A/Prof Elaine Chong

A/Prof Elaine Chong MBBS MEpi PhD Melb, FAMS, FRANZCO

An ophthalmologist who takes pride and joy in multi-faceted roles, Associate Professor Elaine Chong wears many hats. Elaine is a cataract, corneal & refractive surgeon, and medical retinal specialist. Elaine is the Head of Ophthalmology at Royal Melbourne Hospital and is a consultant ophthalmologist in the medical retinal and cornea units at the Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital, where she is also deputy head of cornea. Prior to these positions, Elaine underwent double subspecialty fellowship training, first in medical retina and then in corneal and refractive surgery. Elaine was awarded the Gold Medal for Excellence (K. G. Howsam Medal) for her performance in the RANZCO advanced clinical examination. This single medal is awarded to the most outstanding candidate in the final exit examinations across Australia & New Zealand and is not automatically awarded every year.

Elaine sits on the Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology journal editorial board, is the Chair of the Victorian Ophthalmology Registrar Selection committee, in the executive committee of the Australian & New Zealand Cornea Society and is deputy chair of RANZCO Women In Ophthalmology. She was the scientific program chair for the RANZCO Victorian Branch Annual Scientific Meeting from 2019 to 2024.                                         

Elaine holds a PhD in ophthalmic epidemiology and a Masters of Epidemiology from the University of Melbourne. She has received various international awards for her work in corneal & retinal research, with her peer-reviewed work featured and published internationally. She has also contributed to the development of Descemet's Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK) Endoglide injector with Network Medical Products, United Kingdom.  

Elaine is also very much involved in the patient education arena. She is the co-founder of One Right Eye (ORE) which features an online virtual eyeball to facilitate quick and easy explanations in real time for “right to the point” patient education. Eye diseases are complex, but inherently visual. ORE is free for all ophthalmologists and optometrists to use by signing up at its website (https://www.onerighteye.com).