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The BrightFocus Foundation has announced nearly $13 million in new grants to support early-stage research on age-related diseases, including Alzheimer’s, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Since 1973, BrightFocus has invested over $300 million to fund innovative projects aimed at risk reduction, early detection, and treatments, relying solely on private donations without government funding.
This year’s grants will aid researchers in the US and nine other countries, backing high-risk, high-reward studies. Previous BrightFocus-funded breakthroughs include the first blood test for early Alzheimer’s detection and gene therapy reversing vision loss in mice with glaucoma.
With Alzheimer’s cases expected to triple by 2050, funded scientists are exploring the disease’s molecular origins to develop treatments or a cure. Research on macular degeneration focuses on retinal cell regeneration and environmental impacts, while glaucoma projects aim to improve early detection and protect key retinal cells.
BrightFocus CEO Stacy Pagos Haller emphasizes the vital role of private foundations in sustaining innovative research amid federal funding cuts and encourages researchers with pioneering ideas to apply for future grants.
