The Koret Foundation's contribution of $2.4 million was the corner stone for building the Koret Vision Research Laboratory, which is recognized internationally as a center for innovative research. More information on the research of individual faculty members can be found on the faculty web pages.

The Koret Vision Research Laboratory has over 40,000 sq. ft. of space devoted to research laboratories, including an electron microscopy facility with two transmission electron microscopes and one scanning electron microscope. The Koret labs are dedicated to the areas of glaucoma, corneal disease, cellular pharmacology, ocular oncology, amblyopia, visual development, retinal physiology, ophthalmic genetics, ocular transplantation, retinal growth factors, retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration. Special facilities include the Mazzocco Microsurgical Laboratory, the Livingston conference room, the Caygill Library, and the Hogan eye pathology laboratory.

Innovative research programs include studies of the mechanism and potential new treatments for glaucoma; evaluation of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for ocular tumors; investigations of the basic mechanisms of vision, including the molecular biology and cell biology of visual process; and an effort to understand and overcome prevalent blinding diseases that are currently incurable, such as macular degeneration and other inherited and acquired retinal degenerations.

There are over 20 funded research grants in the Department of Ophthalmology, a CORE Research Center Grant, and a total federal funding for vision science in the institution which is the third largest in the United States.