Eversight

FINDING A CURE In the pursuit of eliminating blinding eye diseases, Eversight established the Eversight Center for Vision and Eye Banking Research in Cleveland, Ohio, to provide leading ophthalmology researchers with the resources they need to find cures and treatments for eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Eversight provided more than 4,700 tissues for research and education purposes in 2024. Our in-house research team also provided Eversight partners with valuable research and development services and pioneered new eye banking practices.Since 2014, the Eversight researchers have authored 50 publications and given 34+ presentations at international conferences. The team published six publications in 2024 on: comparing cornea storage medias, perceptions of cornea and eye donation, automated counting and density of donor endothelial cells, protocol for corneal stromal stem cell cultivation, using trypan blue for cell viability after preloading DMEK grafts, and docosahexaenoic acid in diabetic humans and mice. With our many academic partners, Eversight researchers have contributed to over 250 peer-reviewed scientific papers that have garnered 6,300 citations and counting.Eversight has a longstanding track record of research and development, having awarded more than $4 million in grants to date that stimulate pioneering clinical and basic science research aiming to develop new ways to restore sight, prevent blindness and ultimately help patients live life to the fullest. Since 1980, our Eye & Vision Research Grant Program has supported researchers at leading academic medical institutions including Harvard, Tufts, Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve, University of Michigan, Northwestern and more. By design, Eversight's grant program provides critical, early-stage funding that is intended to drive foundational research and discovery. Many of these projects have stimulated larger-scale studies and won further financial support from the National Institutes of Health.In the 2025 funding cycle, Eversight awarded four grants at Loyola University Chicago, University of Houston, University of Illinois Chicago and University of Michigan to advance studies to investigate developing a novel drug evaluation system to stimulate blood vessel growth experimentally using factors that have been linked to the pathophysiology of both wAMD and PDR; enhancing limbal stem cell preservation; understanding the biomechanics of keratoconus by looking at the composition and microstructure of normal human and keratoconus corneal extracellular matrix; and advancing therapies for ocular surface squamous neoplasia. Each year, recipients are selected by an independent review panel of academic researchers and ophthalmologists. This distinguished panel awards proposals that encourage meaningful scientific inquisition and align with Eversight's mission to restore sight and prevent blindness through the healing power of donation, transplantation and research.

SUSTAINABLE INTERNATIONAL IMPACTEversight works to eliminate corneal blindness worldwide through eye bank development, clinical training and tissue provision. With more than 75 years of eye banking expertise, we deliver both short- and long-term solutions to transform the lives of more than 12 million people suffering from corneal blindness globally. In 2024, Eversight International provided more than 4,200 tissues for transplant and worked with surgeons in 33 countries outside the United States, making the gift of sight possible for many in need. Eversight provided 76 cornea tissues for sight-restoring transplants gratis or at a reduced rate for medical missions and uninsured patients outside the United States.In medically underserved areas, Eversight Global Development fosters authentic relationships with local leaders to establish culturally informed eye donation frameworks and sustainable eye banking infrastructure. Our experienced team offers vital clinical training and education to eye surgeons and eye bank technicians on the latest clinical methods, improving access to life-changing transplants. Through the incredible generosity of our donors and donor families, Eversight Global Development also provides corneal tissue from the United States for transplant and research globally, providing hope for the future and restoring sight to patients in need. Our global mission is informed by and aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with particular attention given to: #3 Good Health and Well-being, #4 Quality Education, #8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, #10 Reduced Inequalities and #11 Sustainable Cities & Communities. According to the World Health Organization, every dollar spent on improving eye health in underdeveloped areas generates a four-fold return on investment. To address systemic unmet need, Eversight actively works with medical professionals, governments, vision health organizations and other NGOs in regions lacking eye banks and infrastructure, including United Arab Emirates, Pakistan and South Korea. With proven eye banking and technical training practicesand having played a part in the elimination of the U.S. cornea transplant waiting listEversight is uniquely qualified to work with countries lacking transplant programs to help them establish national networks for eye banking and cornea donation with culturally appropriate donation models and state-of-the-art clinical capabilities.Globally, an estimated 2.2 billion people are impacted by blindness and visual impairment. Ninety percent of vision-impaired people live in low- and middle- income countries. Approximately one billion of these individuals are coping with blindness or visual impairment that can be characterized as preventable or not sufficiently addressed. Vision loss results in substantial economic impact worldwide due to the inability of people who are vision impaired to contribute to their fullest in their communities. Eversight envisions a world without blindnessa world where all people in every community can lead independent, productive lives through the gift of sight. While providing for immediate global cornea transplant needs with U.S. donor tissue, Eversight continues to address the global burden by empowering international communities to take meaningful, sustainable steps every day to make vision a reality for all.