Management Team
Extending His Legacy
Dr. Ira Wong’s remarkable contribution to helping ophthalmic patients extends beyond his direct treatment. He has a legacy of sharing his knowledge and talent over the past 30 years to train future doctors (including transplant surgeons) and even future teachers, reaching thousands of more patients. Now he sees the potential to extend his reach to impact millions. Ira viewed his opportunity to join Chakshu as an exciting challenge. He is responsible for Chakshu’s clinical strategy, interacting with primary investigators and assuring that Chakshu’s trials are conducted for the highest level of patient safety. He balances all of this while playing a key role in helping to develop overall company strategy. His experience delivering health care, his medical expertise and successes in strategic planning and business development make him an integral part of the Chakshu team.
Lifework
Dr. Wong most recently served as a clinical professor of ophthalmology at the Proctor Foundation for Research in Ophthalmology at the University of California, San Francisco and Stanford University. He provided the northern California community with leading-edge immunomodulatory treatments for difficult ocular inflammatory diseases and uveitis. Previously he was Chief of Ophthalmology with The Permanente Medical Group where he introduced an income-generating business model for refractive surgery to the capitated health plan and a physician-driven competitive bidding for medical devices. Dr. Wong has served as a consultant in health care delivery to various federal agencies including the Agency for Health Care Policy Research where he helped develop evidence-based guidelines for cataract care.
Ira has an extensive list of publications, honors and awards. His research interest has focused on epidemiology, immunology and new therapies for ocular diseases. During the Vietnam era he served as Chief of Ophthalmology—Otolarygnology Service at the US Army Hospital in Okinawa, Japan.
Formal Education
Dr. Wong served his residency at the University of Iowa and received sub-specialty training in cornea, external diseases of the eye and uveitis at the Proctor Foundation at UCSF.