Robert Donati

Robert Donati serves as a Part-Time Associate Professor of Optometry at the Illinois College of Optometry since 2004, directing first-year human physiology, pathology, and immunology courses while chairing multiple college committees.

His educational credentials include a PhD from the University of Illinois-Chicago (1998) and a BA from the University of Chicago (1989).

Dr. Donati's research centers on depression neurobiology and macular pigment, spanning anatomy, cell biology, physiology, immunology, and neurobiology. His work reveals how G protein signaling in lipid rafts underpins antidepressant mechanisms, with vision science applications in macular pigment measurement and oculo-visual health in mental illness.

Recent publications (2015-2016) advance depression biomarker development and macular pigment densitometry, while his foundational 2001-2009 work established G protein redistribution as a core antidepressant mechanism.

Professional affiliations include:

• Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
• American Association for the Advancement of Science

Dr. Donati contributes extensively to institutional governance through committee service, though the text provides no details about research grants or student advising activities.