Newswise — San Francisco, CA – March 17, 2020 – Last month at the Glaucoma 360 Annual Gala, the Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF) honored Vicente Anido, Jr, PhD and Thomas A. Mitro from Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in recognition of their remarkable leadership and commitment to the development of innovative glaucoma treatments. The Annual Gala took place on February 6, 2020 at the Grand Hyatt San Francisco. The benefit gala and live auction raised nearly $700,000 to support Glaucoma Research Foundation’s innovative research and education programs.
Also during Gala ceremonies, The Visionary Award was presented to Paul Sieving, MD, PhD in honor of his exceptional leadership of the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the launch of the NEI Audacious Goals Initiative for Regenerative Medicine, a 15-year cross-disciplinary research effort with the goal to replace cells of the retina that have been damaged by disease or injury and to restore their connections to the visual centers of the brain.
Additional awards presented included the President’s Award to The Wilmoth Family of Mill Valley, Calif. — Catherine, Charles, and their three children Cate, Tess, and Christopher. (“Glaucoma Research Foundation is indebted to the Wilmoth family for their ongoing advocacy, support and inspiration,” said Thomas M. Brunner, President and CEO of Glaucoma Research Foundation); and the 2020 Shaffer Prize for Innovative Glaucoma Research to Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, PhD (University of California, San Diego) for her 2018 study funded by GRF to investigate molecular changes in glaucoma and target senescent cells in order to protect healthy retinal ganglion cells in the eye.
Co-chaired by Michele and Steven Kirsch, the Annual Gala included the President’s Reception, an exciting live auction, a report from the “Catalyst for a Cure” researchers working toward restoring vision in glaucoma, and dinner and awards to celebrate the advocates and visionaries who believe in Glaucoma Research Foundation’s mission to cure glaucoma and restore vision through innovative research.
Glaucoma is a complicated eye disease in which damage to the optic nerve leads to progressive, irreversible vision loss. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness, and in its most common form, there are virtually no early-warning symptoms. It is estimated that over 3 million Americans, and over 60 million worldwide, have glaucoma but only half of those know they have it.
About Glaucoma 360
Glaucoma 360 is a three-day series of events dedicated to speeding the development of new therapies and diagnostics for glaucoma patients. It includes the Annual Gala on Thursday evening, the New Horizons Forum on Friday, and continuing education symposia for ophthalmologists and optometrists on Saturday. “Glaucoma 360 has become a significant catalyst in advancing new therapies to help patients preserve vision,” Mr. Brunner said. “We continually strive to do more to help glaucoma patients.”
About Glaucoma Research Foundation
Founded in San Francisco in 1978, Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF) is America’s oldest and most experienced institution dedicated solely to its mission: to cure glaucoma and restore vision through innovative research. GRF has a proven track record of ground-breaking, results-oriented research and produces definitive educational materials used by eye care professionals across the country. The Glaucoma Research Foundation website, www.glaucoma.org, provides valuable information about glaucoma to 4 million visitors annually.
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