Title: Principal Medical Director of Ophthalmology
Company: Genentech
Location: Marlborough, Massachusetts, United States
Daniela Ferrara, principal medical director of Ophthalmology at Genentech, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Doctors for dedication, achievements, and leadership in ophthalmology and clinical research.
Dr. Ferrara is a distinguished professional who began her career as an ophthalmologist at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro between 2001 and 2004. She has served many prestigious organizations, including as an ophthalmologist retina specialist at the Clinica Sao Vicente and the Barra Eye Clinic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between 2000 and 2009, as a senior imaging reader at the Digital Angiography Reading Center between 2006 and 2014, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Universidade de São Paulo between 2008 and 2010. She presently contributes her expertise to the Tufts University School of Medicine as an assistant professor of ophthalmology since 2014 and simultaneously works at Genentech as the principal medical director of ophthalmology.
Attributing her success to challenging the status quo as an immigrant who has independent ideas, Dr. Ferrara utilized this asset to earn her Medical Doctorate, Summa Cum Laude, in 1998 and a Master of Surgery in ophthalmology in 2004 at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Additionally, she completed her ophthalmology residency program in 2001 at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. In 2003, Dr. Ferrara conducted a research fellowship in medical retina and uveitis at New York University, as well as a research fellowship in medical retina in 2007, also at New York University. She soon realized that she wanted to work in research where she could make a difference in many lives as opposed to one at a time as a physician. She obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in visual sciences at the Universidade de Sao Paulo in 2010.
Dr. Ferrara was recognized as a fellow by the American Society of Retina Specialists in 2021. She is also the co-founder of the Brazilian Women in Retina Society, co-chair of the Retina World Congress as part of the Women Global Committee, and acts as a mentor for the Women in Ophthalmology. She participates as a member of the International Retinal Imaging Society, Sociedade Brasileira de Oftalmologia, Conselho Regional de Medicina, Sociedade Brasileira de Retina e Vitreo, Association for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology, American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the American Society of Retina Specialists.
Looking ahead, Dr. Ferrara wants to continue pushing for faster and better drug development as patients who are fighting visual-threatening conditions do not have the luxury of time. She does not want to let an entire generation go blind because research and implementation are slow and cumbersome to develop new therapies. Her goal is to accelerate clinical trials and improve patient outcomes, both in clinical trials and in clinical practice. When she is not working, she dedicates her time and attention to volunteer work, yoga, meditation, spending time with her family, and traveling.
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