Dr. Joseph Besharse receives Distinguished Service Award
The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) honored Joseph C. Besharse, PhD, Marvin Wagner Professor, chair of the department of cell biology, neurobiology and anatomy, and research director of the Eye Institute with a Distinguished Service Award, MCW’s highest faculty and staff honor, at its annual convocation ceremony.
Dr. Besharse joined MCW in 1997. His research, which has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 1975, focuses on the molecular mechanisms that underlie neurodegenerative diseases of the retina, such as age-related macular degeneration. He has published more than 125 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and his research has been recognized by numerous awards, including the prominent Andre A. Belazs Prize for outstanding achievement in experimental eye research from the International Society of Eye Research in 2010.
In May, 2015, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology announced that Dr. Besharse would be the 2016 recipient of the Proctor Medal. The Proctor Medal is one of the organization’s most prestigious honors and recognizes excellence in the basic or clinical sciences applied to ophthalmology.
The Medical College of Wisconsin is the state’s only private medical school and health sciences graduate school. Founded in 1893, it is dedicated to leadership and excellence in education, patient care, research and community engagement. More than 1,200 students are enrolled in MCW’s medical school and graduate school programs in Milwaukee, and 26 medical students are enrolled at MCW-Green Bay. A regional medical education campus is scheduled to open in Central Wisconsin in 2016. MCW’s School of Pharmacy will open in 2017 or 2018 with an initial class size of 60 students. A major national research center, MCW is the largest research institution in the Milwaukee metro area and second largest in Wisconsin. In FY 2013-14, faculty received approximately $154 million in external support for research, teaching, training and related purposes, of which approximately $138 million is for research. This total includes highly competitive research and training awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Annually, MCW faculty direct or collaborate on more than 2,000 research studies, including clinical trials. Additionally, more than 1,350 physicians provide care in virtually every specialty of medicine for more than 425,000 patients annually.
