Patricia A. D’Amore ’73, PhD, MBA, 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 this 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.”
Dr. D’Amore is currently the Charles L. Schepens professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and director of the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear.
“Pat has been a standout member of the university’s alumnae community and continues to be a stalwart supporter of her alma mater,” said Regis President Antoinette Hays, PhD, RN. “I am so proud of the life-changing research she has accomplished in her career.”
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 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 age-related macular degeneration (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.”
