# John E. Dowling

John E. Dowling is an American neuroscientist and Gordon and Llura Gund Research Professor of Neurosciences at Harvard University. He is best known for his seminal work in vision science, having elucidated the biochemistry of rhodopsin and development of the vertebrate retina, as well as diseases that affect vision such as vitamin A deficiency and retinitis pigmentosa. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1972, the National Academy of Sciences in 1976, and the American Philosophical Society in 1992.

## Education

Dowling earned his Ph.D. at Harvard University under the direction of George Wald. He also received a bachelor's degree at Harvard and attended Harvard Medical School.

## Career

In 1961, Dowling became an Instructor of the Department of Biology at Harvard University. From 1961 to 1964 he was Assistant Professor of Biology at Harvard. Upon completion, he was Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins University from 1964 to 1966 and Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Biophysics from 1966 to 1971. From 1961 to 1971 and 1991 he was a Lecturer of the Lancaster Course in Ophthalmology, co-director of a neurobiology course, Marine Biological Laboratory (1970-1974 and 1998), Professor of Biology at Harvard University (1971-1987), Chairman of the Department of Biology at Harvard University (1975-1978), Overseas Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge, England (1978-1979), Acting Master of North House, Harvard University (1979-1980), Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University (1980-1984), Master of Leverett House, Harvard University (1981-1998).
Dowling has served as an Associate Editor for Cellular Neurobiology, Journal of Neuroscience (1989-1994), Council of Society of Neuroscience Member (1980-1984), Governing Board of National Research Council Member (1985-1988 and 1994-1997), Commission on Life Sciences National Research Council chairman (1985-1988), Scientific Advisory Board member of the Whitney Marine Laboratory (1986-1991), Executive Committee member of the Marine Biology Laboratory (1974-1976 and 1988-1990), Council member of the National Eye Institute (1986-1990), Medical Advisory Board member of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (1989-1992), Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology trustee (1991-1998), FASEB Summer Conference on Biology, Chemistry and Modeling Vision chairman, (1992), Council of Faculty of Arts and Sciences member, Harvard University (1993-1995), National Academy of Sciences member (1993-1996), and President of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (1996-1997).
Since 1986, Dowling has been Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary trustee, a member on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Foundation for Fighting Blindness (1971–present), member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Research to Prevent Blindness (1991–present), member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Knights Templar Research Foundation (1991–present), member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the McLean Hospital (1991–present), member of the Educational Advisory Board of the John S. Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (1991–present), member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Center for Neural Science, New York University (1992–present), member of the Board of Directors of the Harvard University Press (1997–present), and President of the Corporation of Marine Biological Laboratory (1998–present).

## Awards

Dowling was awarded the Friedenwald Medal by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology in 1970. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1976. In 1978, he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship.
Dowling received an honorary MD from Lund University in 1982. Subsequently, he was awarded an Alcon Research Institute Award in 1986; the American Academy of Optometry Prentice Medal in 1991; and the ARVO Von Sallman Prize in 1992. He was the New England Ophthalmological Society's Taylor Smith Orator in 1993.