{"id":23691,"date":"2026-06-13T23:01:42","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T23:01:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/06\/13\/wvu-eye-institute-clinician-scientist-supports-new-building-with-150k-gift-my-buckhannon\/"},"modified":"2026-06-13T23:01:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T23:01:42","slug":"wvu-eye-institute-clinician-scientist-supports-new-building-with-150k-gift-my-buckhannon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/06\/13\/wvu-eye-institute-clinician-scientist-supports-new-building-with-150k-gift-my-buckhannon\/","title":{"rendered":"WVU Eye Institute clinician-scientist supports new building with $150K gift – My Buckhannon"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Community Bulletin
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A clinical research leader at the WVU Eye Institute<\/a> is advancing innovation in eye care for future generations with a $150,000 gift to benefit the new outpatient facility in Morgantown<\/a>.
The gift from Tony Realini, M.D., M.P.H.<\/a> supports the ongoing construction of the WVU Eye Institute\u2019s new home at the intersection of Van Voorhis Road and Elmer Prince Drive. The $233.5 million, 150,000-square-foot facility is slated to open in fall 2027.
The fourth-floor research space, designed with input from Realini and his team, will be known as the Realini Clinical Research Center in recognition of his generosity.
\"Tony<\/a>
\u201cDr. Tony Realini has helped shape the WVU Eye Institute through clinical excellence, research leadership, and mentorship,\u201d Thomas Mauger, M.D.<\/a>, executive chair of the WVU Eye Institute, said. \u201cHis extraordinary gift to support our new facility is an investment in the future of discovery, education, and patient care across West Virginia and beyond.\u201d
Born in Vermont, Realini grew up in North Carolina. He was first attracted to medicine by the TV show \u201cQuincy, M.E.,\u201d a medical drama rooted in pathology. But he quickly learned pathology wasn\u2019t for him in medical school, where he was instead drawn to the eye during dissection.
\u201cThe structure and function of the eye is exquisite,\u201d Realini said. \u201cIt\u2019s so complex, yet so simple all at the same time. I was hooked.\u201d
Realini earned his medical degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he also completed his residency in ophthalmology and developed an interest in glaucoma. He then completed a fellowship at the University of Louisville before joining WVU as a glaucoma<\/a> specialist in 2003.
\u201cI like to tell people I\u2019m not from West Virginia, but I got here as soon as I could,\u201d Realini said.
He was drawn to WVU because its ophthalmology program was rapidly growing, with a steady clinical base, skilled faculty and top-notch facilities. He\u2019s remained in Morgantown for many of those same reasons, along with supportive leadership at the Eye Institute and within the WVU School of Medicine<\/a> Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences<\/a>.
As vice chair for clinical research, Realini leads a robust research program that offers patients in West Virginia and beyond early access to the newest drugs, surgical techniques and other treatments before they\u2019re widely available.
WVU Eye Institute providers saw 9,889 visits from glaucoma patients in 2025, including 698 new patients.
Realini\u2019s own glaucoma research has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for two decades. He is currently the lead investigator for a clinical trial focused on optimizing the use of laser surgery to effectively manage glaucoma without eye drops. The study spans 30 treatment centers nationwide with more than 500 patients participating.
\u201cThe professional opportunities I\u2019ve had at the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and the WVU Eye Institute have provided me an opportunity to make a difference in West Virginia, in the United States, and in the world,\u201d Realini said. \u201cThe research that my team has done has changed how we take care of people with glaucoma. I think giving back to help that grow, especially after I\u2019m gone, is a phenomenal opportunity.\u201d
In addition to more research and education resources, the new WVU Eye Institute facility will include eight operating rooms, expanded diagnostic and testing space, increased clinical capacity and a multi-level parking garage, all designed to support growing subspecialty services and shorten wait times.
\u201cWe\u2019re thrilled to be moving from our current facility into a state-of-the-art facility that\u2019s three times larger and only a few hundred feet away,\u201d Realini said. \u201cThe opportunities that building will provide us are exciting.\u201d
Realini encourages anyone who\u2019s had a positive experience with the WVU Eye Institute to consider a gift to support its mission, noting that every dollar makes a difference.
Visit Give.WVU.edu\/WVUMedicine-EyeInstitute<\/a> to make a gift online, or contact Director of Development Kristiana Nelsen-Knowles at knelsenknowles@wvuf.org<\/a> to learn more about giving opportunities.
All gifts are made through the WVU Foundation<\/a>, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University and its affiliated entities.
Upshur County Sheriff Mike Coffman told Buckhannon-Upshur Chamber of Commerce members that workplace security starts with hiring and a safety-first mindset. He also urged businesses to consider cameras, better lighting and even LPRs to deter crime and aid investigations.
West Virginia has completed certification of the 2026 Primary Election, with all 55 counties finalized as of June 10, except races under contest. Turnout was 21.02%, but early voting rose more than 8% over 2022, and a full report is due later this summer.
WVU will induct David Alvarez, Steve Antoline, David Hendrickson and Bill Wilmoth into the Order of Vandalia on June 19, honoring their loyalty and service through leadership, business and fundraising. The ceremony will also remember five Vandalians who died in the past year.
West Virginia\u2019s Cancer Registry earned the CDC\u2019s top \u201cRegistry of Excellence\u201d honor for meeting rigorous 12- and 24-month data standards, highlighting its commitment to complete, high-quality cancer data.
West Virginia has issued immediate interstate movement rules for warm-blooded animals entering from New World Screwworm-impacted areas to protect livestock and companion animals.
St. Joseph\u2019s Hospital Auxiliary is funding a new bereavement program for families who lose a baby during delivery, providing memorial necklaces with the baby\u2019s birth-month birthstone.
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