The Retina Foundation of the Southwest, an independent, non-profit research organization, opened its Tom and Dorothy Anderson Vision Research Center in 1982 with two lead researchers. Today, the Foundation has grown into one of the leading independent vision research centers in the United States, with a staff dedicated to finding the causes, treatments and potential cures for blinding eye diseases. Along the way, the Foundation has made a life changing difference in the lives of patients who suffer from retina related diseases.

 

While the Anderson vision research Center is located in Dallas, Texas, our patients are referred by ophthalmologists from around the world. And because we’re funded by local philanthropic and federal grants, our services are entirely free. We’re a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to making a difference in people’s lives by improving their vision – no matter what their age or financial status. Our scientists use the power of modern technology to understand the intricacy of retinal function and conduct studies of hereditary and acquired blinding retinal disorders, including retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration. Other studies address eye disorders affecting the sight of infants and children, including hereditary eye diseases, cataracts, prematurity and the consequences of eye muscle imbalance.

 

Our research studies have led to:

 

Improved vision for infants born with unilateral cataracts

 

Identification of a gene which causes Stargardt’s macular dystrophy and cone rod dystrophy

 

Early detection and intervention for genetic eye disease in infants and children

 

Innovative improvements in visual testing for glaucoma

 

Advances in treatment for senior citizens with macular disease

 

Discovered that DHA in mother’s milk is necessary for infant eye and brain development and helped create an enhanced formula containing DHA that is now sold worldwide.