Vision for Tomorrow Announces Dr. Bruce Bloom as Director of Scientific Affairs

SKOKIE, Ill. - Nov. 29, 2016 - PRLog -- Vision For Tomorrow (www.visionfortomorrow.org), an organization dedicated to supporting families affected by low vision, including those with albinism and aniridia, and to funding research to better understand and treat these conditions, announces Dr. Bruce Bloom of Cures Within Reach (www.cureswithinreach.org) as its new Director of Scientific Affairs.

"I'm thrilled to join the Vision for Tomorrow team." says Dr. Bloom. "Cures Within Reach looks forward to partnering with VFT, focusing on rare disease, including repurposing research."

Dr. Bloom will help Vision for Tomorrow create and manage a Scientific Advisory Board, engaging leading experts in ophthalmology and genetic research.  Dr. Bloom also will manage research solicitation, selection and administration, and he will support communication with families, clinicians and our funders.

"As we mark our 10-year anniversary and look ahead, the Vision for Tomorrow Foundation will embark on its most aggressive research plan to date, with the funding of four projects this year and more in the pipeline for 2017 and beyond," said Susan Ballis, Founder, Vision for Tomorrow.  "Dr. Bloom will play a central role in helping to move us closer to halting or reversing problems associated with low vision."

Dr. Bloom is the President and Chief Science Officer at Cures Within Reach. Cures Within Reach catalyzes repurposing research, which seeks to use FDA approved drugs, devices and nutriceuticals to treat unsolved diseases.  Repurposing can help speed treatments to patients in need, especially those suffering from rare diseases, such as aniridia and albinism.

Dr. Bloom holds a Juris Doctor degree from the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from University of Illinois Medical Center, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from University of Illinois. Dr. Bloom currently serves as an editor to the ASSAY and Drug Development Technologies journal, is the founding Secretary of the International Drug Repurposing Society, chair of the Governance Committee of the Kendall College Trust, a Board member of the Judy Hirsch Foundation, a Science Advisor to the Marian Falk Trust, member of the Science Advisory Board of Rediscovery Life Sciences, Science Advisory Board member for the GARROD AKU Consortium, member of the Board of Councilors of Midwestern University, and a Client Advisor to the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network. Dr. Bloom was elected an International Ashoka Fellow in 2009.

ABOUT VISION FOR TOMORROW

The Vision for Tomorrow Foundation (www.visionfortomorrow.org) seeks to empower people with low vision to have the confidence and ability to achieve their dreams. Research makes it possible to better understand and more effectively treat ocular complications common in albinism and aniridia, two conditions causing low vision from birth.

ABOUT CURES WITHIN REACH

Cures Within Reach (www.cureswithinreach.org) works to catalyze repurposing research to quickly and affordably improve patient lives. We accomplish this through collaborations that connect researchers and funding, by facilitating crowd sourcing and community, and by identifying alternative financing models and incentives.

Visit us at http://www.cureswithinreach.org or follow us via Twitter.com/CuresWReach, LinkedIn.com/company/cures-within-reach, YouTube.com/cureswithinreach or Facebook.com/CuresWithinReach.