The Vision of Children Foundation Partners with UPenn's Orphan Disease Center

The achievements of The Vision of Children Foundation over three decades have warranted the attention of The University of Pennsylvania.

In an exciting new collaboration, The Vision of Children Foundation has partnered with The Orphan Disease Center’s JumpStart program, part of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine. This collaboration with the Jumpstart program will identify and fund a scientific researcher focused on the understanding and the treatment of genetic eye disorders. The partnership aims to accelerate ongoing research efforts, particularly in light of the recent FDA approval of CRISPR gene-editing technology.

The Jumpstart program was created to establish and advance research agendas in emerging and neglected rare diseases. Jumpstart has forged partnerships with more than 40 rare disease foundations and awarded 15+ grants through the program since 2020.

Through scientific advice and network outreach, Jumpstart will be assisting Vision of Children (VOC) in facilitating a think tank and a grant program. The think tank aims to chart a research trajectory in genetic vision research by bringing together clinicians and scientists in the field. Leveraging insights from the think tank, JumpStart will aid Vision of Children in developing a grant program that will assure funding for investigators of hereditary vision disorders.

The decision for Vision of Children to partner with JumpStart is strategic, driven by the need to continue VOC’s research following the retirement of longtime researcher, Dr. Debora Farber. While at UCLA, Dr. Farber’s groundbreaking research successfully utilized CRISPR to correct the GPR143 intronic mutation in induced pluripotent stem cells from a patient with Ocular Albinism (OA), and VOC is eager to build on this progress.

This partnership represents a significant step forward in addressing the research gaps and under-funding in the field of genetic eye disorders. With support from The Orphan Disease Center’s JumpStart program, The Vision of Children Foundation will ensure that the newly selected researcher/s can continue VOC’s mission, conducting crucial genetic vision research and keeping Vision of Children and the visually impaired community informed about their advancements. By supporting this collaboration, individuals, companies, and community allies can contribute to restoring vision to those who have been blind or visually impaired since birth, driving scientific advancements, and positively transforming lives. To stay informed, please subscribe to our newsletter at visionofchildren.org.