Eversight Illinois Vision | Page 10

THE FUTURE. DELIVERED. Advancing Eye and Vision Research When Gregory Grossman, Ph.D., CEBT, began researching pediatric retinal diseases early in his career, he knew there would be many challenges to overcome. Limited time, funding, and personnel were concerns, but his greatest challenge, as for many scientists, was finding the one precious resource he knew could unlock a world of discovery – human eye tissue. Dr. Grossman adds that these programs would not be possible without donors and their families who make the choice to donate to research. “Human tissue is absolutely critical to move researchers beyond the limits of animal and computerized models,” says Dr. Grossman. Ever since, he has dedicated his life to eliminating the barriers between researchers and finding the next cure. More than 32 million people worldwide are blind, and another 190 million suffer from moderate to severe visual impairment. Today, as Director of the new Eversight Center for Eye and Vision Research, Dr. Grossman is leading the charge to deliver innovative solutions that will accelerate research discoveries. While corneal transplantation gives sight to many, only 10 percent of blindness is caused by corneal disease or injury. For many conditions, there are no cures or effective therapies. The Center is built around five key programs that provide critical resources including disease-specific donor tissue, biomedical data, grant funding, support for advancing eye banking practices, and community education initiatives. Eversight Medical Director and Research Review Committee Chair Jonathan Lass, M.D., says Eversight is well positioned to change the future of research in ways that have never been seen by eye banks. “In partnership with leading academic institutions, we aim to provide researchers with the critical tools they need to understand eye diseases and develop cures that will impact millions of people living with blindness,” says Dr. Lass. Spring 2016 | V I S I O N | Page 10 “Vision loss affects people of every age, race, gender and role we play – parent, grandparent, child or friend,” said Dr. Grossman. “You can join in our quest to change the landscape of the future by registering to be an eye, organ and tissue donor; talking about the importance of research; and making a financial contribution to support our innovative research programs.” Visit eversightvision.org/research to learn more about our exciting research programs.