BrightFocus Foundation Recognizes Leading Alzheimer’s, Vision Researchers at Benefit Showcasing Impact of Science

Eric McCormack, actor and singer, performed a musical tribute to the legendary Gene Wilder following a documentary sneak preview of WILDER:His Life, Legacy and Battle with Alzheimer’s Disease at awards gala supporting research for diseases of mind and sight.

(June 6, 2022) Washington, D.C.—BrightFocus Foundation hosted its seventh annual gala, MIND | SIGHT | CURE: An Evening of BrightFocus, on June 9 at the National Portrait Gallery. The awards program honored exemplary scientists working with the foundation and showcased some of the world’s most exciting research to end Alzheimer’s, macular degeneration and glaucoma.

“Now more than ever we understand the power of bold, innovative research to change lives,” said BrightFocus President and CEO Stacy Pagos Haller. “We are seeing progress to defeat these devastating diseases, and are so proud to recognize some of these outstanding scientists.”

Award-winning actor and singer Eric McCormack, best known for his role as Will Truman in Will & Grace, performed a musical tribute to Gene Wilder following a sneak peak of the new documentary WILDER: His Life, Legacy, and Battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

“I am so honored to pay tribute to the legendary Gene Wilder and to join with BrightFocus to support their amazing research for a cure,” said McCormack.

Six leading BrightFocus-funded scientists shared their current research findings on subjects ranging from regulating inflammation to treat Alzheimer’s; to advancing initial efforts to restore sight loss from glaucoma; to developing a “personalized medicine” approach for age-related macular degeneration during a science demo prior to the awards dinner and program.

The featured researchers came from Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital; Houston Methodist Research Institute; Indiana University School of Medicine; Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School; University of Illinois College of Medicine; and University of Southern California, Roski Eye Institute.

Awards were presented to the following scientists for their contributions to advancing cures for diseases of mind and sight:

Bench to Bedside Award. Ilyas Washington, PhD, co-founder biOOrg3.14 LLC & Alkeus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. His pioneering work led to a potential new treatment for Stargardt’s disease, an inherited condition similar to age-related macular degeneration, that received an FDA “Breakthrough Therapy” designation.

Helen Keller Prize for Vision Research. Sheila West, PhD, PharmD, Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University. Her seminal research in Africa has helped curb preventable blindness worldwide and has shaped the WHO guidelines.

Scientific Impact Award. David M. Holtzman, MD, Washington University School of Medicine Department of Neurology. His legacy and leadership in Alzheimer’s research is the foundation for the first blood-based test for Alzheimer’s that is in use in clinical trials today.

Pictured above:

• BrightFocus grantees shared their latest research findings during informational sessions with guests. From left: Alireza Faridar, MD (Houston Methodist Hospital), Kimberly Gokoffski, MD, PhD (University of Southern California Roski Eye Institute), Diane Bovenkamp, PhD (BrightFocus), Stacy Pagos Haller (BrightFocus), Sharyn Rossi, PhD (BrightFocus), Joelle Hallak, PhD (University of Illinois College of Medicine), Ksenia Kastanenka, PhD (Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School), Ye Sun, MD, PhD (Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital), and Jason Meyer, PhD (Indiana University School of Medicine).
• BrightFocus Macular Degeneration Research grantee Ye Sun, MD, PhD (Harvard and Boston Children’s) is developing a new therapy to suppress inflammation-induced abnormal vessel growth in AMD and testing it in a preclinical animal model.
• BrightFocus National Glaucoma Research grantee Jason Meyer, PhD (Indiana U School of Medicine) has been a leader in genetically reprogramming adult cells to recreate and study cells affected by glaucoma; currently he’s creating a “retina-in-a-dish” glaucoma model.
• BrightFocus Alzheimer’s Disease Research grantee Ksenia Kastanenka, PhD (Mass General and Harvard) is investigating whether non-neuronal cells cause and/or contribute to Alzheimer’s progression using state-of-the art methodology, possibly leading to the development of novel therapeutics.
• BrightFocus National Glaucoma Research grantee Kimberly Gokoffski, MD, PhD (USC Roski Eye Institute) is focused on restoring vision loss from glaucoma, and specifically on use of electric fields to help damaged retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) regrow and re-establish connections with the brain.
• BrightFocus Macular Degeneration Research grantee Joelle Hallak, PhD (University of Illinois College of Medicine) is developing a statistical model that integrates imaging, genetic and clinical data to predict AMD progression to optimize and personalize each individual patient’s treatment.
• BrightFocus Alzheimer’s Disease Research grantee Alireza Faridar, MD (Houston Methodist Research Institute) is studying systemic inflammation in Alzheimer’s and leading early clinical trials to see if anti-inflammatory properties of the body’s own regulatory cells can be restored with FDA-approved drugs.
• BrightFocus board member Tonya Matthews, PhD with Eric McCormack.
• Ron Frank, Director of “Wilder”, introduces a sneak preview of the film
• John Lewis, founder of Energy Fitness, gets guests moving with brain-healthy chair exercises.
• Guests get energized with John Lewis.
• Ilyas Washington, PhD, co-founder of Alkeus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and biOOrg3.14. LLC, received the BrightFocus Bench-to-Bedside Award
• Sheila West, PhD, PharmD, of the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins, recipient of the 2020 Helen Keller Prize for Vision Research
• The BrightFocus Scientific Impact Award was presented to David M. Holtzman, MD, Chairman of Neurology at Washington University School of Medicine

Contact:

Kaci Baez
BrightFocus Foundation
kbaez@brightfocus.org
301-556-9370