USC Professors Join the Institute of Medicine

October 15, 2009

By Steven Linan

USC professors Mark Humayun and Dana Goldman have been named to the Institute of Medicine, one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.

The institute made the announcement Oct. 12 at its 39th annual meeting.

Humayun is a professor of ophthalmology, cell and neurobiology, and biomedical engineering at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the Doheny Eye Institute at USC and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. His research projects focus on the treatment of the most debilitating and challenging eye diseases through advanced engineering.

He is also the director of the Department of Energy Artificial Retina Project and co-inventor of the retinal prosthesis — an implantable artificial retina that has restored partial sight to blind patients.

“I am extremely honored to be elected into the Institute of Medicine,” Humayun said. “I would like to thank my colleagues and my family for their support, and I am looking forward to contributing as a member to the institute.”

Humayun has been voted one of the Best Doctors in America and has received numerous research awards, including being named Innovator of the Year by R&D Magazine in 2005.

“The election of Mark Humayun to the Institute of Medicine is a great honor that recognizes his status as an outstanding leader in bioscience,” said Keck School of Medicine Dean Carmen A. Puliafito. “Dr. Humayun’s dedication to medicine and science and his commitment to collaboration across disciplines has profoundly improved the quality of life for many patients.”

Yannis C. Yortsos, the dean of USC Viterbi, said: “Mark Humayun’s work brilliantly embodies the kind of research that technology and engineering enable. The combination of health science and technology is promising unprecedented advances in health care, and Mark’s work underscores this promise.

“I am delighted that our view of Mark's achievements and his extraordinary gifts were emphatically recognized by his election to the Institute of Medicine,” Yortsos added. “We offer him our heartfelt congratulations.”

Goldman, best known for his contributions to health economics and health policy, came to USC this year from the RAND Corp., where he was director of the RAND Health Economics, Finance and Organization division.

“The Institute of Medicine provides an opportunity to engage in research with some of the nation’s top health experts, and I am honored to represent USC as part of this tradition,” Goldman said. “I look forward to collaborating with the other institute members in our shared mission to find ways to improve the health care system.”

Goldman oversees the newly created Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics at USC. He holds the Norman Topping Chair in Medicine and Public Policy at the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development, and he has a faculty appointment at the USC School of Pharmacy.

“We are extremely pleased to have one of our faculty members join the prestigious Institute of Medicine,” said School of Policy, Planning, and Development Dean Jack H. Knott. “This recognition reflects the high value we place on the quality and expertise of our faculty and the priority we place in student learning.”

Lifetime appointments to the Institute of Medicine are elected by current active members through a selective process that recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health.

Established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine has become recognized as a national resource for independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on health issues.