University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science
UC Berkeley Vision Science is an interdisciplinary PhD program within the Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, training researchers across 11 departments while pioneering treatments for blinding diseases through adaptive optics, optogenetics, and visual neuroscience.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1923
- HeadquartersBerkeley, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science does
UC Berkeley Vision Science is the interdisciplinary research and graduate-training arm of the Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, a public university program founded in 1923 and based at Minor Hall on the UC Berkeley campus. The unit enrolls roughly 40 PhD students, graduates a combined class of 6 PhDs and 61 ODs (Class of 2026), and supports 37 faculty drawn from 11 UC Berkeley departments spanning optometry, psychology, neuroscience, bioengineering, molecular and cell biology, and electrical and computer engineering. Its research portfolio covers biomedical optics, visual perception and cognition, molecular and cellular biology of the retina, computational vision, and clinical science, producing patented platforms such as the AOSLO adaptive-optics retinal imager, the Oz single-photoreceptor stimulation system, the ChRmine-T119A optogenetic therapy vector, and the FDA-cleared Retitrack eye-movement monitor.
The program's revenue model is unusual for a research unit and combines five streams: (1) federal grants led by the National Eye Institute (notable awards include a $2.37M NEI grant to the Gronert Lab in 2026 and a $750K NEI renewal to Dr. Puthussery through 2028) plus NSF support; (2) philanthropy anchored by the Wertheim Family Foundation's $50M, 10-year naming commitment — the largest gift to any school of optometry in North America — and a campus Big Give haul of $727,734 in a single day; (3) tuition partially offset by graduate-group stipends in years 1–2 and thesis-mentor support from year 3 onward; (4) industry partnerships through the CIVO industrial membership program co-founded by Austin Roorda and Marty Banks, which provides companies access to faculty and doctoral researchers for collaborative R&D and technology transfer; and (5) clinical revenue from the UC Berkeley Campus Eye Clinics serving pediatric, low-vision, contact-lens, and specialty patient populations.
Its customer base is hybrid: PhD and OD trainees; clinical patients in the Berkeley catchment; industry members spanning AR/VR (Meta Reality Labs), gene therapy (Scribe Therapeutics), display technology, and ophthalmic biotech; federal sponsors (NIH, NSF); and a 300-plus alumni network now placed at NASA, NIH, Samsung, Adobe, Novartis, and Allergan alongside world-class university faculties. Strategic intent is signaled by the Oz platform's 2025 launch, an active optogenetic canine-trial pipeline with UC Davis, the MacArthur Genius Fellowship awarded to Dr. Puthussery in 2025 (the first optometrist to receive it), and ongoing capital deepening via the Wertheim Chancellor's Chair in Neuro-Optometry (2026–2031).
University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science
- Legal name
- The Regents of the University of California
- Website
- https://vision.berkeley.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1923
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- UC Berkeley Vision Science is an interdisciplinary PhD program within the Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, training researchers across 11 departments while pioneering treatments for blinding diseases through adaptive optics, optogenetics, and visual neuroscience.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vision Science Higher Education Research
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)
- akta.pro industry
- Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based)Neuro-OphthalmologyVisual Field & Functional Vision Testing (Perimetry, ERG/VEP, Contrast Sensitivity)Healthcare & Life Sciences/Medical Devices & Diagnostics/Ophthalmic Devices (Vision Care & Surgical)Vision & Ophthalmic Diagnostic Centers (Optometry/OCT/Retinal Imaging)
Keywords
Where University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berkeley
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Research Grants and Federal Funding: Primary research funding from federal agencies including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Eye Institute (NEI), and National Science Foundation (NSF). Notable grants include a $2.37M NEI grant to the Gronert Lab for prostaglandin pathway research and $750,000 NEI grant renewal to Dr. Puthussery for primate retinal circuit research.
- Philanthropy and Major Gifts: Major philanthropy from the Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation, which pledged $50 million as the cornerstone of a $100 million 10-year commitment. The school was renamed the Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science in honor of this gift, the largest gift to any school of optometry in North America.
- Vision Science Annual Fund: Annual giving program supporting advances in vision science field at UC Berkeley. The Big Give campus-wide day of giving generated $727,734 in a single day for the school.
- Tuition and Fees: The Vision Science Graduate Group Program financially supports students to cover the cost of graduate stipends, tuition and fees, and graduate conference travel for the first 2 years if the student is not funded by an external grant or fellowship. Starting in Year 3, support is provided by the thesis mentor.
- Industry Partnerships and Membership (CIVO): CIVO (Center for Innovation in Vision and Optics) is an industrial membership organization co-founded by Austin Roorda and Marty Banks. Companies pay membership fees for working relationships with Vision Science professors and doctoral students, technology transfer, and collaborative research.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UC Berkeley Vision Science operates an interdisciplinary PhD program in Vision Science supported by 37 faculty from 11 departments, conducting research across biomedical optics, perception, molecular and cell biology, neuroscience, computational vision, and clinical science. The program also delivers clinical vision care through Campus Eye Clinics and provides industry collaboration through the Center for Innovation in Vision and Optics (CIVO). Core research outputs include pioneering work in optogenetic retinal gene therapy, adaptive optics retinal imaging, photoreceptor stimulation platforms, and eye-movement-based neurological diagnostics.
Product overview
UC Berkeley Vision Science operates as an academic research and educational institution offering primarily a PhD program in Vision Science, supplemented by cutting-edge research platforms and technologies. The core offering is the interdisciplinary PhD program spanning biomedical optics, clinical science, computational vision, molecular and cell biology, neuroscience, and perception. Key research technologies include the Oz platform for photoreceptor stimulation, the Adaptive Optics Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope (AOSLO) for retinal imaging, optogenetic retinal gene therapy, and eye movement diagnostic technology. The institution also runs the ViSUR undergraduate research program. These products and technologies collectively advance understanding of vision science and develop treatments for vision disorders.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Optogenetic retinal therapy with ChRmine-T119A demonstrated effective at indoor light levels in blind mice, moving toward clinical trials
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability9 records
Feature5 records
University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- UC Davis School of Veterinary MedicinecoreCollaboration between John Flannery's Berkeley lab and UC Davis veterinary ophthalmologist Dr. Sara Thomasy for trials of optogenetic gene therapy (ChRmine-T119A) in dogs with Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome (SARDS). The therapy aims to restore vision in blind dogs without requiring goggles. UC Davis performs the surgical injections and behavioral testing on canine patients. The collaboration leverages the similarity between dog and human eye surgery and drug kinetics for eventual human trials.
- Center for Innovation in Vision and Optics (CIVO)coreCIVO is an industrial membership organization co-founded by Austin Roorda and Marty Banks at UC Berkeley. Its mission is to promote development, use, and dissemination of innovative display, graphics, and optical technology for the healthy and diseased eye. For a membership fee, companies gain working relationships with Vision Science faculty and doctoral students.
- Steven Brohawn Lab (UC Berkeley Department of Neuroscience)coreCollaboration between John Flannery's lab and Steven Brohawn's cell biology lab at Berkeley for engineering improved channelrhodopsins (ChRmine variants) for optogenetic retinal therapy. Brohawn's expertise in crystal structure of channelrhodopsins enables molecular engineering of more light-sensitive and faster-responding opsins.
- University of TorontomajorCollaboration with researchers at the University of Toronto alongside the labs of John Flanagan and Karsten Gronert at UC Berkeley on groundbreaking work on lipoxins as neuroprotective factors for glaucoma. The partnership combines expertise in retinal cell biology and prostaglandin pathways to investigate halting glaucoma progression.
- Jacque Duncan, MD (UCSF Department of Ophthalmology)majorCollaboration between Austin Roorda's lab and UCSF's Jacque Duncan for using adaptive optics imaging to monitor efficacy of treatments for retinal degeneration. UCSF contributes clinical expertise and patient populations for studying cone structure/function during disease progression and treatment testing.
- Meta Reality Labs ResearchminorKavitha Ratnam (Vision Science PhD 2017) interned at Meta Reality Labs Research (formerly Oculus Research) during her PhD, working with both vision and optical scientists on perceptual testbed for VR displays and developing widefield-of-view retinal eye trackers. Roorda's lab has an ongoing relationship with the company.
- Scribe TherapeuticsminorCécile Fortuny (Vision Science PhD 2019) works at Scribe Therapeutics, a company co-founded by Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna (UC Berkeley). Scribe uses CRISPR technology for gene therapy development. The company leverages the eye as a testbed for systematic treatments and for treating diseases of the eye itself.
- C. Light TechnologiesminorStartup company founded by Christy Sheehy (Vision Science PhD) based on her Roorda Lab research. The company's Retitrack eye movement monitor has received FDA clearance and is used by clinicians at UCSF, University of Miami Health System, and Medical College of Wisconsin. Represents technology transfer from Berkeley research to commercial clinical product.
- Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research InstitutemajorCollaborative research between Levi Lab and Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute. James Coughlan from Smith-Kettlewell is a featured speaker at BAVRD 2026. Smith-Kettlewell focuses on applications of computer vision for blind and visually impaired persons and Bayesian probability methods in human vision research.
- NASA and NIHminorMany Vision Science alumni hold research positions at federally sponsored agencies including NASA and the NIH. These represent career destinations for graduates rather than formal institutional partnerships.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute: Largest ophthalmology research and clinical enterprise in the U.S. Overlaps with Berkeley in retinal disease, glaucoma and gene-therapy research but operates at materially larger clinical scale, providing a benchmark for translational ambition.
- Harvard Medical School – Schepens Eye Research Institute: Affiliated with Mass Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School; one of the largest vision-research portfolios in the U.S. and a benchmark for how Berkeley could scale translational research and industry partnerships.
Others
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals: Developer of Eylea (aflibercept), the leading anti-VEGF therapy for macular degeneration. While commercial, it is the primary industry destination for Berkeley Vision Science alumni in ophthalmic drug development and the dominant commercial benchmark for the program's translational output.
Direct peers
- Indiana University School of Optometry: Major U.S. optometry school with vision-science research strengths (especially in binocular vision, amblyopia, optics), competing with Berkeley for NIH/NEI funding and OD/PhD talent.
- MIT – Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences (Vision Lab): World-leading academic vision-science group with strength in computational vision, perception and AR/VR research — directly comparable to Berkeley's interdisciplinary vision-science portfolio and a primary competitor for top PhD applicants.
- University of Rochester – Center for Visual Science: Premier interdisciplinary vision-science research center at a leading research university. Highly comparable to Berkeley Vision Science in scope (perception, retinal biology, optics, computational vision) and in operating model as a multi-department graduate training program competing for the same NIH/NEI grants.
- Stanford University – Vision & Perception Neuroscience (Department of Psychology): Top-tier vision-science group at a peer elite university with overlapping strengths in visual neuroscience, adaptive optics and AR/VR display perception, competing directly with Berkeley for federal grants and PhD talent.
- University of Houston – College of Optometry: Top-funded optometry school with comparable scope in clinical optometry, vision-science PhD training and industry-funded research, making it a direct academic peer for graduate placement and federal grant competition.
- University of Washington – Department of Ophthalmology: Major academic vision-research department on the West Coast with overlapping retinal-degeneration and clinical-translation work; comparable in research intensity and a direct competitor for similar NIH/NEI funding.
Emerging players
- C. Light Technologies: Startup spun out of Berkeley Vision Science (Roorda Lab) commercializing the FDA-cleared Retitrack retinal eye-movement monitor; the closest emerging commercial peer and an illustration of Berkeley's tech-transfer pathway.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science social profiles
Digital presenceUniversity of California, Berkeley - Vision Science compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science
What does University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science do?
UC Berkeley Vision Science operates an interdisciplinary PhD program in Vision Science supported by 37 faculty from 11 departments, conducting research across biomedical optics, perception, molecular and cell biology, neuroscience, computational vision, and clinical science. The program also delivers clinical vision care through Campus Eye Clinics and provides industry collaboration through the Center for Innovation in Vision and Optics (CIVO). Core research outputs include pioneering work in optogenetic retinal gene therapy, adaptive optics retinal imaging, photoreceptor stimulation platforms, and eye-movement-based neurological diagnostics.
Is University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science a public or private company?
University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science founded?
University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science was founded in 1923. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science based?
University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science is headquartered in Berkeley, United States, in the North America region.
How does University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Research Grants and Federal Funding is the primary driver. The others are philanthropy and Major Gifts, vision Science Annual Fund, tuition and Fees and industry Partnerships and Membership (CIVO).
Who are University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute and Harvard Medical School – Schepens Eye Research Institute. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is listed as an others. Direct peers are Indiana University School of Optometry, MIT – Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences (Vision Lab), University of Rochester – Center for Visual Science, Stanford University – Vision & Perception Neuroscience (Department of Psychology), University of Houston – College of Optometry and University of Washington – Department of Ophthalmology. C. Light Technologies is listed as an emerging player.
Does University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science have an API?
No public API is recorded for University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science.
What industry is University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science in?
University of California, Berkeley - Vision Science's product category is Vision Science Higher Education Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAGAI, Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based), with a secondary code of HLAKAKAH, Neuro-Ophthalmology. Its NAICS code is 5417 and its SIC code is 8731.