Herbert and Nicole Wertheim
Photo used with permission from Florida International University.
Herbert Wertheim, OD, is a scientist, clinician, entrepreneur, philanthropist and community leader whose enduring discoveries and contributions in eye care and other scientific fields have touched millions.
Dr. Wertheim is founder and CEO of Brain Power Incorporated, the world’s largest manufacturer of ophthalmic, instruments and chemicals. He has served as an advisor, chairman or board member of 18 private and public companies in banking, health care, aerospace, real estate, transportation and several high tech industries.
Dr. Wertheim’s contributions in eye care and other scientific fields have touched millions. His company, Brain Power Incorporated, produces more than 4,000 optical related products. He was the first to discover and produce UV light dye absorbers for eyeglasses, and to find that UV light caused cataracts and retinal deterioration. A passionate community leader, Dr. Wertheim has supported numerous programs in education, research and the arts. He and his wife, Nicole, are also members of the Giving Pledge, to which he and some of the world’s wealthiest people, including Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates, promised to donate more than half of their wealth to philanthropic causes. The gift to UC San Diego was made in honor of the Wertheims’ 48th wedding anniversary.
"The most important thing we can achieve is making our communities healthier across the lifespan, and thus more productive. Prevention, is and always will be the best medicine."
- Herbert Wertheim, OD
John and Sally Hood Family Foundation
In September 2021, the John and Sally Hood Family Foundation announced a $3-million gift to establish the Hood Family Endowed Dean’s Chair in Public Health at UC San Diego. The gift is intended to support excellence in research, education and practice of public health at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health.
The Hood Family Foundation has supported numerous causes at UC San Diego and beyond, including funding cancer research, advancing research and clinical applications for bacteriophage therapies, providing scholarship support for approximately 150 first-generation college students, and supporting nutrition education and outreach programs.
Private support has been critical to the successful launch of the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health. Established through the generosity of philanthropists, the school has already seen a meteoric rise in stature and enrollment for its programs spanning every level of higher education. The school offers numerous degree tracks, including a Bachelor of Science in Public Health, and a Master of Public Health with several options for specialization and doctoral programs.
Philanthropic gifts, like the $3 million gift from John and Sally Hood, contribute to the nontraditional path toward revolutionary ideas, unexpected answers, lifesaving discoveries and planet-changing impact. To learn more about supporting the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, visit hwsph.ucsd.edu/giving.