• John Ash’s work at the UPMC Vision Institute (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine) made him a member of the Vision Restoration Initiative “Dream Team.

The University of Pittsburgh and the Eye & Ear Foundation of Pittsburgh have received a $2,182,900 multi-year grant from the Gilbert Family Foundation to support the organization’s Vision Restoration Initiative (VRI), which aims to prevent blindness caused by mutations in the Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) gene. The award is part of a broader, multidisciplinary initiative by the Gilbert Family Foundation to advance transformative vision research and foster collaboration among 15 leading research centers.

“The support of VRI has been key in moving forward our efforts to find solutions for this currently incurable disease,” said Anantha Shekhar, MD, PhD, Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences and John and Gertrude Petersen Dean, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “This latest round of funding will allow us to better understand the optic nerve degeneration associated with NF1 and find novel treatments for the debilitating condition.”

Neurofibromatosis type 1 is a genetic condition that causes changes in skin pigment and tumors on nerve tissue, including within the eye. NF1 affects an estimated one in 2,500 and can lead to premature death and complications such as blindness.

The Gilbert Family Foundation invited Dr. John Ash, E. Ronald Salvitti Chair in Ophthalmology Research at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, to join the VRI as a member of its “Dream Team” of researchers studying NF1 and vision. The funding will also support the work of a recently hired ophthalmology faculty member, Silmara de Lima, PhD, who joined the department from Boston Children’s Hospital in 2025.

“Dr. de Lima and her mentor and colleague, Larry Benowitz, PhD (part-time professor at Pitt), will combine their research expertise with Dr. Ash to develop novel therapeutic solutions to preserve and restore vision in NF1 patients. Their research is moving the science forward, and the support from the Gilbert Foundation will make it possible for us to enhance the Department of Ophthalmology’s state-of-the-art facilities, test and validate therapies developed here and elsewhere, and explore new targets,” said José-Alain Sahel, MD, Distinguished Professor and Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Director, UPMC Vision Institute and Emeritus Exceptional Class Professor at Sorbonne Université, Paris. “Equally important as the financial support associated with our partnership with VRI is the collaborative environment it creates among some of the best minds in this field, starting right here in Pittsburgh.”

The grant calls for Dr. Ash’s and Dr. de Lima’s labs to cross-train with the other VRI grantees to develop best practices and standardized procedures for assessing NF1 disease pathology, optic nerve structure and function, and genetics of NF1 disease models.

“Curing NF1 requires us to think differently. The disease is complex, but the scientific and translational opportunities in front of us have never been stronger. By merging cutting-edge biomedical and information technologies with a commitment to collaboration across scientific disciplines, we believe transformative breakthroughs are possible,” said Laura Grannemann, Executive Director, Gilbert Family Foundation. “The Vision Restoration Initiative exemplifies this approach by bringing together leading researchers to tackle one of NF1’s most devastating complications. We are committed to producing therapies that restore vision and, ultimately, cure this disease.”

Members of the “Dream Team” will meet regularly to align, harmonize, and standardize established procedures, ensuring consistency across the consortium. Results and best practices will be shared among consortium members and disseminated broadly through presentations at national and international conferences.

“I cannot thank the Gilbert Foundation enough for its support of our work and that of our partner institutions,” said Dr. Ash. “The Foundation’s confidence in our collective ability to identify solutions that restore sight for individuals affected by NF1 is transformative. Progress in individual laboratories can take us only so far, but when all 15 institutions come together to collaborate, share discoveries, and build on one another’s successes, we can achieve far more and do so much more rapidly for the patients we serve.”

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About the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

As one of the nation’s leading academic centers for biomedical research, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine integrates advanced technology with basic science across a broad range of disciplines in a continuous quest to harness the power of new knowledge and improve the human condition.

Likewise, the School of Medicine is equally committed to advancing the quality and strength of its medical and graduate education programs, for which it is recognized as an innovative leader, and to training highly skilled, compassionate clinicians and creative scientists well-equipped to engage in world-class research. The School of Medicine is the academic partner of UPMC, which has collaborated with the University to raise the standard of medical excellence in Pittsburgh and to position health care as a driving force behind the region’s economy. For more information about the School of Medicine, see www.medschool.pitt.edu.

About the Eye & Ear Foundation

The Eye & Ear Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 1985 with the goal of fostering support for the Departments of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh through the generous support of individuals and organizations. The Foundation’s mission is to advance research and access to care for all with the ultimate goal of treating and curing people with diseases and disorders of the eye, ear, nose, throat, head and neck.

About Gilbert Family Foundation

Gilbert Family Foundation is a private nonprofit foundation founded by Jennifer and Dan Gilbert to accelerate a cure for neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and build economic opportunity and equity in the city of Detroit. Gilbert Family Foundation supports groundbreaking, cutting-edge research in hopes of eradicating NF1, a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves anywhere in the body. Additionally, the Foundation supports the economic stability and mobility of residents in Detroit by investing in wealth-building opportunities and breaking down systemic barriers.

For more information on Gilbert Family Foundation, please visit gilbertfamilyfoundation.org.