Neuro- and retinal degenerative diseases rob millions of aging individuals of their independence. Although many investigational new drugs (INDs) for these diseases are in clinical trials, translational success remains poor due to inadequate preclinical models and interspecies differences producing misleading outcomes. Recognizing these shortcomings, we have developed the infrastructure and a novel platform to test neuroprotective drugs in the human retina. Our new methods restore and preserve in vivo-like light responses in eyes procured up to 4 hours and stored up to 48 hours postmortem from donors with and without retinal disease, such as AMD or diabetic retinopathy, thus scaling up access to viable human retinas. Furthermore, we present new AI-based and increased-throughput technology to test neuroprotective drugs in human neuronal tissue under baseline and ischemic conditions. Our work promises to improve the translation of new therapies while reducing costs and animal usage in research.