Anonymous $40 million gift received by University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Ophthalmology Department

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The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus’ Department of Ophthalmology has received a $40 million gift. The donor, a patient at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, has chosen to remain anonymous.

The Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center is the sole academic eye center in Colorado and serves about 115,000 patients a year.

The university stated that the gift will be used to treat and potentially cure eye diseases like macular degeneration and glaucoma, increase focus on basic science, and harness artificial intelligence to revolutionize vision care.

Donald M. Elliman, CU Anschutz chancellor, commented on the donation in a press release from the university.

"This transformational gift was made possible by one of our longstanding philanthropic partners, whose family holds a deep passion for improving health and healthcare in Colorado and beyond," said Elliman. "Their generous investment has established the Department of Ophthalmology Research Endowment, which will provide resources to speed innovation and research with the potential to save and restore sight."

An undisclosed portion of the donation is available for immediate use by the university, while the rest will provide ongoing support well into the future.

CU Anschutz Department of Ophthalmology has won 60 patents since 2020, and at least 13 technologies have been invented and licensed to industry, such as the Kahook Dual Blade, designed for minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.

"We have a tremendous opportunity to fuel our research enterprise, which is fundamental to clinical care," said Naresh Mandava, MD, chair of the CU Department of Ophthalmology and the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Endowed Chair in Retinal Diseases. "This gift will allow us to translate technology from the lab to the patient faster than before."

The Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center has previously launched the CellSight program, which is working to develop novel stem cell-based therapies to save and restore eyesight in blinding diseases. Additionally, the University of Colorado Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) registry allows researchers to investigate AMD, with nearly 2,000 patients from the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center enrolled.

References:

1. Historic $40 Million Gift to CU Anschutz Dept. of Ophthalmology will Fuel Research and New Therapies. Published June 3, 2025. Accessed June 9, 2025. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/historic-40-million-gift-to-cu-anschutz-dept-of-ophthalmology-will-fuel-research-and-new-therapies-302472221.html