Nonprofit

Retina Foundation of the Southwest

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About Us

Established in 1975, the Retina Foundation is a world-renowned research center with the unwavering mission to prevent vision loss and restore sight through innovative research and treatment. The Retina Foundation develops potential treatments for patients with various eye diseases through laboratory science and clinical trials. Our three core research areas are pediatric eye conditions, inherited eye diseases, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Each year, the Retina Foundation sees more than 2,300 infants, children and adults, referred by their eye care provider, completely free of charge for specialized vision evaluations, genetic testing and counseling, and participation in clinical trials. Below are select examples of the Retina Foundation’s groundbreaking achievements: 

·      Discovered that DHA in mother’s milk is necessary for infant eye and brain development. Enhanced baby formula containing DHA is now sold worldwide.

·      Transformed surgical practice through the discovery that congenital cataracts must be removed during a baby’s first weeks of life. Approximately 1,500 babies are born with congenital cataracts each year in the United States.

·      Developed a more effective way to detect amblyopia (lazy eye) in preschool children with the Pediatric Vision Scanner. This device directly assesses the misalignment between the eyes instead of risk factors. This can reduce the number of children misdiagnosed and unnecessarily referred to a specialist.

·      iPad games are a more effective treatment for children with amblyopia (lazy eye) than the standard treatment of patching the fellow eye. Children wear special red/green glasses that rebalance the contrast between the eyes to help them work together and strengthen the lazy eye. These at home treatments are in the research phase.

·      Identified genes responsible for inherited eye diseases and developed the Southwest Eye Registry which have paved the way for gene therapy and stem cell therapy clinical trials to improve vision and slow disease progression. 

·      Developed sensitive tests for early detection of retinal degeneration, independent measurement of rod and cone function, and retinal function utilizing the full-field Electroretinography (ERG). The ERG provides a sensitive measure to track the progression of retinal degeneration.

·      Invented the home vision test and app, myVisionTrackä, which enables an ophthalmologist to monitor a patient’s age-related macular degeneration (AMD) remotely between appointments. The FDA-approved app alerts the ophthalmologist when a patient’s vision loss is greater than expected. 

·      Created a world-class clinic to examine patients with AMD that includes state of the art imaging and precise tools for assessing the degree of vision deficits in patients with various forms of AMD.

·      Established a laboratory dedicated to developing novel AMD treatments specifically for the synthesis and examination of novel therapeutics, and for understanding how best to deliver drugs to the retina.

·      Received patent approvals in the United States, Europe, and Japan for a two-layer ocular implant for the delivery of drugs to the eye for the treatment of dry AMD. The goal is for the implant device to release drug into the eye gradually over weeks, months, or years.  


Established in 1975, the Retina Foundation is a world-renowned research center with the unwavering mission to prevent vision loss and restore sight through innovative research and treatment. The Retina Foundation develops potential…

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Location

  • 9600 N. Central Expressway, Dallas, TX 75231, United States
    Suite 200
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