A Visionary Step Forward: UC San Diego Opens Viterbi Family Vision Research Center

Designed by architecture firm NBBJ, the state-of-the-art building was created to foster interdisciplinary collaboration with wet and dry laboratories, clinical trial spaces, and educational facilities. It will support leading-edge research in areas such as gene and stem cell therapies, with the goal of developing treatments and cures for blinding eye diseases like glaucoma and macular degeneration.

“Today, as we unveil the Viterbi Family Vision Research Center, we celebrate more than just the opening of a new building,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “We celebrate the expansion of UC San Diego’s world-class vision care program, made possible by our generous supporters. Here, we are building more than facilities — we are building a health system that stands among the best in the nation. With today’s ribbon cutting, we are opening doors and possibilities.”

Viterbi’s gift was inspired by his late father, Achille Viterbi, a celebrated ophthalmologist. In addition to establishing the Viterbi Family Vision Research Center, the gift established the Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology within the School of Medicine and six endowed chairs with the goal of recruiting and retaining top faculty to UC San Diego.

“My purpose (in making this gift) was to honor my father, who was an ophthalmologist who had to immigrate to the U.S. from Bergamo, Italy, due to antisemitism under Mussolini two years before World War II began,” said Viterbi. “I thought that naming a department and research center was a fitting way to do that. I also established six endowed chairs because I believe that a university and its reputation depend upon people — the faculty and the staff that run it.”

He went on to comment on the state of higher education as a whole, “Today, universities are more dependent upon philanthropy to drive innovative research and for that reason, I am proud to have participated in helping to make this center possible.”

The new facility will be home to the Hanna and Mark Gleiberman Center for Glaucoma Research, which was funded by a $20 million gift in 2022 from the Gleibermans. Research on macular dystrophy, a retinal condition that can result in vision loss and for which there currently is no cure, will take place in the center as well, thanks to the support from the Nixon Visions Foundation, led by UC San Diego alumnus Brandon Nixon ’87, and his wife, Janine.

Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences John M. Carethers, M.D., highlighted the forward advancement that was made possible thanks to the new facility and the supporters who are driving vision science.

“This is a major milestone — not just in brick and mortar, but in momentum driving new discoveries, innovative therapies and a new generation of clinician-scientists,” said Carethers. “I want to give a heartfelt thank you to Dr. Andrew Viterbi for his vision and generosity that is fueling a powerful new era of ophthalmology. We are also so grateful to Darlene Shiley for her sustained support of the Shiley Eye Institute, as well as Hanna and Mark Gleiberman and the Nixon Visions Foundation for their support to battle debilitating eye conditions. With their support, we are expanding what’s possible in eye research, education and care.”

The next generation of ophthalmologists and vision researchers will benefit from training within an environment built for innovation. Trainees will have access to cutting-edge technology, and more opportunities to get involved in research early in their careers.

“That kind of exposure — at this level — is rare,” said Carethers. “And it’s one of the reasons UC San Diego is attracting some of the most talented aspiring clinician-scientists in ophthalmology. This is how we stay ahead of the next big challenge in eye disease and ensure that our patients are always receiving the most advanced care possible.”

Robert N. Weinreb, M.D., chair and Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology, director of the Shiley Eye Institute and holder of the Morris Gleich, MD, Chair in Glaucoma further highlighted the impact of the new center.

“These facilities will enable our faculty to work collaboratively in modern research labs with a clinical trial suite to bring discoveries from the lab to our patients,” said Weinreb. “This new center will allow us to expand interdisciplinary collaborations across campus, throughout the San Diego community, and worldwide, and accelerate the pace of discovery and innovation of our vision research, with our continued focus on preventing vision loss, restoring vision and, most importantly, curing blindness.”

The center will also free up more space for clinical care on the second floor of the Shiley Eye Institute, which handled 156,671 patient visits and performed 7,555 surgeries last year alone. Shiley Eye Institute recently underwent its own renovation and expansion, thanks to a $10 million gift from Darlene Shiley, who, with her late husband Donald, provided foundational support to establish Shiley Institute more than 30 years ago.

Hanna and Mark Gleiberman were also in attendance to celebrate the new facility, which will house the glaucoma research center that bears their name. As a glaucoma patient, Mark Gleiberman understands more than most how devastating the disease can be. He shared with event attendees that more than 4 million in the U.S. suffer from glaucoma, while approximately 80 million are estimated to live with it worldwide.

“We had no doubt about providing funding to the Shiley Eye Institute — it is home to some of the world’s best physician-scientists in the country, including Dr. Weinreb,” said Mark Gleiberman. “We are so grateful to Andrew for his generosity in establishing this center. What the Viterbi family has done for the community and the world is truly astounding. We are thrilled to play a small part in this, and we are so excited to see what treatments and cures come out of it in the future.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT UC SAN DIEGO »