Founded 1973 | ||
Motto Cure in mind. Cure in sight. Key people Stacy Pagos Haller, President and CEOGuy Eakin, Ph.D., Vice President of Scientific Affairs | ||
BrightFocus Foundation, formerly known as the American Health Assistance Foundation, is a nonprofit organization that supports research and provides public education on brain and eye diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, macular degeneration and glaucoma.
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Since its founding in 1973, BrightFocus Foundation has awarded more than $151.4 million in grants to scientists at universities, hospitals and medical centers on the world.
BrightFocus Foundation is based in Clarksburg, Maryland.
Research programs and partnerships
BrightFocus Foundation awards grants and produces educational materials through its three research programs:
In 2012, BrightFocus Foundation partnered with three other nonprofit organizations as the 21st Century Brain Trust, which was the runner-up in the Collaborate Activate Innovation Challenge, a competition sponsored by Sanofi US, for the Trust’s work in developing mobile applications that detect early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. According to BrightFocus Foundation, an estimated 36 million people suffer from dementia worldwide and the figure is projected to increase to 115 million people by 2050.
Awards and recognition
In 2013, BrightFocus Foundation earned a Seal of Excellence from the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations, which requires organizations to go through a rigorous application process to certify that they are well-run and worthy of public trust.