“Increasing the speed and the breadth of discovery in dry AMD can make a significant difference in people’s lives.” “I am inspired by the passion, the commitment, and the ideas of the Kellogg Eye Center team,” Grosfeld says.

Pilot funding for proof-of-concept experiments and research grants for trainees who seek to bring new ideas and perspectives to dry AMD research.

Innovations in clinical research, including the collation of ophthalmic images to advance clinicians’ ability to track dry AMD progression.

A pluripotent stem cell facility to create cells for use in dry AMD-related research across disciplines.

Collaborative grants that will link dry AMD investigators with other experts at the Kellogg Eye Center and across U-M to bring new techniques and approaches to bear on the disease.

Increased laboratory staffing to increase the pace of research.

The establishment of two endowed professorships focused on dry AMD research.

Specifically, Grosfeld’s gift will support: The effort, which represents one of the largest investments of talent and resources in the country targeted at developing effective treatments for dry AMD, will increase discovery, collaboration, and leadership in the field. James Grosfeld, an investor, philanthropist, and the former chairman and CEO of PulteGroup, Inc., has made the gift to launch a pioneering research initiative.

While successful therapies are in place for wet AMD, there are no standard treatment options for dry AMD.Īn $11.5 million gift to the University of Michigan Health W.K.

Between 70% and 90% of cases are the dry form of the disease, which causes gradual blurring of central vision. It is even more prevalent than Alzheimer’s disease, with 11 million people affected in the United States and 170 million globally. Kellogg Eye Center.Īge-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in people over 50. Johnson, M.D., at the University of Michigan Health W.K.

Miller, M.D., Ph.D., James Grosfeld and Mark W.

Kellogg think cell license