About Us
Eradicating Corneal Blindness
KeraLink International (KLI) is a forward-thinking non-profit, 501(c)3 organization singularly focused on bringing clinicians, technology innovators, health care providers, philanthropists, and investors into a coordinated, collaborative effort to eradicate corneal blindness in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Originally founded as the Maryland Eye Bank in 1962 and later known as Tissue Banks International, KLI dedicated itself to eliminating the waiting list for corneal transplants in the United States. By 2019, collaborating with other eye banks, we achieved that goal and had become one of the world’s largest providers of sight-restoring ocular tissue and an innovator in tissue processing technology. These were monumental achievements. However, we realized that what worked in the United States and other developed countries was not likely to work in regions where treatment is most needed: LMICs. So, we sold our banks and transformed ourselves into the only organization in the world solely committed to eradicating corneal blindness in LMICs.
The challenge: for cultural, religious, and financial considerations, corneal transplants are not an option for most people living in LMICs. As a result, corneal blindness afflicts millions in these countries, particularly the young, crippling their economic prospects, isolating them socially, and sometimes even leading to their early death.
Today, KLI is addressing corneal conditions in LMICs through:
- Preventing injuries and infections that may lead to corneal blindness;
- Early detection and rapid treatment that stops corneal conditions from advancing to vision loss; and
- Novel therapies, like alternatives to human tissue transplantation, to preserve and restore sight that will be priced affordably and produced sustainably in LMICs.
Through this “PEN” approach, KLI is rewriting the narrative of corneal health, fusing the efficiency, scale, and affordability of proven market-based practices with the compassion of philanthropy.
As part of this effort, we engaged David Green, a healthcare entrepreneur and MacArthur fellow, hailed for making eye care accessible and affordable in LMICs. David has years of experience making healthcare technology and services more accessible to those who need it most.
Donor support will further KLI’s strategic approaches and solidify KLI’s unique role as a thought and action hub for bringing technological and program innovation to the fight against corneal blindness in LMICs.
Our Board
Douglas J. Furlong, Esq.
Vice Chairman; Principal Owner, Furlong ADR, LLC
David Green
President & Chief Executive Officer, KeraLink International
Sonya Maria Hadrigan, APRN, CIP
Associate Provost, Research Integrity & Compliance
Office of the Vice Provost for Research
The George Washington University
Christopher Helmrath
Founder and Managing Director, SC&H Capital
Mark Jensen, Esq.
Partner, Bowie and Jensen, LLC
Ellen Koo, M.D.
Associate Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute
Roberto Pineda II, M.D.
Director of The Keratorefractive Surgery Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
C. Thomas Vangness, Jr., M.D.
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery (RET), University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles
Fasika Woreta, MD
Director – Ophthalmology Residency Program, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University
