Retina International warmly congratulates Professor José-Alain Sahel, MD, FARVO, Co-Chair of our Scientific and Medical Advisory Board (SMAB), on receiving the 2026 António Champalimaud Vision Award, alongside Professor Botond Roska.
The prestigious award, announced by the Champalimaud Foundation, recognises the two researchers for their groundbreaking work developing innovative approaches to restore vision in people living with visual impairment or blindness caused by retinal disease.
Professor Sahel and Professor Roska have made major contributions to the development of optogenetic therapies, an innovative approach that aims to make surviving retinal cells responsive to light after photoreceptor cells have been damaged or lost. Their research has helped demonstrate the potential for partially restoring visual function and has taken important discoveries from fundamental research towards clinical application.
For Retina International, the recognition of Professor Sahel is particularly significant. As Co-Chair of our SMAB, he plays an important role in supporting RI’s engagement with the international research and clinical community and in helping to strengthen collaboration across the retinal disease field.
Professor Sahel’s research has contributed to a deeper understanding of retinal degeneration and to the development of therapeutic approaches aimed at preserving and restoring vision. His work has included pioneering research into Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON), including clinical studies of mitochondrial gene therapy, as well as the discovery of the Rod-derived Cone Viability Factor (RdCVF) and its potential role in protecting cone photoreceptors.
Together with Professor Roska, his work demonstrates the potential of translational research to move discoveries from the laboratory towards therapies that can make a meaningful difference to people affected by retinal disease.
Retina International warmly congratulates Professor José-Alain Sahel and Professor Botond Roska on this important recognition and celebrates their outstanding contributions to vision research and restoration.
The full announcement from the Champalimaud Foundation is reproduced below:
