BrightFocus Foundation Announces Two New Board Members

Bring Scientific, Financial Expertise to Fight to End Diseases of Mind and Sight

CLARKSBURG, MD—BrightFocus Foundation, a nonprofit organization funding scientific research and promoting public awareness to end Alzheimer’s, macular degeneration, and glaucoma, today announced Shawna Gottlieb and Tonya M. Matthews, PhD, as new members of its Board of Directors.

“Now more than ever, the importance of high-impact scientific research is abundantly clear. Tonya and Shawna will bring great expertise to the BrightFocus mission of saving mind and sight,” said BrightFocus President and CEO Stacy Pagos Haller.

Ms. Gottlieb, currently the Chief Financial Officer at Cummins Behavioral Health Systems, has extensive experience in both nonprofit and corporate finance. “I want to serve BrightFocus because the work they do is so important to those who suffer from Alzheimer’s, macular degeneration, and glaucoma.  I have seen family members and friends struggle in the face of these diseases. The innovative science BrightFocus supports gives us all hope for a better future, and it is an honor to be part of this organization,” Gottlieb said.

Dr. Matthews is Associate Provost for Inclusive Workforce Development and Director of the STEM Learning Innovation Center at Wayne State University. She previously had led the Michigan Science Center. “We are living in a time when the promise, power, and necessity of scientific research is clear – and BrightFocus Foundation’s support of research into Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma is critical and compelling. I am delighted by this opportunity to join in the important work of the foundation,” Matthews said.

BrightFocus, which is currently supporting a $40 million portfolio of more than 200 research projects around the world, recently launched online Covid-19 resources for those impacted by diseases of mind and sight.