The Mark J. Daily Inherited Retinal Diseases Research Center is dedicated to furthering novel inherited retinal disease (IRD) treatments that are near the cusp of human testing for safety and efficacy. Directed by Byron L. Lam, M.D., the center not only provides research resources but also creates an environment for collaboration among new and existing faculty members that facilitates interdisciplinary research. Lam is professor of ophthalmology, Mark J. Daily Chair in Ophthalmology, medical director of clinical research, and academic division chief and medical director of the neuro-ophthalmology service.

Thanks to the generous support of Mark J. Daily, M.D., a retinal specialist who completed his residency at Bascom Palmer in 1977, and his commitment to finding new treatments for inherited retinal diseases that steal vision from children and adults, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute established the Mark J. Daily Inherited Retinal Diseases Research Center. The center brings renewed hope for patients facing these incurable vision disorders.

The new endowment will support early-stage studies, which can hopefully draw funding from government agencies as well as industrial partners. New research could aid in the rapid identification of these complex conditions and one day might halt the progression to blindness or lead to a cure.