Marco Bassetto, PharmD, PhD, Awarded Grant From BrightFocus Foundation’s Macular Degeneration Research Program

Irvine, Calif., May 1, 2026 – BrightFocus Foundation’s Macular Degeneration Research program has awarded a two-year, $200,000 postdoctoral fellowship grant to Marco Bassetto, PharmD, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in ophthalmology at the UC Irvine School of Medicine’s Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research, for his innovative research in vision health.

The award is part of BrightFocus Foundation's April 21, 2026, announcement of a $16.2 million investment in new research grants supporting 69 scientists across eight countries studying Alzheimer's disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma.

Bassetto’s project, “Development of a New Drug Delivery System to Treat Retinal Inflammation,” focuses on the numerous ocular barriers that prevent drug accumulation in the eye and limit the development of treatments for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). His proposal aims to leverage the natural transportation system of vitamin A in the eye to deliver anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., aspirin, ibuprofen) selectively in the retina to suppress the inflammation associated with AMD. Bassetto’s method uses oral drug administration and moves away from the risks and burdens associated with intraocular injections of drugs, which are the standard method of drug administration for treating AMD.

An estimated 20 million U.S. adults are affected by macular degeneration – the leading cause of vision loss in Americans aged 65 and older. Early detection and treatment are crucial to slowing the disease progression and preventing permanent vision loss.

"Although there are several documented factors contributing to dry AMD, it is still debated whether this disease is driven primarily by factors residing inside or outside of the eye,” says Bassetto. “The lack of a clear answer to this issue is blocking the road toward effective treatments for dry AMD. Notably, this problem is partially due to the difficulties in delivering drugs inside the eye. While pharmacological targets in the bloodstream are readily accessible, most drugs cannot reach their ocular targets due to numerous barriers that cannot be circumvented with state-of-the-art technologies. My research aims to exploit the machinery that naturally delivers vitamin A inside the eye to deliver anti-inflammatory small-drug molecules selectively to the retina. In this way, I will determine whether intraocular inflammation is among the primary drives of dry AMD.”

Postdoctoral fellowship awards support researchers during their final stages of mentored training. The award provides salary support for early-career scientists to conduct postdoctoral studies in an established laboratory focused on research contributing to understanding the biological causes and/or new clinical treatment of macular degeneration.

"I am extremely grateful to BrightFocus Foundation for supporting my efforts," says Bassetto. "This initiative is supported by donors having sensibility toward the devastating effects that blindness has on individuals, families and society. It is with the same sensibility that I will pursue my research, in an attempt to provide a first-in-class treatment for age-related macular degeneration and bring hope to those affected by this devastating blinding disease."

BrightFocus is supporting 44 active macular degeneration research grants across the globe, a $14 million investment in promising studies toward improving early disease detection and diagnosis, helping to develop effective treatments, and developing a better understanding of the root causes of disease onset. Grants are highly competitive, with decisions guided by scientific advisory committees of leading researchers in the field.

“Defeating macular degeneration will require bold thinking and sustained investment in innovative science,” says Stacy Pagos Haller, president and CEO of BrightFocus Foundation. “The ideas being explored by this year’s grant recipients reflect the kind of forward-looking research that moves us closer to protecting vision and ultimately finding a cure.”

BrightFocus Foundation is a premiere private nonprofit funder of early-stage research around the world to discover cures for diseases of mind and sight. Through its programs Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Macular Degeneration Research, and National Glaucoma Research, the Foundation has awarded more than $310 million in innovative research grants. Learn more at brightfocus.org.

About the UC Irvine School of Medicine: Each year, the UC Irvine School of Medicine educates more than 500 medical students and over 180 PhD and MS students. Nearly 900 residents and fellows are trained at the UCI Medical Center and affiliated institutions. The School of Medicine offers multiple MD, PhD and MS degrees, and students are encouraged to pursue an expansive range of interests and options. The UC Irvine School of Medicine is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and ranks among the top 50 nationwide for research. For more information, visit medschool.uci.edu.