When Megan Webber, Co-Founder of KnowTheGlow, and Helene Dameris, Director of Global Outreach, connected with Dr. Enzo Castiglione on a recent Zoom call, they came away energized by his genuine understanding of the KTG mission and his thoughtful advice on shaping a meaningful awareness campaign in Chile. His guidance was both practical and visionary, offered with the same generosity of spirit that has defined his long career in ophthalmology.
Dr. Castiglione’s educational journey has taken him across the globe. After earning his medical degree with highest distinction from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in 2000, he completed his ophthalmology specialty at Fundación Oftalmológica Los Andes in 2003, again with top honors. He went on to Barcelona for a master’s degree in macula, vitreous, and retinal pathology, and later to McGill University’s Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal for a fellowship in ocular immunology and uveitis. These years of training gave him a rare international profile and prepared him for a career that blends research, teaching, and patient care at the highest levels.
In Chile, he has become recognized as a leading expert in ocular inflammation, treating complex cases of uveitis and autoimmune disease in both adults and children as young as four years old. Dr. Castiglione has also built an impressive academic record. He has taught at both the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and the Universidad de Chile, where he continues to serve as Associate Professor of Ophthalmology. He has trained a generation of doctors through specialized courses in ocular inflammation and uveitis, contributed to international conferences, and even collaborated as principal investigator in a phase-3 multinational clinical study on intravitreal injections for non-infectious posterior uveitis. His leadership extends to professional societies in both Chile and Latin America, where he has been active in event organization and academic collaboration.
Beyond his clinical and academic accomplishments, he gives back in deeply personal ways. As a father, he understands the hopes and concerns of families and brings that empathy into his work. This compassion fuels his pro bono service with a foundation for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, where he offers his time and expertise freely. He is also connected internationally, counting among his close colleagues Dr. Ashwin Mallipatna from Canada’s Hospital for Sick Children and Dr. Arun Singh of the Cleveland Clinic, with whom he shares both friendship and professional ties.
During the conversation with KnowTheGlow, Dr. Castiglione offered practical insights into awareness efforts in Chile. He suggested that uveitis be included on the list of differential diagnoses for leukocoria, noting the glow’s importance in early detection. He emphasized that pediatricians, not only ophthalmologists, must be reached since the red reflex exam is already incorporated into well-child visits. He urged outreach to pre-school and medical students to ensure awareness is embedded early in education. He highlighted Chile’s national campaign that guarantees access to cancer care for all people and recommended connections with leading institutions such as the University of Chile, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Universidad de los Andes, and universities in Concepción and Valparaíso.
In discussing broader health systems, he explained that Chile does not have a formal optometry profession as it exists in some other countries. Instead, “tecnólogos médicos” complete a five-year degree and often serve in similar roles, supporting vision care and early detection. He noted that these professionals could be key partners in expanding awareness outside Santiago. He also spoke candidly about technology, discussing the potential of artificial intelligence to even help guide campaigns if trained with the right clinical framing and questions.
Megan and Helene were struck not only by his expertise but also by his warmth. Dr. Castiglione described his own parents as engineers and joked that he lacked their aptitude for numbers, so he instead chose medicine, a decision that has benefited countless patients! It was an honor to speak with Dr. Castiglione. His curiosity, generosity, and thoughtful advice left a strong impression, and the call marked the beginning of what promises to be a meaningful collaboration for advancing KnowTheGlow’s mission in Chile.
