Background:

After a Fight for Sight Early Career Investigator's Award, Dr Pirro Hysi has been a senior faculty member at King's College London since 2016, with a keen interest in researching molecular predictors of good health and age-related diseases. He has authored over 200 research papers on genetics, metabolomics, epigenetics and other molecular markers of diseases. Genetics of melanin metabolism is one of his current scientific interests and he has led some of the most influential research on genetics of pigmentation traits published to date.

The webinar will explore the evolution of our understanding of eye colour and its presentation in graphic arts, as well as our current knowledge of the genetics of eye colour variation.

Speaker:

Dr Pirro Hysi is primarily focused on uncovering differences in gene sequences, gene regulation, and activity modification, as well as the subtle metabolic alterations that lead to human disease. After completing initial medical training, he earned a PhD in genomic medicine, concentrating on how environmental factors interact with genes to cause disease. Recognising that diseases are often organ-specific manifestations of systemic molecular disruptions, Dr. Pirro Hysi has extensively researched how diseases develop across different systems and organs. However, the eye offers the clearest illustration of how molecular mechanisms distinguish between health and disease. He has published over a hundred peer-reviewed research articles, with a particular emphasis on the genetics of myopia, glaucoma, and corneal disease. An active member of several professional associations, including the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, He collaborates globally with experts to advance human health and protect vision.