MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University Eye Institute has received a $70,000 gift from Glenmark Holding LLC to support glaucoma research. The donation establishes an endowment that will be called the Nesselroad Family Glaucoma Research Fund and will be matched by the state Research Trust Fund, making the total investment $140,000.
“Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the United States. It typically has no symptoms until late in the disease when vision loss is irreversible,” Judie Charlton, M.D., glaucoma specialist and chief medical officer at WVU Healthcare, said. “These funds will help us find better ways to detect the disease early, particularly with the challenges that we have in being a rural state with an aging population. The funds will also help us find ways to better treat the disease. The generosity of the Nesselroad family will help lead the way for better diagnosis, treatment and hopefully even prevention of glaucoma.”
Along with supporting glaucoma research, the funds will be used to advance biological, biotechnological and biomedical sciences.
“With three generations of known family members afflicted with glaucoma, it is our pleasure to support one of the top eye centers in the country,” Mark Nesselroad, CEO of Glenmark Holding LLC, said. “We are extremely fortunate in West Virginia to have such an outstanding team of ophthalmologists and researchers in our back yard.”
Glenmark Holding LLC, based in Morgantown, is a full-service real estate acquisition, development and management company devoted to finding solutions through innovation and expertise.
The gift was made through the WVU Foundation, the private non-profit corporation that generates, receives and administers private gifts for the benefit of West Virginia University.
