The Schepens Eye Research Institute, formerly known as the Retina Foundation Institute of Biological and Medical Sciences, is an independent nonprofit research foundation founded by ophthalmologist

Charles Schepens Charles Louis Schepens (March 13, 1912 – March 28, 2006) was a Belgian and American ophthalmologist, regarded by many in the profession as "the father of modern retinal surgery",American Academy of Ophthalmology2003 Laureate Award. and member ...

that operates as part of the research program of

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Massachusetts Eye and Ear (Mass Eye and Ear, or MEE) is a specialty hospital located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, which focuses on ophthalmology (eye), otolaryngology (ear/nose/throat), and related medicine and research. Founded in 18 ...

. In 1976, singer

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...

performed a

benefit concert A benefit concert or charity concert is a type of musical benefit performance (e.g., concert, show, or gala) featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate h ...

to show appreciation after her medical procedure. Doctors from the foundation occasionally travelled to India to perform operations for villagers. By 1964, 14 years after its establishment, the foundation had 88 staff members and received 60 percent of its funding from the government and the rest from private sector contributions.

Frances Todman Frances Holmes Todman (née Burson; July 25, 1926 – January 23, 2008) was an American philanthropist who raised and donated money for numerous educational, charitable, and health organizations. She was affiliated with the Retina Foundation fo ...

was named chairperson in 1985. She was a member of the national board of trustees and the corporation board. In 1986, the foundation employed over 100 researchers.

Notable people

* Charles L. Schepens, founder and president *

Endre Alexander Balazs Endre Alexander Balazs (10 January 1920 – 29 August 2015) was a Hungarian physician and inventor who transformed a natural lubricant into a palliative for arthritic knees as well as an important adjunct for cataract/IOL surgery now routinely us ...

, researcher *

Marie Jakus Marie Agnes Jakus (born ) was an American biologist and microscopist specialized in electron microscopic studies of the fine structure of eye tissues. She was a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Retina Foundation, and the ...

, researcher *

Ralph Lowell Major Ralph Lowell (July 23, 1890 – May 15, 1978) was a World War I veteran, banker, and philanthropist from Boston. Lowell was born in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, to John and Mary Emlen Lowell (Lowell 1899, p 302). Lowell graduated f ...

, chairperson *

, chairperson * W. Clement Stone, chair of fundraising *

Rao Sanadi Rao or RAO may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Rao, a star of Krypton in various comics * Rao, a Greyhawk deity in ''Dungeons & Dragons: World of Greyhawk'' * ''Raō'', the Japanese name for Raoh, in ''Fist of the North Star'' * Ramji Rao, ...

, section chief of gerontology

References

{{authority control 1950 establishments in Massachusetts Ophthalmology organizations Medical research institutes in Massachusetts Biological research institutes in the United States Research institutes established in 1950 Biomedical research foundations