Dr. Pennesi attended the University of Pennsylvania for his undergraduate studies. There he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering. Dr. Pennesi pursued combined at MD/PhD at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He received numerous awards while in graduate school including the John J. Trentin Award and the BRASS scholarship. This was followed by a residency in Ophthalmology at University of California – San Francisco. In 2011 Dr. Pennesi received the ARVO/Alcon Early Career Clinician-Scientist Research Award. In 2014, he was honored with the Alcon Young Investigator award. He is currently supported by a RPB career development award.