Mark Humayun, MD, PhD, director of the USC Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics and co-director of the USC Gayle and Edward Roski Eye Institute, was awarded the 2020 Medal for Innovations in Healthcare Technology by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) on Friday night.

The prestigious award, sponsored by the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, was granted for “exceptional contributions to technologies and applications benefiting healthcare, medicine, and the health sciences.” Humayun was honored for his pioneering work in engineering and utilizing prosthetic devices to treat retinal neurodegenerative diseases.

“It is a great honor for me to receive the 2020 IEEE Medal for Innovations in Healthcare Technology,” Humayun said. “For the IEEE award committee to bestow this award for healthcare technologies upon me is truly very much appreciated, and it helps invigorate our team and myself to continue to work even harder.”

A video was presented at the virtual ceremony chronicling Humayun’s achievements. A full list of awards recipients is also available for viewing.

Humayun is a University Professor of ophthalmology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. He has a joint posting at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, where he’s University Professor of biomedical engineering and integrative anatomical sciences as well as the Cornelius J. Pings Chair in Biomedical Sciences.

The IEEE is the largest organization for technical professionals dedicated to advancing technology. The organization maintains a nearly century-long tradition of awarding leading researchers, practitioners and inventors who have made lasting impacts on both the engineering profession and society at large.

“Mark has accomplished extraordinary things in his career, and this award recognizes the tremendous impact of the discoveries in health-care technology that he has pioneered,” said Gianluca Lazzi, PhD, MBA, one of Humayun’s colleagues at the USC Ginsburg Institute. “He has made people’s lives better while gifting science with forward-looking inventions, and I am excited about what lies ahead.”

— Alexandra Demetriou