Foundation Fighting Blindness Appoints Dr. Amy Laster as Chief Scientific Officer After Serving as Interim Leader

With nearly two decades of leadership in vision and neuroscience research and a committed tenure with the Foundation, Dr. Laster will spearhead the Foundation's scientific strategy in her new role.

COLUMBIA, Md., March 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Foundation Fighting Blindness, the driving force in the global development of treatments and cures for blinding diseases, today announced the appointment of Amy Laster, PhD, as its chief scientific officer, effective March 1, 2025.

Dr. Laster has served as the interim chief scientific officer since September 2024, leading the Foundation's research strategy and overseeing its preclinical and early translational research portfolio. During her tenure as interim chief scientific officer, she was instrumental in implementing the Foundation's new five-year scientific strategic plan, aligning research initiatives with long-term goals to accelerate the development of treatments and cures. She joined the Foundation over 16 years ago and has played a key role in advancing science and key funding for programs that have transformed ideas into potential treatments for blinding diseases.

"Dr. Laster's leadership and expertise have been pivotal in advancing our many scientific initiatives," says Jason Menzo, chief executive officer of the Foundation Fighting Blindness. "From spearheading our five-year scientific strategic plan to strengthening collaborations with key partners, Amy has been a catalyst for our progress. Her numerous accomplishments, combined with her passion to drive research and forge vital partnerships, will be invaluable as we continue our mission to deliver treatments and cures for blinding diseases."

In her new role, Dr. Laster will lead the advancement of more than 100 research projects worldwide, ensuring the Foundation Fighting Blindness remains a global leader in driving the research for treatments and cures for inherited retinal diseases and dry age-related macular degeneration.

"Advancing the Foundation's mission has been the focus of my career, and I'm honored to officially step into this role," says Dr. Laster. "The opportunity to shape our research strategy and support groundbreaking science is a responsibility I take to heart. I look forward to working alongside the executive team and board, the scientific advisory board, our research partners, industry, and our dedicated donors to drive innovation and expand our global impact in the fight against blinding diseases."

A highly accomplished neuroscientist by training, Dr. Laster has conducted significant research on neuroregeneration following acute injury and the causes of neurological monogenic diseases. Before joining the Foundation Fighting Blindness, she served as a faculty member in the Department of Biology at Stevenson University. She completed a Postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience. She received a BS in Natural Science from Spelman College and a PhD in Biological Sciences from Purdue University. Dr. Laster also serves on the executive committee of the Health Research Alliance Board of Directors and the ClinGen Retina Ocular Clinical Domain Working Group.

About the Foundation Fighting Blindness
Established in 1971, the Foundation Fighting Blindness is the world's leading private funding source for retinal degenerative disease research. The Foundation has raised more than $954 million toward its mission of accelerating research for preventing, treating, and curing blindness caused by the spectrum of blinding retinal diseases including: retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, and Usher syndrome. Visit FightingBlindness.org for more information.

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SOURCE Foundation Fighting Blindness