Research to Prevent Blindness’ mission and leadership makes the eyecare of today—and tomorrow—possible.
For decades, RPB grants have provided funding to create new discoveries in vision science. Learn about our current grants, as well as our exceptional grantees.
What do we know about common eye diseases? Find out here, in RPB’s new Learning Center for patients and families.
Visit our Media Center for timely updates—in text and video formats—on emerging research and vision science news.
Your support makes our vision-saving work possible! There are many ways to engage with RPB.
Dry eye is a chronic medical condition that develops when the eye's tear film does not lubricate and protect the eye's outer surface.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA and NEW YORK, NY, October 14, 2025 – Eric Pierce, MD, PhD has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 RPB David F. Weeks Award for Outstanding Vision Research (Weeks Award). The Weeks Award, funded through the generosity of Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB), an anonymous donor, and the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO), annually recognizes and celebrates an excellent vision researcher that has made an impact on the field and, by extension, on patients’ lives. The award carries the name of David F. Weeks, former President and Chairman of RPB, in honor of his contributions to the field of vision research. Dr. Pierce, the Director of the Berman-Gund Laboratory for the Study of Inherited Retinal Degenerations (IRDs) at Mass Eye and Ear, Director of the Ocular Genomics Institute (OGI) of Harvard Ophthalmology, and the William F. Chatlos Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, will receive his award and deliver a presentation during the AUPO 2026 Annual Meeting in San Diego, California in February.
Joan Miller, MD, Chair at Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, shared, “Dr. Pierce is an exemplary clinician, scientist, mentor, and educator who has achieved great scholarly distinction and international recognition for his pioneering research in retinal degenerations. His career-wide contributions have led to breakthrough target identification, gene-based therapies for IRD, and the establishment of robust clinical trial programs in IRD at Mass Eye and Ear. I am confident that Dr. Pierce will continue his trajectory of innovative translational research investigating disease pathogenesis and therapeutics, revolutionizing the treatment possibilities for patients with IRDs.”
Terri L. Young, MD, MBA, Chair of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and President of the AUPO writes, “Recognizing Dr. Pierce with this award is a distinct tribute to a visionary researcher. He and his teams have steadfastly broken new ground in approaches, discoveries, diagnostic testing, and translational implementation of treatments for inherited retinal degenerations. These initiatives not only provide hope to those patients and families affected by these diseases, but they are also transferable to other inherited disorders of the eye and body. “
“On behalf of Research to Prevent Blindness, I congratulate Dr. Pierce on this award. At RPB, we are focused on two pillars: scientific excellence and innovation; having Dr. Pierce receive this award feels particularly apt. Dr. Pierce is dedicated to scientific rigor, but, as his colleagues will attest, is not afraid to try new things. These qualities have led to great career success, but also to lasting and widespread impact. Generations of patients with IRDs have, and will continue to, benefit from his work, for which we are deeply grateful,” said Brian F. Hofland, PhD, President of Research to Prevent Blindness.
For more information on the RPB David F. Weeks Award for Outstanding Vision Research, visit the AUPO website.
About Research to Prevent Blindness
Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) is the leading nonprofit organization supporting eye research directed at the prevention, treatment or eradication of all diseases that damage and destroy sight. As part of this purview, RPB also supports efforts to grow and sustain a robust and diverse vision research community. Since it was founded in 1960 by Dr. Jules Stein, RPB has awarded more than $427 million in research grants to the most talented vision scientists at the nation’s leading medical schools. As a result, RPB has been associated with nearly every major breakthrough in the understanding and treatment of vision loss in the past 65 years. Learn more at www.rpbusa.org.
About Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology
The Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) was founded in 1966 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to research and education. AUPO is the voice of academic ophthalmology through the promotion of medical education, research, and patient care in ophthalmology, and accomplished by providing a forum for discussion of mutual issues facing departments/divisions of ophthalmology in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit aupo.org.