research team

Glaucoma Research

Glaucoma Research Foundation is dedicated to scientific research that deepens our understanding of glaucoma, generates new treatments, and will ultimately cure a disease that is the second leading cause of blindness.

Research takes resources. That’s why, for more than 40 years, we have rallied financial support for science with the potential to break through. Projects we’ve made possible have already changed the game in glaucoma care, starting with the first study to reveal that lowering eye pressure preserves vision. More recently, scientists we’ve funded have made discoveries that could protect or regrow retinal ganglion cells and axons damaged by glaucoma. But we’ve set our sights on something even bigger: a cure that will make glaucoma a thing of the past.

Our leading research program is Catalyst for a Cure. Since 2002, we have recruited scientists from prestigious academic centers across the country to collaborate in unique multi-year, multidisciplinary teams. The first Catalyst for a Cure consortium helped redefine glaucoma as a neurodegenerative disease, in the same family as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). A second team identified new biomarkers that reveal the earliest signs of glaucoma. A third team is now pursing exciting discoveries in vision restoration, from optic nerve regeneration to transplantation to gene manipulation. A fourth team, launched in 2022, is investigating how and why specialized cells in the eye, brain, and spinal cord deteriorate and die, in search of preventative measures and cures for all neurodegenerative conditions.

We also support pioneering scientists with new, untested ideas that hold great promise but may not qualify for traditional sources of support. Our Shaffer Research Grants illustrate the exciting potential we can catalyze with seed funding, which often leads to larger grants from the National Institutes of Health and other prominent sources.

Video: Catalyst for a Cure — A Bold Approach to Discovery

  • Video Transcript
  • Video Transcript