John E. Dowling

John E. Dowling is an American neuroscientist and Gordon and Llura Gund Research Professor of Neurosciences Emeritus at Harvard University. He is best known for his work in vision science, including studies on the structure, electrophysiology and pharmacology of the vertebrate retina, as well as on retinal degenerations caused by vitamin A deficiency and gene mutations. 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). 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.