Ching Yi is a post-doctoral research fellow in the Downie Laboratory: Anterior Eye, Clinical Trials and Research Translation Unit with Professor Laura Downie, in the Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences at the University of Melbourne. Ching Yi graduated with a Master of Optometry from Deakin University in 2015, then worked full-time as a clinical optometrist, before completing her jointly awarded PhD at the University of Melbourne and University of Manchester in 2025, as part of the Melbourne-Manchester Cookson Scholars dual-award PhD program. Ching Yi’s research focusses on ocular surface circadian rhythms (i.e. day-to-day variations), and evaluating the dynamic immunological profile of the ocular surface using Functional-In vivo confocal microscopy (Fun-IVCM) in systemic conditions.

Her passion is to translate an understanding of the diurnal effects on ocular surface immune cells to guide timely treatment outcomes for health conditions in the clinic. Her ability to communicate and translate research information is evidenced by multiple awards, both institutionally and nationally. In 2025, Ching Yi was the winner of the Optometry Victoria/South Australia Rising Star Award, recognised for her work in ocular immune cell research and contact lens wear discomfort.