John E. Dowling

Education

Dowling earned his Ph.D. at Harvard University under the direction of George Wald.

Career

In 1961, Dowling became an Instructor of the Department of Biology at Harvard University. From 1961-1964 he was Assistant Professor of Biology at Harvard. Upon completion, he was Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins University from 1964-1966 and Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Biophysics from 1966-1971. From 1961-1971 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 has received a number of honors and awards including Friedenwald Medal, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (1970), Edridge-Green Lecturer, Royal College of Surgeons of England (1971), Trustee, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole (1970-1979 and 1986-1990), American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow (1972–present), Neuroscience Research Program Associate (1975-1985), National Academy of Sciences Member (1976–present), Guggenheim Fellow (1978-1979), Annual Award, New England Ophthalmological Society (1979), American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow (1981), Retina Research Foundation Award of Merit (1981), M.D. (Honor) University of Lund, Sweden (1982), Alcon Research Institute Recognition Award (1986), National Eye Institute MERIT Award (1987), Prentice Medal, American Academy of Optometry (1991), American Philosophical Society Member (1992), Von Sallman Prize (1992), Taylor Smith Orator, New England Ophthalmological Society (1993).