Richard Smith, Elected to Institute of Medicine of the National Academies
Richard Smith, MD, UI Hospitals and Clinics pediatric otolaryngologist and the Sterba Hearing Research Professor in Otolaryngology in the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, has been elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies.
Smith, professor and vice chair of the UI Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery with joint appointments in the UI Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, was among 65 new members elected to the IOM, raising its total active membership to 1,501.
Current active IOM members elect new members from a group of candidates nominated for their professional achievement and commitment to service. The IOM is unique for its structure as both an honorific membership organization and an advisory organization. Established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, the IOM has become recognized as a national resource for independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on issues related to human health. With their election, members make a commitment to devote a significant amount of volunteer time as members of IOM study committees.
"This is a tremendous, well-deserved honor for Dr. Smith and for our Department of Otolaryngology," said Jean Robillard, MD, dean of the UI Carver College of Medicine. "His work involving the genetic causes of deafness is internationally recognized, and he also is a caring physician and role model for students, medical residents, fellows and his colleagues. Being named to the Institute of Medicine is a true mark of distinction, so I am delighted and proud that Dr. Smith has been named to this prestigious group."
Smith is director of the Molecular Otolaryngology Research Laboratories and co-director of the Center for Auditory Regeneration and Deafness. The center explores new treatments for inner ear diseases and deafness.
Smith's research focuses on inherited hearing impairment. Hereditary deafness is common, and the number of deafness-causing genes may exceed 100. Smith's group is studying both syndromic and non-syndromic types of deafness. Their research involves mapping and identifying the genes that cause deafness and hearing-related research on mouse mutants targeting specific genes by RNAi (RNA interference), also referred to as gene silencing, to correct deafness. Smith is also studying the genetics of two rare forms of kidney disease to develop effective treatments
A UI faculty member since 1990, Smith earned his medical degree at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in 1977. He completed an internship and general surgery residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, followed by an otolaryngology residency at Baylor. Smith also completed a clinical fellowship in pediatric otolaryngology at the Hospital for Sick Children in London, England, and post-doctoral training in genetics at the Institute for Hearing Research in Nottingham, England.
