Pitt researchers received $2.2M from the Gilbert Family Foundation to combat blindness caused by NF1

Author: University of Pittsburgh

Published On: 2/25/26

The University of Pittsburgh and the Eye and Ear Foundation of Pittsburgh have received a $2,182,900 multiyear grant from the Gilbert Family Foundation to support the organization’s Vision Restoration Initiative (VRI), which aims to prevent blindness caused by mutations in the neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) gene. The award is part of a broader, multidisciplinary initiative by the Gilbert Family Foundation to advance transformative vision research and foster collaboration among 15 leading research centers.

“The support of VRI has been key in moving forward our efforts to find solutions for this currently incurable disease,” said Anantha Shekhar, Pitt’s senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and John and Gertrude Petersen Dean of the School of Medicine. “This latest round of funding will allow us to better understand the optic nerve degeneration associated with NF1 and find novel treatments for the debilitating condition.”

NF1 is a genetic condition that causes changes in skin pigment and tumors on nerve tissue, including within the eye. It affects an estimated 1 in 2,500 people and can lead to premature death and complications such as blindness.

The Gilbert Family Foundation invited John Ash, E. Ronald Salvitti Chair in Ophthalmology Research at the School of Medicine, to join the VRI as a member of its “Dream Team” of researchers studying NF1 and vision. The funding will also support the work of a recently hired ophthalmology faculty member, Silmara de Lima, who joined the department from Boston Children’s Hospital in 2025.

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