An Evening of BrightFocus brought more than 400 guests from the scientific, philanthropic, private, and public sectors together in Washington in June 2018 to celebrate promising science and bold advocacy to end Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma.
The event was hosted by Richard Lui, with special guest Sunny Hostin. Later in the evening there was a special musical performance by Julian Raymond, Bennett Salvay, and Jimmy Webb.
Recognized that evening:
- James Keach received the Public Leadership Award for his years of work and dedication to increasing awareness about Alzheimer's disease.
- Webster Cavenee, PhD, Thaddeus Dryja, MD, Brenda Gallie, MD, and A. Linn Murphree, MD received the Helen Keller Prize for Vision Research, honoring their collaboration on the genetics of vision disease.
- Rachel Bennett, PhD, was recognized as an outstanding emerging researcher in the field of Alzheimer’s disease..
Honorees to Date
Public Leadership Award
2018 James Keach, Director, Producer, Actor
PCH Films
2017 George and Trish Vradenburg, Co-founders
UsAgainstAlzheimer’s
2016 Meryl Comer, President and CEO
Geoffrey Beene Foundation Alzheimer’s Initiative
Scientific Impact Award
2017 Joe G. Hollyfield, PhD, Chairman, Ophthalmic Research
Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute
2016 Stanley B. Prusiner, MD, Director of the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Professor of Neurology and Biochemistry, University of California, San Francisco.
Spotlight: Emerging Researcher
2018 Rachel Bennett, PhD
Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Medical School
2017 Jennifer R. Gatchel, MD, PhD, Instructor in Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital
Helen Keller Prize for Vision Research
2018
Webster Cavenee, PhD
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California, San Diego
Thaddeus Dryja, MD
Harvard Medical School; Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
Brenda Gallie, MD
The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto
A. Linn Murphree, MD
Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California
Cocktails with the Scientists
Guests had the opportunity to interact informally with six BrightFocus-funded scientists who discussed their research at learning stations throughout the reception area.
Rachel Bennett, PhD, Harvard Medical School
Vessels of Change: Tau, Brain Circulation, and Alzheimer's
Meredith Gregory-Ksander, PhD, Massachusetts Eye and Ear
Targeting Inflammation as a New Way to Treat Glaucoma
Makoto Ishii, MD, PhD, Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Understanding Early Weight Loss in Alzheimer’s Disease
Benjamin J. Kim, MD, University of Pennsylvania
The GALA Trial: Testing Alpha Lipoic Acid for Dry AMD
Yvonne Ou, MD,University of California, San Francisco,
The Eye’s First Responders! Neuronal Injury and Recovery in Glaucoma
Sheldon Rowan, PhD, Tufts University
Connecting Our Diets to Gut Bacteria and Eye Health