Darlene Shiley donates $10M to eye institute

Philanthropist Darlene Shiley donated $10 million for the expansion of clinical space at the Shiley Eye Institute at UC San Diego Health to mark its 30th anniversary, it was announced Wednesday.

“Over the last three decades, Donald and I have supported the growth and excellence of the Shiley Eye Institute and her centers of care,” Shiley said in a statement. “It was one of our first philanthropic projects we supported and were loyal to for the ‘long haul,’ as Donald would say.

“I now continue that legacy with pride, with the knowledge that we have improved and will continue to improve medical care and research that benefits all of us,” she said.

With her husband, Donald, who died in 2010, Darlene Shiley has supported multiple UCSD endeavors, including the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, named in part to honor Darlene’s mother, Dee Marcos.

“I can’t emphasize enough how far-reaching the influence of Darlene and Donald Shiley has been on UC San Diego and elsewhere,” UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla said in a statement. “It is remarkable to see the legacy of transformation they have made here.”

In 1983, the Department of Ophthalmology, part of UCSD Health, opened a three-room clinic, growing to a 3,000-square-foot trailer in 1985, followed by the 1991 opening of the original $8 million Donald P. and Darlene V. Shiley Eye Center. According to the university, the Shiley family has subsequently donated more than $10 million for various clinical improvements, equipment, research and leadership chair funding.

The Shiley Eye Institute encompasses more than 91,000 square feet across three facilities, which handle more than 120,000 patient visits and perform more than 5,000 surgeries annually, university officials said.

According to the university, recent research has included the discovery of specific enzymes that may help create new therapies to protect and regrow neurons, a key to perhaps preventing degeneration of optic nerve cells in glaucoma and other eye conditions such as inherited retinal disease.