UW Eye Research Institute
Our Mission (PDF)
Impaired vision can range from blurriness to blindness. Visual impairments are associated with four main causes: macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts.
How might someone with one of these eye diseases view this image?
Age-related macular degeneration affects the central portion of the retina,
and blurs the sharp, central vision needed for fine detail activities such as
reading, sewing, and driving.
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that gradually steals sight without
warning and often without symptoms, with vision loss caused by damage to
the optic nerve.
Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes resulting in damage to
the tiny blood vessels in the retina.
A cataract is a clouding of the eye's lens that reduces visual sharpness
and color perception.
The goal of the UW Eye Research Institute is to bring together researchers and scholars from diverse scientific, medical and other academic backgrounds committed to increasing the understanding of normal vision and of eye diseases.
Vision loss can be devastating. Much of what we learn from the world around us comes through our eyes, and our ability to do many tasks in our daily lives depends on our sight. It is not surprising that people rate their fear of vision loss second only to their fear of cancer.
Leading scientists believe that the major causes of blindness may be cured within the first decades of the 21st century. Advances in understanding the causes of eye disease, identifying people at risk, and discovering new treatments promise an end to the greatest threats to sight.
Thirty-eight million Americans suffer from significant visual impairment. In Wisconsin, estimates indicate that as many as 200,000 residents are blind or visually impaired, nearly 4% of the population, and many more are believed to have eye conditions that may potentially result in permanent vision loss. Without improvements in preventing and treating eye diseases, the number of blind or visually impaired Americans 40 and older will grow from 3.4 to 5.5 million in 2020. The economic and societal cost of eye diseases exceeds $68 billion annually--not including the impact on jobs, productivity, independence, and quality of life.
The UW Eye Research Institute is the catalyst for vision research leading to new treatments, helping to reduce visual impairment and the costs associated with treating and caring for those with eye disease.