Sophie X. Deng

Sophie X. Deng, MD, PhD is a Professor and Co-Chief of the Cornea and Uveitis Division at the UCLA Stein Eye Institute. A board-certified specialist in corneal and external ocular diseases, she directs the Cornea Biology Laboratory and focuses on stem cell-based therapies for corneal regeneration.

• MD, PhD, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (2001)
• Internship: Internal Medicine, University of Tennessee (2002)
• Residency: Ophthalmology, University of Illinois at Chicago (2005)
• Fellowship: Cornea, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (2006)

Her research spans limbal stem cell deficiency, extracellular vesicles, and Wnt/Notch signaling pathways, aiming to replace corneal transplants with regenerative therapies. Recent work explores exosome-based treatments, AS-OCT imaging, and deep learning diagnostics. Clinical trials led by her include autologous stem cell transplants for LSCD.

• Walton Li Chair in Cornea and Uveitis (2023)
• ARVO Silver Fellow (2023)
• Multiple CIRM grants ($17.9M total) for corneal regeneration
• Best of Show, ASCRS 2009

Deng's lab develops corneal stromal stem cell lines and investigates their anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties via extracellular vesicles. She advocates for non-invasive diagnostics like biomarker detection (e.g., cytokeratin 13) and mobile OCT imaging.