European Vision Awardee 2009

The European Vision Institute EEIG proudly presents the winner of the European Vision Award 2009:

Dr. Valeria Marigo
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy

Dr. Valeria Marigo from the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy was selected as the European Vision Awardee 2009. By this vote the external referees acknowledged her excellent scientific contributions to the field of Vision Research & Ophthalmology within the recent years.

Dr. Marigo devotes her research to the study of inherited eye diseases. She conducts basic research on murine models and on in vitro cell cultures with the aim to elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of genetic eye diseases. Her work in the past years have contributed to a better understanding of pathogenetic events leading to blindness allowing the identification of key factors that can be envisaged as targets for therapeutic development. She has also developed culture conditions for in vitro generation of rod photoreceptors as perspective therapeutic tool in retinal transplants.

Dr. Marigo started her training with PhD studies in developmental and cellular biology. She then moved her interest to genetics during her post-doctoral training at the Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School. As group leader at the Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine in Milan and later in Naples she focused the study of her laboratory to eye inherited diseases and this is still her research area after her move to Modena.

As a result of her excellent professional activities Dr. Marigo has been able to receive numerous national and international grants and awards.