BrightFocus Foundation Announces New Alzheimer’s and Vision Disease Research Awards

CLARKSBURG, MD (July 25, 2023) — Global nonprofit BrightFocus Foundation announced it has awarded 65 new biomedical research grants to prevent, treat, and cure Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma.

Guided by its scientific advisory committees of leading researchers in the field, BrightFocus’ research funding fosters a better understanding of the root causes of disease onset, improves early disease detection and diagnosis, and helps develop effective new drugs and treatments.   

This year, 75% of new awards support early-career researchers, ensuring fresh perspectives are brought to the forefront to broaden the field of research, offering an increased return on research investment over time through novel discoveries that fuel the field. Additionally, 20% of the grants were awarded to scientists at leading institutions outside the U.S., fostering global collaboration and knowledge sharing.  

To further promote diversity and inclusivity in the field, 56% of this year’s awarded scientists are women and nearly 50% identify as a member of a non-Caucasian racial or ethnic group—critical to ensuring representation of the diverse communities we serve and to the development of personalized disease treatments.  

Funded scientists will investigate such topics as the development of dietary supplements and pharmaceutical-grade medicines to support healthier aging and to treat Alzheimer’s disease; the combined effects of risk factors like age, genetics, and diet on age-related macular degeneration; how tau pathology forms and spreads in the brain to inform future targetable pathways; stem cell therapy for early age-related macular degeneration; a new optimized form of nerve growth factor as a neuroprotective drug for glaucoma; and deep learning approaches to improve access to glaucoma clinical trials.  

"This new wave of grant awards continues to expand, strengthen, and diversify our global scientific portfolio," said President and CEO Stacy Pagos Haller. "Together, we are witnessing tremendous progress that gives hope for reversing the trajectory of these heartbreaking diseases, and these grants will play a crucial role in advancing our understanding and treatment of Alzheimer's, macular degeneration, and glaucoma." 

"Our investment in science is made possible by our community of 600,000 donors who have witnessed the powerful impact of our bold, innovative research," said Haller. "We are immensely grateful for their unwavering support, which continues to fuel our progress and give hope to millions affected by these devastating diseases." 

A list of the new projects is available on BrightFocus’ website. Additional details on the projects will be announced upon the completion of individual agreements with the partnering institutions and scientists. BrightFocus encourages researchers with groundbreaking ideas to apply for a 2024 grant. Application information is available at brightfocus.org/apply.  

Now celebrating its 50th year, BrightFocus has funded almost $290 million to date in early investigative research across more than 6,000 scientists (and two Nobel Prize winners) that include such novel breakthroughs as: 

• The development of the first commercially available blood-based screening test for Alzheimer’s, boosting early diagnosis and recruitment into clinical trials in the U.S. and Europe 
• The first-ever reversal of age-related vision loss and eye damage from glaucoma in mice using gene therapy 
• Laying the groundwork for the first FDA-approved anti-VEGF treatment for wet macular degeneration, which is the gold standard for helping to slow or stop further vision loss in people with wet age-related macular degeneration  
• A first-of-its-kind artificial intelligence model that could one day detect Alzheimer’s by reading a patient’s retinal images  

Learn more about the research funded by BrightFocus.