Riccardo Natoli Australia and New Zealand Society for Extracellular Vesicles Conference 2023

Riccardo Natoli

I currently lead a globally recognized research program that aims to combat the severity and progression of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). This debilitating disease is a growing concern among our aging population, with a predicted 1.7 million Australians and 300 million people worldwide at risk of vision loss by 2030 due to this condition. As such, my strategy is to develop innovative diagnostic and treatment strategies using extracellular vesicles (EV) and their RNA cargo, including microRNA (miRNA), to reduce the impact of AMD. To achieve this aim, my ground-breaking work in understanding, treating and diagnosing AMD using EV and miRNA is supported by competitive funding agencies such as NHMRC and MRFF, industry partnerships like CRC-p, and the ANU Translational Fellowship. These prestigious organizations have invested ~$9 million in my research, which is evidenced by my contributions to 69 publications and an h-index of 30. As an active member of the research community, I organize international conferences, such as the International Society for Eye Research (ISER) Conference, where I am the Genomics Session Organizer (2023). I have also presented at major vision conferences, including the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting. I am passionate about community engagement, education, and leadership. My philosophy for research leadership and engagement is a bottom-up approach that emphasizes nurturing the next generation of vision researchers and science communicators. To this end, I established Clear Vision Research in 2017, a framework that supports students and staff in my research lab to participate in driving our research goals and gaining direct exposure to the people impacted by AMD. This initiative also highlights the critical need for science outreach and communication, ensuring that the community is engaged in our research. My commitment to education and leadership is evident in the number of students I have supervised, including eight graduated PhD students who have gone on to be offered positions at prestigious institutions such as the National Eye Institute (NIH), Berkley, Harvard, the University of Melbourne, the University of Sydney, and the University of Queensland. Currently, I have four PhD students and two honors students in my lab, and I have supervised numerous Honors, Masters, and ANU Medical School (ANUMS) Research Projects students. Additionally, as the associate director of research development for the School of Medicine and Psychology (SMP), I am actively involved in framing the future of research at SMP. I developed the Young Visionaries school outreach program to promote the importance of science to school children, educate parents and teachers on the importance of eye health, and provide support to those impacted by AMD. I have also been invited to present to Retina Australia and The Blind Society, and I am actively involved in public science events such as National Science Week, Science in ACTion, and National Science Youth Forum. My research and advocacy for body donation to medical research have been featured in national and local media, including National Nine News, Win Local News, SBS's The Feed, ABC Radio, Radio National, and various print and online media.