The University of Pittsburgh has announced a $25 million gift from the Henry L. Hillman Foundation in support of vision care research and development and initiatives in the life sciences aimed at promoting regional growth.

The gift includes $20 million for vision care research through the Eye & Ear Foundation, which supports the university's departments of ophthalmology and otolaryngology, to help develop vision restoration breakthroughs, advance technologies and therapies addressing vision loss; reduce barriers to health care, and fuel the growth of the city's biotech sector; improve access to vision care for underserved communities through outreach and direct care; help build and staff a vision "street lab" that will test new treatments and therapies in safe, controlled, virtual and real-life environments; and bolster research in initiatives such as biomedical solutions to corneal blindness. In addition, the gift will support commercialization efforts with a goal to create job and training opportunities in Pittsburgh.

The gift also includes $1 million to advance the university's life sciences planning, under the direction of Anantha Shekhar, senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and the John and Gertrude Petersen Dean of the School of Medicine; $3 million in support of the LifeX startup accelerator, and $1 million for vaccine research.

"This gift is an investment in the University of Pittsburgh but also in the people and potential of our region," said University of Pittsburgh chancellor Patrick Gallagher. "It will drive innovations in vision care and — even more — fuel Pittsburgh's rise as a world leader in life sciences research."

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