We are delighted to announce Dr Alessandro Rabiolo as a touchOPHTHALMOLOGY Future Leader 2026, selected by peers as one of the ophthalmologists changing the future of eye care.
Dr Alessandro Rabiolo is an Associate Professor and Glaucoma Clinical Lead at the University Hospital Maggiore della Carità, Università del Piemonte Orientale, in Novara, Italy. He also serves as Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Ophthalmology.
He completed a glaucoma clinical fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital and Gloucestershire NHS Hospitals, alongside a glaucoma research fellowship at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Dr Rabiolo has received numerous honours including the ARVO Early Career Clinician-Scientist Award and the Paladino Italiano della Salute Award. He serves on the Scientific Committees of both the European Glaucoma Society and the Società Italiana Glaucoma, and has authored more than 130 publications in leading peer-reviewed journals.
In this Q&A, Dr Rabiolo reflects on what first drew him to ophthalmology, the mentors who shaped his career, and why advances in bioinformatics are opening up exciting possibilities for the future of the field.
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in ophthalmology?
My passion for ophthalmology came unexpectedly. It started during a rotation at the Ophthalmology Department of San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. I was struck by the combination of advanced technology and clinical precision. The possibility of studying intraocular structures in vivo, with such detailed imaging, felt extraordinary.
I was particularly fascinated by microscope-assisted microsurgery: operating on such a small and delicate organ, yet with remarkable safety and consistency. The precision, the magnification, the control; it was a discipline where science, technology, and manual skill came together seamlessly.
Just as important, I met mentors and colleagues who were excellent clinicians but also kind and supportive people. I felt welcomed from the beginning, and that atmosphere played a significant role in my decision. Ophthalmology offered both intellectual challenge and a sense of belonging. That combination made the choice feel natural.
Peer Perspective
“With a methodical and scientifically rigorous approach, Dr Rabiolo brings research into everyday glaucoma practice, helping ensure care is firmly evidence-based and aligned with guidelines.”
Maria Vittoria Cicinelli, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
Q: Who has been the most significant mentor or role model for you, and what did you learn from them?
I have been fortunate to train with some of the finest clinicians, surgeons, and researchers worldwide, and each of them has shaped my professional and personal identity in a different way.
The person who probably had the greatest impact on me was Dr Joseph Caprioli. From him, I learned the importance of being organized, practical, and efficient, while never compromising on quality. He also taught me to ask big, meaningful questions: questions that truly matter for patients.
Prof Andrew McNaught taught me humility and intellectual honesty. He emphasized the importance of being introspective, questioning one’s own assumptions, and remaining rigorously honest with oneself when assessing one’s own limits.
Mr Nitin Anand played a crucial role in building my confidence as a surgeon. His guidance helped me develop technical assurance in the operating room while maintaining composure and responsibility.
Many others have contributed to my path, and I am certain that more mentors will influence me in the years to come. Mentorship, for me, is not a single defining relationship but an ongoing process of growth shaped by different people at different stages of one’s career. Today, I try to transmit that same balance of rigor, humility, and confidence to the younger colleagues I work with.
Q: What current innovations in ophthalmology excite you the most?
What excites me most in ophthalmology, and in medicine more broadly, is the progress in bioinformatics. We are finally in a position to leverage data from millions of patients (e.g., clinical records, imaging, outcomes) to better understand how diseases truly behave in real life. This is changing the way we think about prognosis and treatment.
What I find most compelling is the possibility of translating large-scale population data into better decisions for the individual patient. Moving from a “one-size-fits-all” approach toward more personalized care is, in my view, one of the most meaningful advances in contemporary ophthalmology. The real challenge now is not only to generate data, but to transform it into tangible improvements in patient care.
Disclosures: This short article was prepared by touchOPHTHALMOLOGY in collaboration with Dr Rabiolo. No fees or funding were associated with its publication.
Citation: Dr Alessandro Rabiolo on advancing personalized care with bioinformatics: touchOPHTHALMOLOGY Future Leaders 2026. touchOPHTHALMOLOGY. 11 March 2026.
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