Filippo Drago (pharmacologist)

Last updated
Professor Filippo Drago
FILIPPO DRAGO.jpg
Born
Filippo Drago

(1954-12-05) 5 December 1954 (age 70)
Italy
Alma mater University of Catania [1]
Utrecht University [1]
Scientific career
Institutions University of Szeged [1]
Weizmann Institute of Science [1]
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill [1]
University of Catania
Thesis Prolactin and Behavior [1]  (1982)
Doctoral advisor David de Wied [2]

Filippo Drago (born 5 December 1954 in Enna, Italy) is an Italian pharmacologist, neurologist and psychiatrist. [2]

Contents

He is a professor of pharmacology at the University of Catania, Italy. [1]

Filippo Drago has several patents in the field of pharmacology and is author of more than 500 papers published in peer-reviewed journals. [3] [4]

Additionally, Filippo Drago is a certified Italian freelance journalist. [5]

Career

Filippo Drago obtained his medical degree in 1978 at the University of Catania, Italy, and obtained a PhD in pharmacology in 1982 at the University of Utrecht, in the Netherlands, working with David de Wied. [2]

Afterwards, he worked at the University of Szeged in Hungary, the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, and the Department of Psychiatry of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. [1]

From 2004 to 2010, he was a member of the Scientific Board of the Italian public agency for drug evaluation, the "Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco" (AIFA). [2] [6] In 2012, he was also appointed as a member of the board for pricing and reimbursement of the same agency. [7]

At the University of Catania, he was, among other roles, the Director of the International PhD Program in Neuropharmacology (2002–2013) and he is the coordinator of the master's degree in drug regulatory affairs. [8] [1] He is also a professor of Pharmacology and, since 2014, the Director of the Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences. [1]

From 2012 to 2014, Drago was President of the Federation of European Pharmacological Societies (EPHAR). [2] He is currently the President of the Italian branch of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), IT-ARVO, and the Association for Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics (AOPT), an organization that welcomes members from disciplines related to ocular pharmacology and its therapeutic applications. [9] [10]

In June 2019, as part of the "Università Bandita" investigation conducted by the Catania Public Prosecutor's Office, he – together with other eight professors and the Dean of the University of Catania – was investigated for having influenced the outcome of public competitions for the assignment of positions within the University of Catania. As a result, he was temporarily suspended from his role as Professor, pending the outcome of the judicial proceedings. [11]

He was fully readmitted as Professor in October 2019, when he was elected President of the CERD (Center for Research and Consultation on HTA and Drugs Regulatory Affairs) of the University of Catania. [12]

In 2020, Filippo Drago was appointed as chairman of the International Advisory Council within the Human Health Education and Research Foundation (HHERF). [13]

Awards

In 2014, Drago was awarded the Order for the International Merit of Blood by the International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations. [14] In the same year, he was also awarded the "ARVO Silver Fellow", an honour conferred to ARVO members "for their individual accomplishments, leadership and contributions to the Association". [15] [16]

In 2014, Drago was among the recipients of the "Rodolfo Paoletti Medal", which was established to "honour distinguished pharmacologists who have achieved merits for the discipline of pharmacology in Europe". [17]

In 2021, Filippo Drago became an "ARVO Golden Fellow" for his commitment "to advance research worldwide into understanding the visual system and preventing, treating and curing its disorders”. [18] [19]

Personal life

Filippo Drago is married and has four children. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ophthalmology</span> Field of medicine treating eye disorders

Ophthalmology is a clinical and surgical specialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. A former term is oculism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pedram Hamrah</span> German-American ophthalmologist

Pedram Hamrah is a German-American ophthalmologist and immunologist. He obtained his M.D. from the University of Cologne, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fight for Sight (U.S.)</span> American nonprofit organization

Fight for Sight is a nonprofit organization in the United States which funds medical research in vision and ophthalmology. It was formed in 1946 as the National Council to Combat Blindness (NCCB), the first non-profit organization in the United States to fund vision research; 2011 marked its 65th anniversary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Spaeth</span> American ophthalmologist

Dr. George Spaeth is an American ophthalmologist specializing in glaucoma at Wills Eye Institute. Spaeth is also affiliated with Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Graduate Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Chestnut Hill Hospital, Bryn Mawr Hospital, and Miner's Memorial Hospital.

Julia A. Haller is an American ophthalmologist who is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. She also holds the William Tasman, M.D. Endowed Chair at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, where she is Ophthalmologist-in-Chief.

The Federation of European Pharmacological Societies (EPHAR) is a non-profit voluntary association established to advance research and education in the science of pharmacology and to promote co-operation between national/regional pharmacological societies in Europe and surrounding countries. It is an umbrella organization of currently 29 national societies for pharmacology and represents over 12,000 individual pharmacologists in Europe. Moreover it seeks to co-operate with other international organizations, especially the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR) of which EPHAR is an associate member.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin J. Steinbach</span>

Martin Jeffrey Steinbach was an American vision researcher who spent most of his career in Canada. He was Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychology at York University. He received a master's degree from Connecticut College in 1965 and a Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1968.

The Association for Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics (AOPT) is an organization that welcomes members from disciplines related to ocular pharmacology and its therapeutic applications. The mission of AOPT is the sustenance of a scientific network aiming the dissemination of knowledge in the field of ocular disease, pharmacology and therapeutics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farhad Hafezi</span> Swiss eye surgeon and researcher (born 1967)

Farhad Hafezi is a prominent Swiss eye surgeon and researcher. Hafezi first gained recognition as a leading retina researcher in 1994, having been the first to discover a gene responsible for light-induced retinal degeneration. However, he changed his research focus to the cornea in 2003, and it is this work, particularly on corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL), which he helped pioneer, and advanced laser refractive surgery that he is internationally known for today. Hafezi's current clinical and laboratory research is focused on gaining a better understanding of the cornea. His research group at the University of Zurich has three main research foci:

Joan Whitten Miller is a Canadian-American ophthalmologist and scientist who has made notable contributions to the treatment and understanding of eye disorders. She is credited for developing photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin (Visudyne), the first pharmacologic therapy for retinal disease. She also co-discovered the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in eye disease and demonstrated the therapeutic potential of VEGF inhibitors, forming the scientific basis of anti-VEGF therapy for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, and related conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silvio Garattini</span> Italian scientist

Silvio Garattini is an Italian scientist, pharmacology research scientist, physician and professor in chemotherapy and pharmacology and director of the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research.

Santosh Gajanan Honavar is an Indian ophthalmologist and is currently the Honorary General Secretary of the All India Ophthalmological Society; Director of Medical Services ; Director, Department of Ocular Oncology and Oculoplasty at Centre for Sight, Hyderabad; and Director, National Retinoblastoma Foundation. He was the Editor of the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology and Indian Journal of Ophthalmology - Case Reports, the official journals of the All India Ophthalmological Society from 2017 to 2023.

George Bernard Benedek is an American physicist and currently the Alfred H. Caspary Professor Emeritus of Physics and Biological Physics and of Health Sciences and Technology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atul Kumar (ophthalmologist)</span> Indian ophthalmologist

Atul Kumar is an Indian ophthalmologist who is currently the Chief & Professor of Ophthalmology at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences (RPC-AIIMS), the national apex ophthalmic centre at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi. He was awarded the Padma Shri award in January 2007 for his services to the medical field. He specializes in vitreoretinal surgery and also heads the Vitreo-Retinal, Uvea and ROP services at RPC-AIIMS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dimitri Azar</span> American ophthalmologist

Dimitri Azar is an American ophthalmologist, professor, inventor and businessman who has founded Twenty Twenty Therapeutics, a joint venture established by Santen and Verily. The Twenty Twenty products were ultimately transferred to Santen and Verily in September 2024. Azar served as a board member of Novartis and a member of the scientific advisory board of Verily, Alphabet's Life sciences research organization. He served as dean of the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) from 2011 to 2018, and is currently Distinguished Professor and Executive Dean Emeritus.

Steven J. Fliesler is a distinguished American biochemist and researcher renowned for his contributions to the field of ophthalmology. He currently holds the title of SUNY Distinguished Professor and serves as the Meyer H. Riwchun Endowed Chair Professor of Ophthalmology at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY). Additionally, he also serves as the Vice-Chair for Research in the Department of Ophthalmology and acts as the Director of the Ira G. Ross Eye Institute Vision Research Center at the Buffalo VA Medical Center, VA Western NY Healthcare System (VAWNYHS), in Buffalo, NY.

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology is an American learned society dedicated to ophthalmology and other vision-related topics. It is based in Rockville, Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Coupland</span> Australian clinical pathologist

Sarah Coupland is an Australian-born pathologist and professor who is the George Holt Chair in Pathology at the University of Liverpool. Coupland is an active clinical scientist whose research focuses on the molecular genetics of cancers, with particular interests in uveal melanoma, conjunctival melanoma, intraocular and ocular adnexal lymphomas and CNS lymphoma. Coupland is also an NHS Honorary Consultant Histopathologist at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. Since 2006, Coupland has been head of the Liverpool Ocular Oncology Research Group; from which she runs a multidisciplinary oncology research group focussing on Uveal melanoma, based in the Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine at the University of Liverpool. Her research laboratory is currently located in the Institute of Translational Medicine From April 2014 to December 2019, Coupland was also Director of the North West Cancer Research Centre, @UoL. In both 2019 and 2020, Coupland was included on the 'Pathology Powerlist' on The Pathologist website.

Alon Harris is an American clinical scientist, professor of ophthalmology and Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, educator, inventor and researcher in the field of ocular blood flow and its relationship to diseases of the eye. Harris served as the principal or co-principal investigator on more than 60 research grants, published more than 392 peer-reviewed articles, and wrote 23 books and 70 book chapters. As of 2021, he holds two patents. Harris sits on the board of directors and the Scientific Advisory Board of The Glaucoma Foundation and is the Vice Chair of International Research and Academic Affairs, co-director of the Center for Ophthalmic Artificial Intelligence and Human Health at Mount Sinai Hospital, and Director of the Ophthalmic Vascular Diagnostic and Research Program at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Justine R. Smith AM is an Australian ophthalmic surgeon and vision researcher. Today she is based at Flinders University and Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide, Australia. Smith was awarded Member of the Order of Australia "for significant service to ophthalmology, particularly research and education" in the 2023 King's Birthday Honours. She received the Flinders University Alumni Convocation Medal in 2022, the Gold Medal of the International Ocular Inflammation Society in 2023, and the Joanne Angle Service Award from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology in 2024.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Filippo Drago" (in Italian). University of Catania. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "EPHAR Executive Committee". EPHAR. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  3. "Filippo Drago". Scopus. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  4. "Filippo Drago Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications". Justia Patents. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  5. "Ordine dei giornalisti" (PDF). Ordine dei Giornalisti – Consiglio Nazionale. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 May 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  6. "Composizione di strutture operanti in seno all'Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco (AIFA)" (PDF). Bollettino SIFO (in Italian). 5 (2004settembre–ottobre): 276–277. 2014. doi:10.1704/83.898 . Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  7. "Aifa. Definiti i componenti regionali della Cts e del Cpr" (in Italian). Quotidianosanita.it. 20 April 2012. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  8. "Master in Discipline Regolatorie del Farmaco" (in Italian). University of Catania. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  9. "The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology- Italian Chapter Affiliate". ARVO.org. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. Archived from the original on 10 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  10. "Dr. Filippo Drago". AOPT.org. Association for Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Archived from the original on 10 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  11. Natale, Bruno (28 June 2019). "Concorsi truccati all'Università, sospesi il rettore di Catania e 9 professori. Tra gli indagati anche l'ex procuratore D'Agata". la Repubblica (in Italian). Archived from the original on 29 June 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  12. "Elezione del Direttore del Centro di Ricerca e Consultazione su HTA e Discipline Regolatorie del Farmaco (CERD) — scorcio 20 19-2023" (PDF) (in Italian). Centro di Ricerca e Consultazione su HTA e Discipline Regolatorie del Farmaco (CERD). October 2019.
  13. "Council Members". HHERF. Archived from the original on 23 December 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  14. "Order for International Merit of Blood" (in Italian). International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  15. "2014 ARVO Fellows". ARVO.org (in Italian). The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  16. "ARVO Fellows". ARVO.org (in Italian). The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  17. "The Rodolfo Paoletti Medal". The Federation of European Pharmacological Societies. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  18. "ARVO 2021 Golden Fellows". The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  19. "ARVO Fellows". The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.