General Info

I am a professor of ophthalmology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I specialize in the care of complex and rare diseases and I have expertise in treating Inherited Retinal Diseases (IRDs) and Autoimmune Retinopathy (AIR). I am a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), as well as a Fellow of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). I serve as a scientific reviewer for numerous journals and as an Editorial Board Member of the ARVO journal Translational Vision Research and Technology. I serve on multiple scholarly and foundation boards, including the Scientific Advisory Board of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, the Choroideremia Research Foundation, the Blue Cone Monochromacy Families Foundation, and the BlueGen Therapeutics Foundation. Additionally, I also serve as Global Medical Lead for Cell and Gene Therapies in Ophthalmology at Astellas Pharmaceuticals US. I have written more than 150 publications, over 30 book chapters, one edited book, over 200 presentations, and more than 90 invited talks at national and international venues. I am a native of Rome, Italy, and a dual Italian and U.S. citizen. When I am not at work, I enjoy cooking, photography, playing pickleball, road cycling, and following sporting events.