Overview
Dr. Nathan Cheung is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Duke University and serves as the Program Director of the Pediatric Optometry Residency and Externship Programs. He specializes in pediatric eye care, with clinical interests in strabismus, amblyopia, infant aphakia, and pediatric myopia control. He is actively involved in multi-center clinical trials through the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group (PEDIG) and serves as Duke’s site principal investigator for numerous NIH- and industry-sponsored studies.
He completed his Doctor of Optometry degree at the University of California, Berkeley, followed by a residency in Pediatric Optometry at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. He joined the Duke Eye Center as a Medical Instructor in 2016, was promoted to Assistant Professor in 2021 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2025.
A dedicated educator, Dr. Cheung directs the Pediatric Optometry Residency and plays a key role in medical and resident education, with a focus on amblyopia management, myopia control, and pediatric contact lens use. He has mentored dozens of students and residents and regularly presents at national conferences, including the American Academy of Optometry.
Dr. Cheung’s scholarly work includes over a dozen peer-reviewed publications, several book chapters, and invited articles. He is a frequent contributor to clinical research in amblyopia treatment, virtual reality-based visual field testing, and pediatric ocular imaging. He serves on multiple PEDIG committees and was recognized with the Excellence in Medical Education Award in 2025.
Originally from Toronto, Canada, Dr. Cheung remains committed to improving access to pediatric eye care, advancing research in childhood eye disease, and training the next generation of optometric and ophthalmic providers.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
Pilot comparison of monocular and binocular modes of virtual reality field testing in strabismus.
Journal Article Sci Rep · December 26, 2025 Full text Link to item CiteVirtual reality field testing in children with normal eyes and glaucoma: comparison of game-based versus Humphrey visual field-equivalent algorithms.
Journal Article J AAPOS · December 2025 BACKGROUND: Virtual reality-based field (VRF) perimetry presents an alternative to standard automated perimetry, offering both game-based and Humphrey-equivalent algorithms. Comparative performance of these two algorithms is not well-documented. We evaluat ... Full text Link to item CiteOptical correction of hyperopia in school-aged children: a scoping review protocol.
Journal Article BMJ Open · August 17, 2025 INTRODUCTION: Prescribing patterns for hyperopia in children vary widely among eye care providers worldwide. This scoping review aims to identify and map the current literature on optical correction and catalogue outcomes reported, particularly in the doma ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
A Randomized Trial of Dichoptic Treatment for Amblyopia in Children 8 to 12 Years of Age
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Jaeb Center For Health Research · 2024 - 2028ATS23: A Randomized Trial of Dichoptic Treatment for Amblyopia in Children 4 to 7 Years of Age (ATS23)
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Jaeb Center For Health Research · 2024 - 2028A Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial of Spectacles with Highly Aspherical Lenslets or 0.05% Atropine to Slow Progression of Myopia in Children
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Jaeb Center For Health Research · 2025 - 2026View All Grants