthalmology
Languages Spoken
- Cantonese
Specialties & Expertise
- Adult Genetics
- Applied Eye Genetics
- Clinical Genetics
- Clinical Molecular Genetics
- Diabetic Retinopathy
- Electrophysiology
- Eye Genetics
- Genetic Disorder
- Genetic Disorders
- Genetic Testing
- Hereditary Retinal Degeneration
- Macular Degeneration
- Marfan Syndrome
- Molecular Biology
- Molecular Medicine
- Pediatric Genetics
- Precision Medicine
- Retina Degeneration
- Retina Disorder
- Retinal Bleeding
- Retinal Disease
- Retinal Disorders
- Retinal Vascular Disorders
- Retinitis pigmentosa
- Retinopathy
- Skin Pigmentation Disorder
- Stem Cell Transplantation
- Vitreoretinal Disorder
Education
- Medical School: Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
- Internship: New York Hospital Queens
- Residency: UCLA - Jules Stein Eye Institute
- Fellowship: Moorfields Eye Hospital, London
Leadership, Titles & Positions
- Course co-director, BMENE6510 Stem Cells, Genome Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
- Laszlo Z. Bito Professor of Ophthalmology, and Pathology and Cell Biology
Hospital Affiliations
- NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Awards & Honors
- 19881989: Alpha Epsilon Delta, National Premedical Honor Society, Maryland Alpha (Historian 19881989)
- 19881989: Deans List, The Johns Hopkins University
- 1989: Graduate with Departmental Honors, The Johns Hopkins University
- 1989: Student Activities Award, The Johns Hopkins University
- 1995: ARVO/National Eye Institute Travel Fellowship Grant for the ARVO Meeting
- 1995: Certificate of Award, SCBA, Tristate Chapter
- 1996: ACGA Student Award, presented at the ASHG Meeting
- 1996: Deans Award for Excellence in Research, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Columbia University
- 1997: Best Overall Presentation at Eastern Student Research Forum sponsored by American Medical Association and the University of Miami
- 1997: Dr. Alfred Steiner Award for Best Medical Student Research, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University
- 1997: Travel Grant, European Students Conference at the Charite in Berlin
- 1998: Edith McKane Award in Ophthalmology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University
- 1998: John Lattimer Award in Urology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University
- 2000: Jules Stein Eye Institute Research Award
- 2000: RPB-Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology Resident Award
- 2002: Jules Stein Eye Institute Resident Award
- 2003: Burroughs Welcome Fund Career Award in Biomedical Sciences
- 2003: Joel Hoffmann Scholar, Columbia University
- 2003: Nesburn Resident Award
- 2003: RPB-Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology Resident
- 2004: Dennis W. Jahnigen Career Award, American Geriatrics Society
- 2005: Becker-RPB-AUPO Award
- 2006: ARVO/Alcon Early Career Clinician Scientist Award
- 2006: Dr. Isaac Bekhor Lecturer, Doheny Eye Institute at University of Southern California
- 2007: Charles E. Culpeper Prize in Translational Research
- 2008: “Americas Top Ophthalmologists,” Consumers Research Council of America
- 2008: Resident Teaching Award, Columbia University
- 2008Present: Elected to Macula Society for Retinal Physicians
- 2010: Keynote Speaker, GTCbio 2nd Annual Ocular Diseases & Drug Discovery Conference
- 2012: ARVO (Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology)/Pfizer Carl Camras Translational Research Award
- 2012: ARVO/Genentech Translational AMD Research Award
- 2013, 5, 6: Elected by peers for inclusion in Best Doctors in America
- 2013: Dr. Bradley Straatsma Lecturer, UCLA
- 2013: Dr. Paul Stringer Memorial Lectureship, McMaster University
- 2014: Foundation Fighting Blindness Visionary Award Recipient and “Banking on a Cure” Honoree
- 2015: ARVO 2015 Annual Meeting Personalized Medicine Invited Speaker in Denver, Colorado
- 2015: Dr. Joginder Nath Ophthalmology Lecturer, West Virginia University School of Medicine
- 2015: Elected to the American Ophthalmological Society
- 2016: Elected to American Society for Clinical Investigation
- 2017: American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award Recipient. (November 11-14)
- 2018: Anton Bank Award, Order of the Sons of Italy in America Grand Lodge of New York
- 2018: Young Investigators Award Recipient. Macula Society
- 2020: Keynote Speaker, Symposium on Retinal Degeneration, Universidad Catolica de Valencia