It is with great pleasure that the American Academy of Ophthalmology welcomes Krzysztof Palczewski, PhD as a Guest of Honor at AAO 2015 in Las Vegas.
Following his undergraduate and PhD training in his native Poland, Dr. Palczewski did his postgraduate training at the University of Florida from 1986- 1988. He went on to become an assistant research scientist at the university. Then in 1990, he began his academic career at the Dow Neurological Sciences Institute in Portland, Oregon and moved to the University of Washington as an assistant professor in 1992, where he remained until 2005. During his stay at the University of Washington, he was professor of ophthalmology, pharmacology and chemistry, an interim research director and held the E.K. Bishop Professorship. Since that time, he has been the John H. Hord Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmacology at Case Western Medical School. Dr. Palczewski is author of more than 300 peer-reviewed publications on retinal biochemistry in health and disease. He is perhaps best known for solving the atomic structure of rhodopsin, the key protein in vision. His work has elucidated mechanisms of age-related macular degeneration and inherited retinal degeneration, and has led to a number of approaches to treat these diseases pharmacologically, several of which are now in clinical trials. His awards include Humbolt Research Award for Senior U.S. Scientists, Senior Scientific Investigator Award- Research to Prevent Blindness, Roger H Johnson Macular Degeneration Award,and CWRU Faculty Distinguished Researcher Award. In 2014, he received the Friedenwald Award from the Association for Research Award, Maurice Saltzman Award from Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation and the 2014 Beckman- Argyros Award in Vision Research. In 2015 he has been honored with the Bressler Award in Vision Science. Dr. Palczewski is the only individual to have won both the Cogan and Friedenwald medals from ARVO. He is a member of American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology is thankful for his monumental contributions to the understanding of biochemistry of vision in health and disease and is delighted to have the privilege of recognizing his achievements at AAO 2015 as a Guest of Honor.