Biographical note

Maria Vittoria Cicinelli, MD, FEBO, is Assistant Professor at Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele in Milan, Italy. She completed a fellowship in Medical Retina in Chicago (USA). With over 210 peer-reviewed articles and books, Dr. Cicinelli has contributed to Medical Retina and Uveitis. She serves as Editor-in-Chief for AJO International and Associate Editor for several indexed journals, and is a member of several international societies. In addition to her academic achievements, Dr. Cicinelli is dedicated to mentoring and training medical students at Università Vita-Salute. Francesco Bandello is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University Vita-Salute San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Pavia in 1980 and completed his ophthalmology licensure at the University of Milan in 1984, both with highest honors. He further trained at Université Paris-Val de Marne – Paris XII as an Assistant Étranger. He is the President of the European Vision Institute Clinical Research Network (EVICR.net) and has served as Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Ophthalmology to 2024. He is also President of the ESASO Foundation and a member of the AI in Ophthalmology Society. He actively contributes to advisory boards and technical panels of the Italian Ministry of Health. His past roles include President of the European Society of Retina Specialists (EURETINA) and President of the Association of Italian University Professors of Ophthalmology. He has been a member of the National Eye Institute (NIH) Special Emphasis Panel and has contributed to the European Board of Ophthalmology. He has received numerous awards, including the Gabriel Coscas Medal, the Cunha-Vaz Award, the EURETINA Lecture Award, and the Mills and Margaret Cox Macula Society Research Grant. He has served as principal investigator in multiple international clinical trials and has authored over 1100 PubMed-indexed publications and 14 books.