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Massachusetts Eye and Ear
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May 1, 2018Press Release

Patricia A. D’Amore, PhD, MBA, Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences Class of 2018

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Mass Eye and Ear Communications
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Boston, Mass. — Patricia A. D’Amore, Ph.D., MBA, the Charles L. Schepens Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, Vice Chair for Basic and Translational Research, and Director of the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences for exceptional scholarship in the field of biomedicine. Dr. D’Amore will be inducted as part of the Class of 2018 at a ceremony in Cambridge, Mass., in October.

“I am very honored to have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,” Dr. D’Amore said. “To be recognized in this manner for doing the work that I love is truly a blessing.  I look forward to being an active member of this group, contributing to the mission and participating in the activities of the Academy.”

Founded in 1780, the Academy honors exceptional scholars, leaders, artists, and innovators, engaging them in sharing knowledge and addressing challenges facing the world. Past inductees include well-known thought influencers like Benjamin Franklin, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Albert Einstein. 

The 2018 class is comprised of 213 groundbreaking leaders from a wide range of disciplines and professions, including former President Barack Obama, actor Tom Hanks, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and many others. Dr. D’Amore has been recognized among such impressive figures for her outstanding accomplishments in the field of biomedicine.

Dr. D’Amore is an internationally-recognized expert in vascular development and pathology who has been at the forefront of angiogenesis research for over three decades. Her foremost contributions include identifying the key role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in neovascular eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Dr. D’Amore’s research findings formed the scientific foundations for the development of a number of anti-VEGF therapies currently used to treat various cancers and intraocular vascular diseases in millions of people worldwide each year. Dr. D’Amore also developed a widely used mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy, which has served as the cornerstone of many basic scientific investigations of vascular development. 

Some of Dr. D’Amore’s ongoing investigations include studying the molecular regulation of inflammation at the cellular level, the role of the endothelial glycocalyx in the regulation of angiogenesis, and the contribution of inflammation to the pathogenesis of AMD.

“Dr. D’Amore’s research in vascular biology has revolutionized the field and transformed the practice of medicine and vision outcomes for millions of people around the world,” stated Joan W. Miller, M.D., Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, and Chief of Ophthalmology at Mass. Eye and Ear and Mass General Hospital. “Pat continues to be a leader in academic medicine and research, a generous and gifted teacher, and a beloved mentor to her trainees.  She is so very deserving of this honor.”  

About Massachusetts Eye and Ear 

Massachusetts Eye and Ear, founded in 1824, is an international center for treatment and research and a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. Specializing in ophthalmology (eye care) and otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (ear, nose and throat care), Mass. Eye and Ear clinicians provide care ranging from the routine to the very complex. Also home to the world's largest community of hearing and vision researchers, Mass. Eye and Ear has pioneered new treatments for blindness, deafness and diseases of the head and neck. Our scientists are driven by a mission to discover the basic biology underlying these conditions and to develop new treatments and cures. In the 2017-2018 "Best Hospitals Survey," U.S. News & World Report ranked Mass. Eye and Ear #1 in New England for eye (#4 in nation) and ear, nose and throat care (#2 in nation).For more information about life-changing care and research at Mass. Eye and Ear, please visit our blog, Focus, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

About Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology

The Harvard Medical School (HMS) Department of Ophthalmology (eye.hms.harvard.edu) is one of the leading and largest academic departments of ophthalmology in the nation. More than 350 full-time faculty and trainees work at nine HMS affiliate institutions, including Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Joslin Diabetes Center/Beetham Eye Institute, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, VA Maine Healthcare System, and Cambridge Health Alliance. Formally established in 1871, the department has been built upon a strong and rich foundation in medical education, research, and clinical care. Through the years, faculty and alumni have profoundly influenced ophthalmic science, medicine, and literature—helping to transform the field of ophthalmology from a branch of surgery into an independent medical specialty at the forefront of science.