MDF was founded by Edmund J. Aleks (Aleksandrovich,) BSEE, MBA to address the concerns and information needs of millions of Americans and others worldwide afflicted by the central vision loss caused by macular degeneration, now the leading cause of legal blindness and visual disability in the US and to structure, coordinate and fund interdisciplinary research towards improved preventive and therapeutic modalities. Ed is central vision legally blind in both eyes due to macular degeneration. As a result he has lost the cherished ability to pursue his avid interest in tennis, fly fishing, reading and playing racquetball. An electrical engineer with a Masters in Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley he co-developed the first instant slow motion replay video systems for television. Ed's pioneering work in macular degeneration public awareness was recently recognized in a feature segment on ABC Television's 20/20 program with Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs.