Giuliano Scarcelli

About Giuliano Scarcelli

Giuliano Scarcelli

Scarcelli is co-inventor and co-developer of Brillouin imaging. A recent prototype clinical instrument based on the technology was developed to collect in vivo human data from the cornea, demonstrating Brillouin microscopy as a viable and effective ophthalmic tool, able to discriminate keratoconus from normal corneas, and able to detect the stiffening effect of collagen crosslinking. “Our new imaging modality maps the stiffness of ocular tissue without having to touch it,” explains Scarcelli. His articles have been cited over a thousand times, and he has received several awards, including the Human Frontier Science Program Young Investigator Award, the NIH Quantitative Career Award, and the Harvard University “Teaching Excellence” award. “Ten years from now I hope every hospital and eye center will have a Brillouin scanner to test corneal stiffness,” says Scarcelli.

A nominator said: “Measuring Brillouin scattering in cross-sectional maps of the cornea and crystalline lens to acquire stiffness maps is important for diagnosing keratoconus, and also the study of crystalline lens aging, and Scarcelli’s in vivo system has the potential to enter the clinical praxis.”