About

Weldon W. Haw is a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at UC San Diego. His research focuses on the evaluation and accurate diagnosis of pediatric diseases using artificial intelligence. He has contributed to the field through numerous publications, including studies on the impact of early cataract surgery training, the influence of genetic and environmental factors on age-related macular degeneration, and optimizing outcomes of multifocal intraocular lenses. His work also encompasses various aspects of ophthalmic surgery, such as laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), and other refractive procedures, with a particular emphasis on improving surgical techniques and patient outcomes. Dr. Haw's extensive publication record and involvement in clinical trials demonstrate his active engagement in advancing ophthalmic research and clinical practice.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Ophthalmology
• Optometry
• Surgery
• Materials science

Selected publications

• 114 Global Guidelines in Dermatology Mapping Project (GUIDEMAP): a systematic review of scabies clinical practice guidelines

  Journal of Investigative Dermatology · 2025-11-24

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Evaluation and accurate diagnoses of pediatric diseases using artificial intelligence

  Nature Medicine · 2019-02-11 · 709 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Complication rates of resident-performed cataract surgery: Impact of early introduction of cataract surgery training

  Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery · 2018-08-02 · 27 citations

  articleOpen access

  PURPOSE: To determine the effect of the early introduction of cataract surgery training on the complication rates of resident-performed cataract surgery. SETTING: University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: Two classes of ophthalmology residents were examined, one class with a late introduction of cataract surgery and one with an early introduction of cataract surgery. All cataract cases in which residents acted as primary surgeon were included. Patient charts were reviewed to collect data on patient characteristics, surgical details, and intraoperative and postoperative complications. RESULTS: The late-introduction cohort comprised 3 residents who performed 540 cataract cases, all during their final year of residency. The early-introduction cohort comprised 4 residents who performed 780 cataract cases beginning in the first year of residency. The late-introduction cohort had higher rates of major intraoperative complications than the early-introduction cohort (8.5% versus 3.1%) and of anterior vitrectomy (7.6% versus 2.1%) (both P < .001). Examination of the anterior vitrectomy rate as a function of experience showed the early-introduction cohort had a stable anterior vitrectomy rate of 1% to 2% throughout training, while the late-introduction cohort had a peak anterior vitrectomy rate of 12% at approximately case 20. Multivariable regression analysis showed the early-introduction cohort was independently associated with a lower rate of anterior vitrectomy (hazard ratio, 0.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.36-0.66) after adjusting for differences in patient characteristics and surgical complexity. CONCLUSIONS: Early introduction of cataract surgery training significantly decreased the rate of major intraoperative complications, specifically anterior vitrectomy, in resident-performed cataract surgeries.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Erratum: Genetic and environmental factors strongly influence risk, severity and progression of age-related macular degeneration

  Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy · 2016-11-11 · 9 citations

  erratumOpen access

  Correction to: Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy (2016) 1:16016; doi:10.1038/sigtrans.2016.16; Published online 16 September 2016. Since the publication of this Research Article, the authors have noticed the Legends of Figures 3–5 were incorrect and they should be corrected as follows: Figure3.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Genetic and environmental factors strongly influence risk, severity and progression of age-related macular degeneration

  Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy · 2016-09-16 · 24 citations

  articleOpen access

  Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is characterized by complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Here we genotyped the selected 25 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 983 cases with advanced AMD and 271 cases with intermediate AMD and build an AMD life-risk score model for assessment of progression from intermediate to advanced AMD. We analyzed the performance of the prediction model for geographic atrophy progressors or choroidal neovascularization progressors versus non-progressors based on the 25 SNPs plus body mass index and smoking status. Our results suggest that a class prediction algorithm can be used for the risk assessment of progression from intermediate to late AMD stages. The algorithm could also be potentially applied for therapeutic response, and toward personalized care and precision medicine.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Optimizing outcomes of multifocal intraocular lenses

  Current Opinion in Ophthalmology · 2013-11-19 · 16 citations

  reviewSenior authorCorresponding

  PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To update the readers on recent research for further optimizing outcomes and improving the patient satisfaction with multifocal intraocular lenses (IOLs). RECENT FINDINGS: Recent studies provide few novel approaches on surgical interventions to improve the postoperative outcomes. The use of capsular tension rings can improve preoperative predictability, whereas femtosecond laser cataract surgery was not shown to provide significant benefit to postoperative visual acuity. Other studies broaden and reinforce the previously reported results, such as patient education with blurred vision and dysphotopsia, utilizing an add power of +3.00 to improve intermediate visual acuity, and minimizing the lens decentration and tilt. SUMMARY: Multifocal IOLs are currently a popular lens choice for motivated patients who would like to achieve spectacle independence. However, recent research has not provided significant improvements in optimizing outcomes. Newer lens technologies may be required to resolve the current problems of blurred vision and dysphotopsias.

  PublisherDOI

• Association of LIPC and advanced age-related macular degeneration

  Eye · 2013-01-25 · 20 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Wavefront-guided laser in situ keratomileusis (Lasik) versus wavefront-guided photorefractive keratectomy (Prk): a prospective randomized eye-to-eye comparison (an American Ophthalmological Society thesis).

  PubMed · 2011-12-01 · 55 citations

  articleSenior author

  PURPOSE: To compare the safety and efficacy of wavefront-guided laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) vs photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in a prospective randomized clinical trial. METHODS: A cohort of 68 eyes of 34 patients with -0.75 to -8.13 diopters (D) of myopia (spherical equivalent) were randomized to receive either wavefront-guided PRK or LASIK in the fellow eye using the VISX CustomVue laser. Patients were evaluated at 1 day, 1 week, and months 1, 3, 6, and 12. RESULTS: At 1 month, uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), 5% and 25% contrast sensitivity, induction of higher-order aberrations (HOAs), and subjective symptoms of vision clarity, vision fluctuation, ghosting, and overall self-assessment of vision were worse (P<0.05) in the PRK group. By 3 months, these differences had resolved (P>0.05). At 1 year, mean spherical equivalent was reduced 94% to -0.27 ± 0.31 D in the LASIK group and reduced 96% to -0.17 ± 0.41 D in the PRK group. At 1 year, 91% of eyes were within ±0.50 D and 97 % were within ±1.0 D in the PRK group. At 1 year, 88% of eyes were within ±0.50 D and 97% were within ±1.0 D in the LASIK group. At 1 year, 97% of eyes in the PRK group and 94% of eyes in the LASIK group achieved an UCVA of 20/20 or better (P=0.72). Refractive stability was achieved in both PRK and LASIK groups after 1 month. There were no intraoperative or postoperative flap complications in the LASIK group. There were no instances of corneal haze in the PRK group. CONCLUSIONS: Wavefront-guided LASIK and PRK are safe and effective at reducing myopia. At 1 month postoperatively, LASIK demonstrates an advantage over PRK in UCVA, BSCVA, low-contrast acuity, induction of total HOAs, and several subjective symptoms. At postoperative month 3, these differences between PRK and LASIK results had resolved.

  Publisher

• Lack of association of CFD polymorphisms with advanced age-related macular degeneration.

  PubMed · 2010-11-03 · 12 citations

  articleOpen access

  PURPOSE: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible central vision loss worldwide. Research has linked AMD susceptibility with dysregulation of the complement cascade. Typically, complement factor H (CFH), complement factor B (CFB), complement component 2 (C2), and complement component 3 (C3) are associated with AMD. In this paper, we investigated the association between complement factor D (CFD), another factor of the complement system, and advanced AMD in a Caucasian population. METHODS: Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs1683564, rs35186399, rs1683563, rs3826945, rs34337649, and rs1651896, across the region covering CFD, were chosen for this study. One hundred and seventy-eight patients with advanced AMD and 161 age-matched normal controls were genotyped. Potential positive signals were further tested in another independent 445 advanced AMD patients and 190 controls. χ2 tests were performed to compare the allele frequencies between case and control groups. RESULTS: None of the six SNPs of CFD was found to be significantly associated with advanced AMD in our study. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that CFD may not play a major role in the genetic susceptibility to AMD because no association was found between the six SNPs analyzed in the CFD region and advanced AMD.

  PublisherOA PDF

• Wavefront guided Photorefractive Keratectomy—Today and the Future

  Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd. eBooks · 2008-01-01

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Edward E. Manche

  Stanford University

  18 shared

• David B. Granet

  4 shared

• Chris W. Heichel

  The California Eye Institute

  4 shared

• Luke J. Saunders

  4 shared

• Jeffrey E. Lee

  The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

  4 shared

• Kang Zhang

  Southern Medical University

  4 shared

• Erika M. Ellis

  University of California, Los Angeles

  4 shared

• Henry Ferreyra

  Jacobs (United States)

  3 shared

Labs

• Weldon HawPI

Education

• M.D., Ophthalmology

  University of California, San Diego

  1990

• B.S., Biology

  University of California, San Diego

  1986