NAEVR is a 501c4 non-profit advocacy organization comprised of a coalition of nearly 50 professional, patient and consumer, and industry organizations involved in eye and vision research. NAEVR’s goal is to achieve the best eye and vision care for all Americans through advocacy and public education for eye and vision research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its NEI, Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and other federal agencies. 

NAEVR was formed in 1997 as an affiliate of the non-profit 501c3 educational foundation Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (AEVR), which was founded in 1993 by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), and Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO). Serving as the “Friends of the NEI,” NAEVR/AEVR emphasize that NEI-funded research to save/restore vision has served to reduce healthcare costs, increase productivity, maintain independence, and improve the quality of life for all Americans. NAEVR works closely with regulatory agencies−specifically the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)−to ensure that it is aware of the results of NEI-funded research and how that may affect product approvals. 

In September 2016, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released a report sponsored by NAEVR entitled Making Eye Health a Population Health Imperative: Vision for Tomorrow. NAEVR has been using this report to advocate for increased NEI appropriations, as well as a more coordinated federal approach to vision preservation.  

Commitment to Diversity

The NAEVR Board of Directors has adopted the attached Diversity Policy.

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NAEVR Board of Directors

Paul Lee, MD, JD (Kellogg Eye Institute/University of Michigan) Board President

Eduardo Alfonso, MD (Bascom Palmer Eye Institute/University of Miami)

T. Rowan Candy, MCOptom, PhD (Indiana University School of Optometry)

Steven Feldon, MD, MBA (Flaum Eye Institute/University of Rochester)

Marissa Goldberg (Doheny Eye Institute)

Brian F. Hofland, PhD (Research to Prevent Blindness)

Judy Kim, MD (Medical College of Wisconsin)

Stephen Lane (Alcon)

Kelly K. Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD (University of Alabama at Birmingham) Secretary

Joan O'Brien, MD (Scheie Eye Institute/University of Pennsylvania)

S. Grace Prakalapakorn, MD, MPH (Duke University)

Rajesh Rajpal, MD (Johnson & Johnson Vision)

Michael Robinson, MD (Allergan, an AbbVie Company)

Iris Rush, CAE (Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology) Vice President

Gregory Skuta, MD (Dean McGee Eye Institute/University of Oklahoma) Treasurer

 

 

NAEVR Executive Director

Dan Ignaszewski

NAEVR Director, Government Relations

David H. Epstein