Duke University School of Medicine honored several faculty members as newly Distinguished Professors. Among the talented group in attendance, were Duke Ophthalmology's Dr. Catherine Bowes Rickman and Dr. Vasantha Rao.
Catherine Bowes Rickman, PhD was appointed George and Geneva Boguslavsky Distinguished Professor of Eye Research. Her research is dedicated to understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms that contribute to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) pathogenesis and pathobiology such that novel targets can be identified and used for the development of therapeutics to treat people with AMD.
Vasantha Rao, PhD was appointed to Richard and Kit Barkhouser Distinguished Professor. His research programs, which have been funded by the NIH since 1999 are focused broadly on the regulatory mechanisms of actin cytoskeletal organization, cell adhesion and cell-cell junctions in the ocular lens and trabecular meshwork.
Distinguished professors are appointed based on a rigorous nomination process and approved by the Dean of the School of Medicine, the University Provost, and Duke University Board of Trustees. An endowed chair is the highest faculty honor at Duke University.
We are proud of these outstanding accomplishments and look forward to their continued success.
View Duke Distinguished Professors