Dr Gary Peh is a research scientist in Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI). Dr Peh obtained his PhD (2008) in stem cell biology with a focus in the differentiation and characterization of human embryonic stem cells towards a neural lineage. Dr Peh joined SERI in 2010 under the National Research Foundation Translational and Clinical Research (TCR) Programme within the Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Research Group of Associate Professor Jodhbir Mehta. Dr Peh’s research work predominantly looks at the cultivation of primary human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs), as well as the tissue-engineering of primary HCECs onto various synthetic/biological scaffolds. The main research aim driving these studies is for the development of suitable graft alternatives, which can potentially alleviate the heavy reliance of donor corneas for the replacement of dysfunctional corneal endothelium through advance surgical procedure such as endothelial keratoplasty, specifically in patients afflicted by corneal endothelial-related corneal blindness.

Development of a robust approach in the propagation of primary human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs) aimed towards cellular therapy, development of a tissue-engineered corneal endothelial graft suitable for endothelial keratoplasty using cultivated primary human corneal endothelial cells established on synthetic or biological scaffolds, differentiation of multipotent stem cells towards a corneal endothelial identity