Glick dedication Friday

Indianapolis-The Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute at the Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine will be dedicated Aug. 19. Located on the IU-Purdue University Indianapolis campus, the 77,000-square-foot building features 15,000 square feet of research space and 14,000 square feet of clinic space.

The Ophthalmology Clinic at IU Health University Hospital outpatient center will be doubled in size when it moves to the Glick Eye Institute later this summer. The institute also will include optometrists and a full-service retail optical shop.

Indianapolis residents Eugene and Marilyn Glick donated $30 million to IU to support vision research, eye care, and education in the new institute. Their support provided $20 million for building construction and $10 million for a research endowment to help fund scientific work in the new laboratories.

“In our early discussions with Eugene and Marilyn Glick about their creating the Glick Eye Institute, our frame of reference was to become one of the top 10 eye programs in the world,” said D. Craig Brater, MD, dean, IU School of Medicine, and vice president for university clinical affairs at IU. “[The Glicks] have paved the way for that to occur. Already, seven gifted researchers have been hired, and we will add even more ophthalmology scientists so we can advance the understanding and treatment of eye disease with an aim of ultimately preventing such diseases in the first place.”

An interesting architectural note is that the glass used in the building is iron-free and ultra-clear, representing the clear vision that ophthalmologists hope to provide to all of their patients

“We are very grateful to the Glicks for their dedication to eradicating vision disorders and selecting Indiana University School of Medicine as the recipient of their philanthropy,” said Louis B. Cantor, MD, chairman of the IU department of ophthalmology. “Having the Glick Eye Institute as home to the department has allowed us to recruit researchers who are investigating therapies for glaucoma, retinoblastoma, and age-related macular degeneration.”