BrightFocus grants $15.2M to 62 scientists for Alzheimer’s and eye disease breakthroughs

BrightFocus Foundation, a donor-funded nonprofit based in Clarksburg, Maryland, has announced a $15.2 million grant commitment to 62 scientists in seven countries, including researchers at Columbia University in New York, University of California, San Diego in California, and Massachusetts Eye and Ear in Boston, Massachusetts, to advance research on Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. The multiyear research funding supports early-stage, high-risk scientific studies aimed at improving detection, treatment, and potential cures for brain and eye diseases affecting millions globally. Grants include AI-driven diagnostics, regenerative therapies, and inflammation research, with $8.5 million dedicated to Alzheimer’s, $4.5 million to macular degeneration, and $2.2 million to glaucoma. Entirely donor-supported, the program fills critical gaps left by uncertain federal research funding.