Matilde Ronzoni’s career illustrates how optometrists can bridge clinical practice, scientific research and industry to shape the future of vision care. Trained as an optometrist at University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy, and quickly drawn into product management and medical affairs, Ronzoni has spent more than a decade translating clinical insight into evidence-driven programs, academic collaborations and patient-focused initiatives. She is now a global medical affairs manager at HOYA Vision Care.
Ronzoni suggests that an optometrist’s education, built on optometry, vision science and clinical experience, is well-suited to roles in industry and research. “Our background helps us understand research and clinical evidence,” she says, noting that literacy enables optometrists to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of studies, interpret outcomes and advise on evidence-based solutions for patients. That skill set is valuable across product types: from single vision and progressive spectacle lenses to complex fields such as myopia management, where safety profiles and long‑term outcomes are critical, especially for children.
POWER OF PARTNERSHIPS
Ronzoni emphasizes that sustained academic collaborations accelerate robust science and build trust. Early in her career with HOYA Vision Care, she and the company developed a long‑standing partnership with University of Milano-Bicocca and University of Salento. This academic/industry partnership enabled collaboration, clinical trials, student involvement and rapid post‑launch research. Those relationships, she says, helped generate a substantial body of evidence around various relevant topics such as myopia, presbyopia and coatings. This collective research and resulting publications reinforced clinical confidence in both safety and efficacy.
University partnerships include not only clinical research but can also include community initiatives, such as UniForYourEyes, an initiative that HOYA Vision Care has supported at the University of Milano-Bicocca since 2019. The program provides free optometric examinations and free eyeglasses to citizens in economic need, delivering hundreds of spectacles as an example of how industry‑led programs can simultaneously meet community needs and demonstrate that companies are invested in public health, not just product sales.
A PATHWAY TO MEDICAL AFFAIRS
Ronzoni’s own path began after she graduated in 2015. She joined HOYA Vision Care through a thesis project that grew from research involvement and university interactions into a full-time opportunity. Early responsibilities included product management, preparing technical and educational information for product launches, ECP training and sales team support. That grounding in both scientific detail and customer education set the stage for broader roles.
As she consolidated into a product and educational manager role, she became a vibrant presenter at local congresses and a point person for translating technical science into practical guidance. The launch of MiYOSMART in Asia in 2018 and Europe in 2021 marked a turning point. The product required engaging ophthalmologists as well as traditional optical channels, and the company needed a team capable of speaking credibly to clinicians. That fostered the creation of a local medical team—and an invitation for Ronzoni to move into medical affairs and global clinical programs.
In medical affairs, her work expanded to project management for post-marketing clinical trials and cross-functional collaboration with R&D teams. She describes her work as building the link between scientific strategy and on‑the‑ground clinical questions: designing studies, identifying appropriate investigator sites and ensuring trials adhere to timelines and good clinical practice. Her role also includes advisory board activity, where clinical realities and unmet needs are surfaced and prioritized for future research.
COLLABORATION
Ronzoni believes that stronger collaboration between academia, clinical practice and industry is essential to advancing the future of eye care. She encourages optometrists and students to remain open to diverse career paths where clinical expertise, scientific evidence and innovation intersect to create meaningful impact for patients and practitioners alike.
She also emphasizes the important role industry can play in supporting education, research and the translation of evidence into real-world clinical practice. From medical affairs and professional education to innovation and scientific communications, optometrists can contribute across a wide range of functions that help shape the future of vision care globally.
Reflecting on her journey, Ronzoni shares that combining clinical insight with evidence-driven innovation has allowed her to contribute beyond individual patient interactions, helping support product development, professional engagement and improved standards of care on a broader scale. For her, the most rewarding aspect is knowing that this work ultimately contributes to better vision outcomes and quality of life for patients around the world.
Ronzoni was recently named in 20/20 EUROPE/Vision Monday Magazine’s Most Influential Women in Optical European Edition report. See that feature here.
