Baylor College of Medicine in Houston has announced a $10 million gift from the SRB Charitable Corp., a Fort Worth-based private foundation, in support of ophthalmology research.

The funding will support basic research in optics and corneal biomechanics under the direction of Douglas D. Koch, professor and Allen, Mosbacher, and Law Chair in Ophthalmology, as well as clinical research aimed at improving outcomes and safety of lens implantation and developing and refining new procedures and devices for treating nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Among Koch’s research contributions over his forty-year career are new insights in the optics of the human eye, new methods for accurately selecting lens implants for cataract surgery, and a discovery that has changed the way that astigmatism is corrected with cataract surgery.

"We are very grateful for this transformational gift from SRBCC and the confidence they have in me and our team at Baylor," said Koch. "The ophthalmology department at Baylor has been recognized worldwide for decades for our leadership in cataract and refractive surgery with a commitment to delivering the best outcomes to patients and to ensuring patient safety. This gift gives us an extraordinary opportunity to further our research. As a physician-scientist treating patients with these debilitating diseases for years, nothing is more important than to generate new discoveries to improve the quality of care that we provide our patients."