Research
Research
We invest in early-stage, proof-of-concept vision research that enables scientists to secure major government and foundation funding leading to large-scale, multi-year projects conducted by specialized teams.
UCSF Ophthalmology is the leading recipient of federal funding for vision research from the National Eye Institute. Why does that matter? Federal funding is critical when it comes to advancing the field and improving outcomes for people globally. But national funding agencies need a lot of early work to examine before they commit their funds to move things forward. By proving what works with the pilot projects we support, our researchers can unlock funding necessary to convert research into new treatments and FDA-approved products and ultimately accelerate progress toward curing and preventing eye disease for people everywhere.
Your contributions support:
- State-of-the-art facilities, technologies, and tools for research
- Recruitment and early support for the most promising new vision scientists
- Seed funds for early-stage, proof-of-concept research that makes major government funding possible
Education
Education
The future depends on the next generation of doctors and researchers. We provide funding for UCSF Ophthalmology medical students, residents, and fellows to cover everything from scholarships and research to conferences and new technology.
Home to the brightest minds working in the vision research field, UCSF has a long-standing reputation as a top choice for residents and fellows looking to join a premier ophthalmology department. UCSF has an extraordinary record of success in the proportion of graduating residents who match at their top fellowship of choice, and whose postgraduate training is supported by the prestigious HEED (Higher Education Excellence in Diversity) Award. UCSF also attracts some of the most promising clinician scientists in the country who are drawn to the fellowship environment and the NIH (National Institutes of Health) K12 program, which supports institutional career development.
Your contributions support:
- Medical students
- Residencies
- Fellowships
- State-of-the-art facilities and equipment
- Field research
- Mentorship
- Access to conferences
Patient care
Patient care
UCSF physicians are renowned for their compassionate approach to patient care and investment in relationships based on trust and empathy. Funding enables us to attract and retain the best physicians from around the world.
UCSF Ophthalmology is comprised of experts in the most common conditions, as well as rare, complex diseases in very specialized fields such as ocular oncology, ocular inflammatory disease, and neuro-ophthalmology.
Your contributions support:
- State-of-the-art facilities
- Diagnostic tools
- Therapeutic equipment
- Collaboration between multidisciplinary clinical care teams at UCSF
Global outreach
Global outreach
Access to vision care is essential to quality of life. Funding allows UCSF physicians to better understand the needs of underserved communities, both in the Bay Area and around the world.
Your contributions support:
- Research to understand the impact of health inequity on vision in our community, and to most effectively overcome these challenges locally and internationally
- Research to investigate, prevent, and cure critical eye diseases across the globe, particularly in Ethiopia, India, Mexico, Nepal, Niger, and Thailand
