What you describe as two such different passions is my life; they emerged one after the other. I was born a musician. I discovered at a young age that I had a natural aptitude for music, so I studied piano, composition and orchestral conducting, and practised this profession as well as teaching at the conservatoire for a few years. At the same time, I studied medicine, eventually specialising in ophthalmology. At the time, I didn’t understand the connection between these two worlds, but then I realised: in music I was seeking sound, and in medicine and ophthalmology I was seeking light.

Now, as a neuroscientist, I have combined light therapy with infrasound and arrived at integrated medicine; therefore, music and medicine are not so far apart after all. Perhaps they are only so far apart in this particular historical period, but in the past – and probably in the future – they will be two extremely powerful therapeutic tools.

‘The surgeon who works with light’ is a description that has been given to me. Indeed, light is a non-invasive tool that is far more powerful than surgery.

At the SERI Institute in Lugano – which stands for Switzerland Eye Research Institute – we conduct research and clinical treatments to manage visual impairments, stabilize macular degeneration and, in the best cases, resolve retinopathies.

Combining science, medicine and art is fundamental, especially for the years to come. Clearly, scientific rigour is demonstrated by scientific publications and clinical data. Although science has become separate from art, the greatest scientific insights that later become standard practice always arise from creative processes that are related to the artistic process. Therefore, art and science are not so far apart, nor will they be in the future.

In my career as an ophthalmologist and researcher, the turning point was discovering that light is effective in blocking keratoconus, a degenerative disease of the cornea; it was subsequently applied to visual impairments, macular degeneration and various forms of retinopathy.

Music has played a fundamental role in my life, helping me to understand what talent and hard work are: those with talent have to work much harder than others.

It is now recognised that music has a therapeutic effect and influences people’s lives; not only is it pleasant and nourishes our emotional side, but it also manages to have therapeutic effects.

The difference between sound and vibration is subtle: in the life of planet Earth, vibration preceded sound. Sound is the processing and amplification of vibration.

Being a musician has influenced the way I practise medicine and the way I approach scientific innovations. The musical creative process is well known, and the scientific creative process is evident and universally recognised.

I have no doubt that in the future music and medicine will be used to improve human health.

The idea arose from a desire to explore this organ and make it scientifically accessible to everyone.

Because it is a symbol that has been around for millennia and its function and significance have never been properly explored.

Because retinas are gateways for light and converge towards the centre of the brain. In this area lies the epiphysis cerebri – known as the pineal gland – that possesses photoreceptors. My research is focused on understanding this connection.

Without light, biological processes would not exist.

As I mentioned earlier, light plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of cellular abnormalities that lead to various diseases.

What connects us with plants is our shared existence on a planet that is not our own: no plant has ever developed structures that deviate from its role on planet Earth.

The symbol of the Egyptian eye, known as the Eye of Horus, represents the intracranial area that also contains the pineal gland.

Knowing oneself is the consequence of understanding the meaning of life; knowing oneself means realising that the meaning of life is, simply, to live it.

The Covid pandemic, like all previous pandemics in human history, has made us reflect on the preciousness of life. Life is a gift, and when pandemics of this kind strike, all other external values crumble and become utterly insignificant.

To be happy, people lack what I mentioned earlier: self-awareness, loving oneself and one’s own life, and considering it a privilege to be healthy and alive.