José-Alain Sahel, MD, Receives Future Vision Foundation 2025 Laureate Award

José-Alain Sahel, MD, distinguished professor and chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and director of the UPMC Vision Institute, received a Future Vision Foundation Laureate Award at the organization’s 2025 gala in Cleveland on April 26. 

Dr. Sahel is widely regarded as one of the world’s top experts in retinal diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited retinal condition. He has spent his career pursuing new and better therapies to preserve and restore vision, including the development of a novel retinal prosthesis and the employment of optogenetics – the use of light to activate genes – for vision restoration. The Future Vision Foundation Laureate Award honors his significant contributions to the understanding and treatment of the mechanisms that influence degenerative conditions of the retina. 

Founded in 2017, Future Vision Foundation is a nonprofit organization that celebrates breakthrough advancements in vision through documentary films. View Dr. Sahel’s film to learn more about his groundbreaking work.