Research SectionsSection of Sensory Organs and Head–Neck District

Section of Sensory Organs and Head–Neck District

Coordinator

Location

CTO (Orthopaedic Trauma Centre) – AOU Careggi, Florence; Ophthalmology Unit – AOU Careggi, Largo Palagi 1, Florence.

General description of the Section

The Sense Organs and Head and Neck District Section of the NEUROFARBA Department brings together professors and researchers from the University of Florence who carry out scientific, clinical and teaching activities in the fields of ophthalmology, audiology and vestibology, and neurosurgery, with its main location at the Careggi University Hospital in Florence. The section is characterized by a strong integration between translational research and highly complex specialist clinical care, with active participation in European research networks and established international collaborations.

Research areas

Ophthalmology

The ophthalmology research group carries out clinical and translational activities on several diseases of the visual system, with an established international profile. The main research areas include medical retina, with studies on age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and retinal vascular diseases; inherited retinal dystrophies and retinitis pigmentosa, with integrated approaches involving clinical and molecular diagnostics, advanced imaging and the testing of innovative gene therapies; vitreoretinal surgery, with the development of innovative techniques for the management of macular holes, epimacular membranes, retinal detachment and pathological myopia, including the use of three-dimensional visualization systems; advanced multimodal imaging — OCT, OCT-Angiography, adaptive optics and ultra-widefield platforms — for the diagnosis and identification of new retinal biomarkers in ocular and systemic diseases; artificial intelligence applied to ophthalmology (oculomics); non-infectious uveitis associated with systemic inflammatory diseases; ocular surface disorders and dry eye syndrome; evidence-based ophthalmic medicine, with the production of Cochrane systematic reviews cited in major international guidelines; pharmacoepidemiology of intravitreal drugs; low vision and visual rehabilitation. The group actively participates in numerous multicentre phase 2 and 3 clinical trials investigating new therapeutic agents for AMD, diabetic macular oedema, geographic atrophy, inherited retinal dystrophies and gene therapy. In terms of competitive funding, the group has received grants from the Region of Tuscany, the Italian Ministry of Health, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze and the National Institutes of Health (NIH, USA), with projects on retinitis pigmentosa, non-invasive retinal biomarkers and the integration of clinical and administrative data in the care of ocular diseases. Internationally, the group participates in the European ERN-EYE network for rare eye diseases through the AOU Careggi – AOU Meyer Consortium, the Cochrane Eyes and Vision network, the Research Committee of the European Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ESCRS), the WHO Technical Working Group for intervention packages on refractive errors and visual rehabilitation, and collaborates with centres of excellence in Europe, North America and Asia.

Professors and researchers:  Prof. Fabrizio Giansanti, Prof. Gianni Virgili, Prof. Daniela Bacherini, Dr. Stefania Cappelli

Audiology and Vestibology

The audiology and vestibology research group carries out clinical and scientific activities in the field of hearing and balance disorders. The main research areas concern clinical vestibology, with the study and treatment of balance disorders; the assessment of vestibular, auditory and cognitive reflexes following the application of cochlear implants and bone-anchored implantable hearing devices in patients with hearing loss; chronic inflammatory diseases and tumours of the middle ear.

Professors and researchers:  Prof. Beatrice Giannoni

Neurosurgery

The neurosurgery research group carries out scientific and clinical activities on highly complex diseases of the central nervous system. The main research areas concern the role of the glymphatic system in the pathogenesis of cognitive decline associated with different systemic conditions; idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus and the study of predictors of response to neurosurgical treatment; reparative neurosurgery with intracerebral transplantation of nerve cells into degenerated brain areas, a field in which the section has well-established international experience.

Professors and researchers:  Prof. Pasquale Gallina

Main funded projects

• NUBIRE – "New biomarkers from non-invasive retinal imaging in cardiovascular and neurological diseases using an ultra-widefield multimodal imaging platform". UniFi-FCRFI IR@UNIFI joint call. Amount: €220,000. PI: Prof. Gianni Virgili; co-PI: Prof. Daniela Bacherini.
• INTACT – "INTegration of Administrative and Clinical data To investigate processes and outcomes of eye care". 2018 Health Call, Region of Tuscany. Amount: €216,000. PI: Prof. Gianni Virgili. The project integrates electronic clinical data from patients with retinal diseases with regional administrative data, using artificial intelligence, for real-world studies and process mining.
• Retinitis Pigmentosa – "Phenotyping and genotyping of patients and innovative treatments for retinitis pigmentosa". 2016 Finalized Research Call, Italian Ministry of Health (Network Programmes, code NET-2016-02363765). Total funding: €1,399,231; local funding: €700,000. Coordinator: Prof. Gianni Virgili.
• ABEC – Aberdeen-Belfast Evidence Collaboration – Co-applicant (NIHR153880). NIHR Evidence Synthesis Programme funding: £2.5 million over five years (2023-2028). Collaboration between the University of Aberdeen and Queen's University Belfast for the production of high-quality systematic reviews to support decision-making in health and social care.
• NIHR HTA NIHR134593 – "Study of technologies for the diagnosis of angle closure". Amount: approximately £700,000. Lead applicant: Prof. Augusto Azuara-Blanco; Co-applicant: Prof. Gianni Virgili (Queen's University Belfast, UK). February 2022.
• SafEye – "Design and prototype development of a personal protective device for ophthalmologists". Covid-19 Research Call Tuscany, Region of Tuscany. Total amount: €72,320 (lead institution: UNIFI NEUROFARBA €52,160; partner: AOU Careggi €20,160). Scientific coordinator: Prof. Fabrizio Giansanti.
• Title: “Guidelines and diagnostic questions: how to support physicians and patients in understanding uncertainty in the interpretation of diagnostic tests”
  RESEARCH FUNDING FONDAZIONE CASSA DI RISPARMIO – 2017 CALL
  Code: #24383
  Principal Investigator: Gianni Virgili
  Funding: €40,000
  Summary: The project aims to prepare a diagnostic review on the accuracy of different types of thermometers for detecting fever in various settings. The dissemination phase includes methodological training and workshops for clinicians.
• Title: “Safety of long-acting nitrates, Ivabradine, Nicorandil and Ranolazine for treating or preventing stable angina: systematic review and meta-analysis”
  INDEPENDENT DRUG RESEARCH PROJECTS - 2012 CALL
  Code: FARM12T4BK
  Principal Investigator: Ersilia Lucenteforte
  Role: Co-investigator
  Funding: €67,000
  Summary: Network meta-analysis aimed at investigating the adverse effects of new-generation long-acting nitrates.
• NIHR Evidence Synthesis Programme Incentive Awards Scheme 2021 - Call: 21/531
  Funding scheme supporting the conduct of high-priority Cochrane systematic reviews.
  Role: Gianni Virgili (project lead applicant).
  Title 1: Interventions for myopia control in children: a living systematic review and network meta-analysis. (Lead author: John G. Lawrenson) – awarded £10,000.
  Title 2: Prognostic factors for the development and progression of proliferative diabetic retinopathy. (Lead author: Noemi Lois) – awarded £10,000.
• ERN-EYE – Participation in the European Reference Network for rare eye diseases. Representative of the AOU Careggi – AOU Meyer Consortium. International coordinator: Prof. Hélène Dollfus, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg.
• International agreement between UniFi, Iran University of Medical Sciences and Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences – Cultural and scientific collaborations in ophthalmology and neuroscience between the NEUROFARBA Department and Iranian universities.
• Agreement with Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – Policlinico Gemelli – "Innovative diagnostic imaging in retinal disease". Scientific coordinator: Prof. Fabrizio Giansanti.

Clinical care activities

The members of the section carry out highly specialized clinical care activities at the following units of AOU Careggi in Florence: Ophthalmology Unit (Department of Neurosciences and Sense Organs), with clinical and surgical activities on diseases of the eye, orbit, ocular adnexa and optic nerve, a Dry Eye Syndrome outpatient clinic, the Regional Referral Centre for Inherited Retinal Dystrophies and the site of the Specialization School in Ophthalmology; Audiology Unit, with diagnostic and therapeutic activities for hearing and balance disorders and cochlear implantation; Neurosurgery Unit (CTO, AOU Careggi), with diagnosis and surgical treatment of central and peripheral nervous system diseases in emergency, urgent and scheduled care settings, and the site of the Specialization School in Neurosurgery.