CLARKSBURG, Md. — The BrightFocus Foundation has announced nearly $13 million in new grant funding to support innovative early-stage research into Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma—three of the leading causes of cognitive and vision loss worldwide.
The grants, awarded to 50 scientists across 10 countries, include $7.3 million for Alzheimer’s disease research, $3.8 million for macular degeneration, and $1.8 million for glaucoma. The funding aims to accelerate progress in understanding disease mechanisms, improving early diagnosis, and developing new treatments.
“These grants represent some of the most promising and boldest scientific ideas in brain and vision health today,” said Stacy Pagos Haller, president and CEO of BrightFocus. “At a time when federal research funding faces serious cuts, private foundations like BrightFocus are stepping in to support the scientists and breakthroughs that might otherwise go unfunded.”
BrightFocus is a nonprofit organization that backs high-risk, high-reward scientific projects with the potential to transform care for age-related diseases of the mind and sight. Its investments have previously supported major breakthroughs, including the first commercially available U.S. blood test for early Alzheimer’s detection and the reversal of vision loss in glaucoma-affected mice through gene therapy.
The organization’s grant-making is guided by scientific advisory committees composed of internationally recognized experts. All research supported by BrightFocus is funded entirely through private donations, including contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners. The group does not receive government funding.
By focusing on early-stage ideas and investigators, BrightFocus hopes to fill a critical funding gap and foster the next wave of discoveries in neurological and ophthalmic disease research.
