Vickie & Jack Farber
As lifelong philanthropists, Jack, who passed away in December, 2022, and his wife, Vickie, have made a lasting impact on the Philadelphia community. Together, Jack and Vickie created The Vickie and Jack Farber Vision Research Center at Wills Eye Hospital, The Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience at Jefferson Health, The Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience at Policlinico Gemelli in Rome and the David Farber ASPIRE Center for suicide prevention and awareness, amongst others. Vickie and Jack believed strongly in the mission of all of these organizations and were proud to take an active leadership role in each, taking the same detail-oriented approach in philanthropy that they had in business and their personal lives. Their commitment to giving back also drove their support of The Liberty Museum, the American Jewish Committee, and the ALS Association, among others.
Clinical Trials
A national call to protect vision research
and the future of sight.
and the future of sight.
Vision research is more than science, it’s public health. It touches everything from child development to aging well. It fuels innovation in treatments, technology, and early diagnosis. It’s powered by people who believe everyone deserves access to sight-saving solutions.
When we lose sight, we lose more than vision; we lose independence, connection, and quality of life. That’s why vision research needs to be a national priority.
The National Eye Institute leads the federal charge to prevent vision loss and enhance quality of life through cutting-edge research. This work is a vital piece of our shared future where early diagnoses, better treatments, and restored sight are not only possible, but prioritized.
Vision research is at risk due to proposed NIH reforms that could consolidate the National Eye Institute into a broader neuroscience institute—threatening its focused mission and jeopardizing the progress made in understanding, preventing, and treating eye diseases—undermining decades of targeted investment in sight-saving research.
Help protect the science behind sight.
Click here to learn more.
Wills Eye Research News
Dr. Joel Schuman, Vice Chair for Research Innovation and Co-Director of the Glaucoma Service at Wills Eye, will lead the comprehensive effort to improve glaucoma detection and estimates of disease progression.
Schuman’s research seeks to address substantial challenges of existing ocular imaging technology including measurement variability, image quality, level of measurable tissue, and difficulties interchanging patient scan data. Resulting success would significantly improve initial detection of glaucoma as well as the identification of its progress and any prediction of future progression of the disease.
FACULTY SEMINAR SERIES
The Wills Eye Faculty Research Seminar Series is held quarterly for Wills faculty with a strong interest in research. This series was established to create a forum for Wills faculty to present their research, provide opportunities for cross-fertilization of ideas and explore potential for new collaborations.
Sunir J. Garg, MD
July 21, 2026
Discovery & Innovation
Research Publications
By Wills Eye Faculty and Trainees
Institutional review board
The Wills Eye Hospital Institutional Review Board (IRB) is the committee established to review and approve research involving human subjects. The purpose of the Board is to ensure the protection and welfare of research participants, adhering to all federal regulations, institutional policies, and professional ethical standards.