Megan Hilty to Headline BrightFocus Foundation 50th Anniversary Gala & Awards Ceremony

Megan Hilty, who played Ivy Lynn in the NBC musical drama "Smash," will headline the 50th- anniversary gala and awards ceremony of BrightFocus Foundation on June 14 at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C.

The event will honor four researchers and advocates for their work toward ending Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma:  

Gerard D. Schellenberg, PhD, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine 
Mae Gordon, PhD, Washington University in St. Louis 
Michael Kass, MD, Washington University in St. Louis 
Debra Tann, EdD, CEO, Reminiscent, and dementia advocate 

The evening will also feature short presentations by BrightFocus-funded scientists on their innovative research ranging from using a first-of-its-kind driving test to predict early Alzheimer’s and understanding the opposing effects of APOE4 on Alzheimer’s and glaucoma to advancing regenerative medicine to restore vision loss from glaucoma and other optic neuropathies and exploring the role of inflammation and metabolism in age-related macular degeneration.

BrightFocus Foundation

funds early-stage, investigator-initiated scientific research worldwide to defeat Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma, and has awarded nearly $300 million in research funding across more than 6,000 scientists in 25 countries. Learn more at www.brightfocus.org.