Ningli Wang
The Power List 2020 – Power List
Director of Beijing Tongren Eye Center, China
Your three wishes?
- To create a glaucoma center of international level in China, just like the Hamilton Glaucoma Center in University of California, San Diego.
- Currently, it’s believed that optic nerve damage is caused by high intraocular pressure, while our study found that damage is caused by intraocular and intracranial pressure gradient. I really want to change the concept of the pathogenesis of glaucoma by finding more evidence and establishing a new diagnosis and treatment protocol based on the intraocular and intracranial pressure gradient theory.
- To integrate the population-based screening of glaucoma into the national chronic disease management system
Piece of advice for your younger self?
The secret to success lies in never giving up, even when it seems there is no hope at all.
The most serendipitous OR funniest moment of your career?
A patient with low CSF pressure due to traumatic leakage of CSF developed glaucoma, which inspired me to start the research on the role of intraocular and intracranial pressure gradient in glaucoma.
The most unexpected turn your career took?
When I was young, I loved painting and had the dream of becoming an artist. Unexpectedly, my application to study art at university was not successful, and I became a medical student instead. Though I won’t be able to depict the beauty of the world as an artist, I am truly blessed that I am able to help patients see the beauty of the world themselves. In addition, I am currently working on combining medical science with art, and hope that I can contribute in a unique way to this cross-disciplinary field.
