Botond Roska receives Sanford and Susan Greenberg Visionary Prize

Botond Roska and his team develop novel approaches for the treatment of visual impairment and blindness. The Greenberg Prize is awarded to him for his “uniquely valuable research having the greatest impact toward advancing restoration of vision in human patients.“

“I am very honored to have been selected by the Prize committee as a representative of what they regard as ʻthe most major breakthrough in restoration of vision in human patientsʼ,” says Botond Roska. “I am proud that our molecular and clinical researchers at IOB are part of this community of purpose. Here in Basel, we keep accelerating progress towards novel therapies for several blinding diseases. The Greenberg Prize helps us in this endeavor and further enlarges our worldwide collaboration with experts working towards the same goal.”

13 pioneering scientists share 3 million USD in prizes, for their groundbreaking scientific and medical contributions to eradicate blindness. Prize recipients are being honored in two categories: the Outstanding Achievement Prize, highlighting profound strides toward treating and curing blindness, and The Visionary Prize, providing funding for scientists whose research exhibits significant potential for ending blindness.

The Sanford and Susan Greenberg Visionary Prize

The prize is part of the international End Blindness 2020 campaign, and Greenberg’s life-long mission to prevent people from losing their sight. “I believe that we are so much closer to achieving that goal,” says Sanford D. Greenberg, co-organizer of the prize and chair of the board of governors for the Johns Hopkins University’s Wilmer Eye Institute.

Sanford Greenberg went blind in 1961 at the age of 19. He then made a vow to see to ending blindness. Together with friends he established an award in 2012 to end blindness within the decade: by 2020. The End Blindness by 20/20 campaign pursues this very aim.