Doheny Eye Institute

What it reported doing in 2024

The mission of the doheny eye institute (dei), to further the conservation, improvement and restoration of human eyesight, is guided by the following objectives: 1. To increase knowledge of the human eye, its conditions and diseases, through research; 2. To transmit this knowledge through education, training, and community service; and 3. To facilitate the application of its research to improve patient care and foster further research. Research activities for the period and selected for long-term focus include: retinal and macular degeneration research through the study of retinal pigment epithelium and the use of advanced retinal imaging in patients with age-related macular degeneration (amd) and image analysis using artificial intellegence; optic nerve research and investigations of diseases involving retinal ganglion cells; investigations of retinal vascular stiffness and altered immune cell regulation as potential causative factors in diabetic retinopathy; research focused on defining the molecular details linking mitochondrial dysfunction and altered signaling between retinal neurons. On december 18, 2013, the doheny eye institute executed an agreement with the university of California at los angeles (ucla) for a 99 year affiliation. The purpose of this affiliation is to carry out the institute's mission -- to further the conservation, improvement, and restoration of human eyesight -- through research, education, and clinical care (clinical care is provided directly by ucla). Both the institute and ucla-stein eye institute are dedicated to providing the public with the highest quality of ophthalmic care and the most innovative and strategic research for the improvement of human eyesight. In nov. 2021 doheny eye institute (dei) moved to its new location - 150 orange grove blvd in pasadena, ca. New areas of research dei is studying the mechanisms responsible for development of age-related macular degeneration (amd), the number one cause of blindness among individuals over 60 years old in the USA. The risk of developing amd is significantly increased when specific genes are mutated. One new study is focused on studying the retinal cells in the population of patients harboring a specific mutation in a gene involved in the immune system. A second study is focused on a different gene of unknown function but with high impact on amd. The researchers are studying retinal cells generated from amd patients that have these genetic defects. Information from these two studies is critical for development of new therapies for amd that target what is causing the disease. In other studies, dei scientists have been involved in developing new and faster ways to interpret retinal images in human patients using artificial intelligence (ai). In two different studies, ai-based approaches for automated interpretation of images from patients with retinal atrophy due to either stargardt's disease or amd incorporates information from multiple imaging modalities. Additionally, by following patient images over time, an ai-based automated algorithm is being developed to predict the development and progression of atrophy over time. Dei continues to develop cutting edge imaging technology, including a novel adaptive optics near-confocal ophthalmoscope (aonco) that enables precise evaluation of the dynamic movement of red blood cells within retinal capillaries, referred to as "higher-order dynamics". By monitoring red blood cell velocity within a cardiac cycle, they will obtain crucial information about vascular health, not only of the retina, but also of the central nervous system. This instrument is being used to establish clinical biomarkers of cerebral small vessel disease, a precursor to dementia. This work is important because it demonstrates how the retina can inform clinicians about systemic health, which is a new field of research known as "oculomics". Dei has also developed a pioneering adaptive optics imaging instrument that integrates scanning

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 84.9%; rating input score 85
• Program expense ratio: 55.4%; rating input score 55
• Fundraising efficiency: $3.46 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -20.2%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 10.62; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 11.8%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -0.1% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -1% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 6.7% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings