Patricia A. D'Amore, PhD, to Receive 2026 Frieda Robscheit-Robbins Award for Exceptional Achievement in the Advancement of Women in Experimental Pathology
The 2026 recipient of the ASIP Frieda Robscheit-Robbins Award for Exceptional Achievement in the Advancement of Women in Experimental Pathology is Dr. Patricia A. D’Amore, Charles L. Schepens Professor of Ophthalmology in the Department of Ophthalmology and Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA). She is Associate Chief for Basic and Translational Research at Massachusetts Eye & Ear (Boston, MA).
The Frieda Robscheit-Robbins Award for Exceptional Achievement in the Advancement of Women in Experimental Pathology recognizes exceptional achievement in the advancement of women experimental pathologists during their career, including achievements related to training/mentoring women in experimental pathology, leadership within the field of experimental pathology, service to the community in the promotion of science, innovation in the recruitment and retention of women in experimental pathology, and contributions to the Society. This award is named for Dr. Freida Robscheit-Robbins who achieved much in her long career as an educator, researcher, and mentor. Among her many achievements, Dr. Robscheit-Robbins was a pioneer in the leadership in the American Society for Experimental Pathology (precursor to the ASIP). She was the first woman President of the ASEP and served the Society in other elected positions, including Secretary-Treasurer, as well as representative to the FASEB Board of Directors.
Dr. D’Amore received her BA from Regis College (Weston, MA) and her PhD in biology from Boston University (Boston, MA). Dr. D’Amore also completed an MBA from Northeastern University (Boston, MA). She conducted postdoctoral research in the Department of Ophthalmology and the Department of Physiological Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she was appointed Instructor and then Assistant Professor.
Dr. D’Amore returned to Boston to join Dr. Judah Folkman in the Program in Vascular Biology at Boston Children’s Hospital (then the Surgical Research Laboratories), where she served as a Research Associate in the Department of Surgery. Dr. D’Amore was appointed Associate Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School in 1989. In 1998, she became Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, and also joined Schepens Eye Research Institute (an affiliate of Harvard Medical School) as a Senior Scientist. Then, in 2012, she was appointed the Charles L. Schepens Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and Director of Research at the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass. Eye and Ear. In 2014, she was appointed Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School; she was also appointed Director of the Howe Laboratory and the Associate Chief for Ophthalmology Basic and Translational Research in the Department of Ophthalmology.
Dr. D’Amore is recognized for identifying vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as the culprit cytokine driving the neovascularization (and subsequent retinal pathology) that occurs in diabetes and wet macular degeneration. Her work set the foundation for using anti-VEGF therapies to treat these diseases beginning in 2004, a therapeutic intervention that has arguably prevented more blindness than any other ophthalmologic treatment. In addition, she pioneered a murine hyperoxic retinopathy model that has been widely adopted to study basic ocular vascular development and enabled evaluation of various vessel-targeting agents. More recently, she has turned her attentions to understanding the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration, the role of endomucin in inflammation, and exploring approaches to stabilize microvasculature.
In his letter of recommendation, Dr. Richard N. Mitchell (Vice Chair for Education, Department of Pathology and Lawrence J. Henderson Professor of Pathology & Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard Medical School) commented: “It is extraordinary that interwoven with [Dr. D’Amore’s] scientific accomplishment is a passionate desire to train the next generation of scientists. She has definitely ‘walked the walk’; by my count, she has advised and/or supervised over 70 students and post-doctoral fellows, and served on an additional thirty or so thesis advisory committees; these are students who have benefited directly by her thoughtful advice and deft scientific insights.”
Dr. D’Amore’s guidance at all levels of training has been recognized by receipt of five different awards specifically for mentorship, including the Barger Excellence in Mentoring Award from HMS (2006), the Mendelsohn Excellence in Mentoring Award from Harvard University (2013), the AMA Women Physicians Sector Mentorship Award (2013), and the Silen Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Award from HMS (2016). Dr. Mitchell continued, “In addition to her laboratory accomplishments and her long track record in mentorship and advising, Dr. D’Amore has also been a world-class educator. Since beginning as an Assistant Professor, she has directed and/or lectured and tutored in virtually every Pathology course offered in both the MD and PhD curriculum, inspiring two generations of medical and graduate students.”
Dr. D’Amore has published 160 peer reviewed papers in such journals as Nature Medicine, the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Development, and the Journal of Cell Biology, focusing on vascular growth and development with an emphasis on blood vessel growth in the retina. Many of her papers have been cited hundreds of times, demonstrating the immense impact of her work in the fields of vascular biology and eye research. For decades, Dr. D’Amore has maintained a well-funded lab and is still the PI of NIH research, core and training grants, and she is routinely invited to present her work at national and international conferences.
In his letter of support, Dr. Steven J. Fliesler (SUNY Distinguished Professor and Meyer H. Riwchun Endowed Chair Professor of Ophthalmology, Vice-Chairman and Director of Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Neuroscience Graduate Program, University at Buffalo/The State University of New York) underlined: “In fact, I cannot think of another individual in my discipline who equals Pat D’Amore when it comes to such dedication to the selfless mentoring and advancement of others, especially women.”
Dr. D’Amore has been an extremely active member of the ASIP since 1992. She has volunteered on numerous ASIP committees including the Committee for Career Development, Women, and Minorities (1996–1999), the Education Committee (2013–2016), and currently on the Committee for Career Development (CCD). Dr. D’Amore served on the ASIP Council for nearly a decade and was elected to ASIP Presidential service in 2019, serving roles as President-Elect (2019–2020), Vice-President (2020–2021), President (2021–2022), and Past-President (2022–2023). In 2020, she co-organized the Pathobiology for Investigators, Students, and Academicians (PISA) national meeting. She has served as Associate Editor for the American Journal of Pathology (AJP) since 2000 and also volunteered on the Search Committee for the AJP Editor-in-Chief (2012, 2017). Dr. D’Amore consistently attends all of the ASIP national meetings, chairs sessions at the meetings, and encourages her mentees and colleagues to attend as well.
In his letter of support, Dr. Michael A. Gimbrone (Elsie T. Friedman Professor of Pathology in the Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, and Director of the Center for Excellence in Vascular Biology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital) said, “[Dr. D’Amore’s] example of rising to the top leadership positions in each of the professional and academic organization she has been associated with has provided a vibrant role model for women in the biomedical sciences, in general, and investigative pathology specifically.”
Dr. D’Amore will receive the 2026 ASIP Frieda Robscheit-Robbins Award for Exceptional Achievement in the Advancement of Women in Experimental Pathology during Pathobiology 2026.