Retina4Future - COST Action CA24105

Short Bio: I am Assistant Professor and Group Leader of the Degeneration and Ageing Lab at NMS-UNL. My research focuses on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration in the context of ageing-related diseases, with a particular emphasis on retinal degeneration, using advanced human-based in vitro models, including retinal organoids. I also actively collaborate with ophthalmologists in clinical research and I have one patent under review. I have secured competitive funding as PI and Co-PI, having attracted approximately 1.5 M€ from national and international funding agencies (including FCT, EU, and HFSP). I am the Chair of the COST Action Retina4Future (CA25105), and Co-Coordinator of the MPS_NOVA Twinning Project, focused on advanced microphysiological systems and pluripotent stem cell technologies.

Short Bio: Dr. Francisco J. Díaz-Corrales is a neurologist and Group Leader of the Retinal Neurodegeneration and Advanced Therapies laboratory at the Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa (CABIMER), Seville, Spain. He obtained his PhD in Neuroscience from Okayama University, Japan, and has extensive experience in translational neuroscience and regenerative medicine. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying inherited retinal diseases and age-related retinal degeneration, with a particular emphasis on gene therapy, stem cell-based approaches, retinal organoids, and advanced 3D models for therapeutic development. Dr. Díaz-Corrales coordinates national and international collaborative projects aimed at translating innovative therapies into clinical applications for blinding disorders and improving precision medicine strategies in ophthalmology.

Short Bio: I develop my research in Neurosciences and Vision Sciences with a focus on glaucoma, one of the leading causes of irreversible vision loss worldwide. Motivated by the limited therapeutic options capable of slowing disease progression, I investigate new strategies to protect and restore retinal ganglion cells, the primary neurons affected in this condition. Their degeneration disrupts the anatomical connection between the eye and the brain along the visual pathway. For this reason, my work goes beyond neuroprotection and explores approaches that promote axonal regeneration. Understanding how to repair this connection and recover visual function remains a central challenge that guides my current research activities.

Short Bio: I am an ophthalmologist and clinical geneticist whose scientific work focuses on inherited eye diseases, particularly inherited retinal dystrophies, optic neuropathies and paediatric eye disorders. My research combines detailed clinical phenotyping, multimodal retinal imaging, electrophysiology and molecular genetic analysis to improve diagnosis and clarify genotype–phenotype correlations. I have contributed to studies of rare disorders as well as collaborative research on the population-scale genetics of strabismus. My current research interests include albinism, the interpretation of rare and common genetic variants, and the translation of molecular findings into clinically meaningful genetic counselling and follow-up.

Short Bio: I obtained my PhD at Miramoon Pharma in collaboration with the University of the Basque Country and the Biogipuzkoa HRI. My research focused on evaluating efficacy, safety, and translational potential of novel therapeutic compounds using both cellular and animal models. I have worked with photoreceptor cell cultures, including primary cultures and cell lines, and conduct in vivo functional assessments such as electroretinography, optokinetic, and behavioral studies to evaluate visual function. I have also performed biodistribution, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, and toxicology studies in mice, rabbits, and pigs. Currently, at the company I work as project manager coordinating experimental activities and data analysis to support regulatory development and advance innovative treatments toward clinical application.

Short Bio: I am dedicated to advancing the understanding of retinal physiology and cellular mechanisms underlying visual dysfunction. My research focuses on investigating pathomechanisms of retinal diseases using complementary approaches in animal models of human disorders and clinical studies involving patients with inherited retinal conditions. My studies aim to elucidate disease pathways, identify biomarkers and contribute to the development of innovative therapeutic strategies for vision preservation and restoration. My scientific interests encompass photoreceptor and post-receptoral function, retinal degeneration and genotype–phenotype relationships to improve outcomes for individuals affected by inherited and acquired retinal diseases.

Short Bio: I am a Senior Lecturer in Pharmaceutics and MPharm Programme Director at the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow, UK). I hold a PharmD from the University of Porto and a PhD in Drug Research and Development from the University of Santiago de Compostela. I worked as a PDRA at Queen’s University Belfast and as a Senior Lecturer at De Montfort University. My background spans formulation, drug delivery, nanomedicine, vaccine delivery and microneedles for transdermal delivery and diagnostics. My research group at Strathclyde - the 3Ds Lab (Drug Delivery and Diagnostics) - focuses on improving and facilitating patients' lives through the development of drug and vaccine delivery systems that are easy to manufacture and scale-up, highly efficient and administered through non-invasive routes.

Short Bio: I studied computer science at the University of Zagreb and completed my PhD in artificial intelligence (AI) for medical imaging at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. I subsequently joined the University of Iowa as a postdoc, where I started to specialize in AI for retinal image analysis. In 2015, I joined the Medical University of Vienna, where I advanced AI for retinal OCT. Since 2021, I have been leading the Christian Doppler Lab for Artificial Intelligence in Retina and in 2024, I took up an Assistant Professorship for Medical Image Computing at the AI Institute, Center for Medical Data Science. In 2024, I was awarded the prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant and in 2026, the Heidelberg Engineering Xtreme Research Award.

Short Bio: I investigate human retinal development and disease using stem cell–derived retinal organoids and advanced in vitro models. My research focuses on how light regulates retinal maturation, circadian biology, and neuronal function, with the aim of improving the physiological relevance of organoid models for disease modelling, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine. I combine human induced pluripotent stem cells, genome engineering, transcriptomics, imaging, electrophysiology, and bioengineering approaches to study retinal development and inherited retinal diseases. I am also interested in developing open-source technologies for retinal research.

Short Bio: I am a Coordinating Researcher/Full Professor at Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal, and the Leader of Retinal Dysfunction and Neuroinflammation Lab. My main scientific interests are focused on retinal degenerative diseases (diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, AMD and IRDs). I have been interested in elucidating the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying retinal dysfunction/degeneration, paying particular attention to the role played by neuroinflammation mediated by microglial cells, cell-cell crosstalk, and neuroprotection. I have also been interested in identifying new drug targets and developing advanced therapies for retinal diseases, identifying novel biomarkers of disease, and drug repurposing. More recently, I became interested in understanding the impact of prior systemic infections on chronic retinal diseases occurring later in life.

Short Bio: Diana's main research work has been developed in the biomaterial's field for ocular treatment, namely in drug release, material's characterisation, surface modification and interaction with biomolecules. She has work on in vitro drug release ocular simulated conditions using microfluidics. She masters several advanced characterisation techniques, namely atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, rheometery, goniometery, quartz crystal microbalance, differential scanning calorimetry and mechanical testing. She also dominates several sterilisation procedures and related biological analysis (e.g., microbiological tests, sterility tests, cytotoxicity). She has an h-index of 14, published 27 peer-reviewed papers in high impact journals that have >620 citations (source: SCOPUS).

Short Bio: Experienced Team leader and Scientist with expertise in cell-based and gene-based therapies (CGT), drug development and delivery platform of nucleic acids for ocular diseases (front & back of the eye). Experienced in preclincial development (from idea to entering into the clinic).

Short Bio: Yevgeny Beiderman received his Ph.D. in 2013 in Mathematics and Electro-Optical Engineering from Bar-Ilan University, Israel, where he also completed a postdoctoral fellowship. He has over 20 years of experience in industry and academy, holding leading scientific and engineering positions across a range of advanced technology projects. His research interests include optical remote sensing, ocular monitoring, biomedical engineering, image processing, and machine learning/AI. Dr. Beiderman is currently with the Holon Institute of Technology (HIT), Israel. He has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, contributed to two book chapters, and filed eight patents. His work has been recognized with multiple international awards for the development of innovative sensing technologies.

Short Bio: I am a medical biotechnologist, Senior Scientific Researcher at the National Institute of Pathology and Biomedical Sciences “Victor Babeș” (INCDVB), and Assistant Professor at Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest. My research focuses on molecular genetics, genomics, and biomarker discovery in non-communicable diseases, particularly neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, and age-related disorders. I have extensive experience in translational biomedical research and the application of omics technologies to advance precision medicine.