The Challenge

Imagine facing the world in darkness. Every year, more families are confronted with this terrifying reality. By 2050, more than 8 million Americans are expected to live with visual impairment or blindness, a figure that is double today’s numbers. The ripple effect of this crisis will cost the U.S. an estimated $373 billion annually, affecting individuals, families, and society at large. 

We see these patients every day at Duke Eye Center. We see the uncertainty in their eyes — and we see hope. Our mission is clear: to change the future of vision care through bold innovation, research, and compassionate care.

Why Duke?

At Duke Eye Center, we believe no one should live in darkness.

We have assembled a world-class team of researchers, physicians, and educators who are united by one goal: to cure eye disease worldwide. We serve more than 230,000 patients each year — each one with a story, a family, and a future worth fighting for. Our team is driving transformative changes in vision science and care. Every day, we:

• uncover new knowledge about how the eye works at the most fundamental level.
• investigate the causes of eye disease and develop new strategies to stop it in its tracks. 
• translate discoveries into treatments, bringing hope from the bench to the bedside. train tomorrow’s leaders in ophthalmology, ensuring a legacy of innovation and care.
• deliver fast, effective, and deeply compassionate care to those in urgent need.

For more than 30 years, Duke Eye Center has been ranked among the top 10 programs in the nation. Our impact is not theoretical — it’s personal, powerful, and real.

Recent breakthroughs include:

• A 2025 discovery by our retina team revealed a previously unknown structure in the human photoreceptor, reshaping our understanding of how we see and unlocking new potential for treating genetic vision loss.
• The first-ever treatment for geographic atrophy, an advanced form of dry macular degeneration, approved in 2023 following a Duke-led clinical trial. 
• The only Division of Ocular Oncology between Miami and Philadelphia, launched at Duke in 2023 to address the rapidly growing need for specialized eye cancer care.
• The nation’s first Eye Stroke Clinic, founded in 2021, offering rapid diagnosis and intervention to preserve sight and prevent life-threatening strokes.
• A pioneering Multidisciplinary Uveitis Clinic that offers a unique approach to treating this complex inflammatory eye disease, which can cause blindness, if untreated.

We aren’t just keeping pace — we’re setting the pace.

The Opportunity

At Duke Eye Center, we are on the cusp of discoveries that could change the course of vision care forever. Imagine AI tools that detect and treat eye disease in premature infants before damage occurs. Therapies that stop macular degeneration in its earliest stages. Devices that monitor glaucoma continuously and prevent irreversible damage. Gene-based interventions that repair the optic nerve.

These aren’t dreams — they are goals within our reach. But we can’t reach them alone. 

It is your support that fuels these breakthroughs. Your generosity lights the path forward.

You Can Make a Difference

The future of vision care depends on partners like you. Every philanthropic gift, whether expendable, endowed, or planned, makes an immediate and lasting impact. You can help us:

Fund the future of research

Accelerate discovery by supporting bold, high-risk, high-reward science that transforms how we save sight.

Invest in eye care leaders

Help us attract and empower the brightest minds to lead the next generation of care.

Support patients and break down barriers

Ensure no one is denied care due to cost, geography, or circumstance.

We invite you to stand with us. Together, we can protect vision, restore sight, and bring light to millions.