Apte, Huang elected to Association of American Physicians
Physician-scientists honored for outstanding contributions to biomedical research
WashU MedicineTwo physician-scientists at WashU Medicine have been newly elected to the Association of American Physicians. They are (from left): Rajendra S. Apte, MD, PhD, and Eric J. Huang, MD, PhD.
Two physician-scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have been newly elected to the Association of American Physicians. Election is an honor bestowed on physicians who have made outstanding contributions to basic or translational biomedical research.
They are Rajendra S. Apte, MD, PhD, and Eric J. Huang, MD, PhD.
Apte, the Paul A. Cibis Distinguished Professor and vice chair of innovation and translation in the John F. Hardesty, MD, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, was recognized for his contributions to the field of visual sciences. His research focuses on understanding the cause of retinal diseases, including age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, among others. These conditions affect blood vessels and neurons in the retina and can lead to vision problems and blindness. Apte’s research aims to understand the molecular players driving the inflammation and neurodegeneration responsible for diverse eye diseases that affect millions of people worldwide, paving the way for novel therapies to prevent or treat vision loss.
Huang, the Edward Mallinckrodt Professor and head of the Department of Pathology & Immunology, is renowned for his research on human brain development and degeneration. His laboratory focuses on how the human brain develops during pregnancy and in infancy, uncovering factors that impact blood vessel formation and increase the risk of brain bleeds in premature infants. His research also explores the causes of frontotemporal dementia, the second most common cause of dementia in people under age 65. His studies offer the potential for future treatments for brain bleeds in preterm infants and early-onset dementia, respectively.
