Balamurali Ambati
Encyclopedia
Balamurali "Doogie Howser" Ambati is an Indian-American ophthalmologist, educator, and researcher, currently working at the University of Utah
. In 1995, he entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's youngest doctor
, at the age of seventeen.
at the age of 13 and Mount Sinai School of Medicine
at age 17, becoming the world's youngest doctor in 1995.
He completed an ophthalmology
residency at Harvard University
, where he developed strategies to reverse corneal angiogenesis
, after becoming a winner at the Westinghouse Science Talent Search and the International Science & Engineering Fair and becoming a National Merit Scholar. He received the prestigious Raja-Lakshmi Award in the year 1995 from Sri Raja-Lakshmi Foundation
, Chennai. After completing a fellowship in cornea
& refractive surgery
at Duke University
in 2002, he joined the faculty of the Medical College of Georgia
, where he practiced clinical ophthalmology and conducted research in such areas as corneal angiogenesis and outcomes of corneal and refractive surgery. He also volunteers with the ORBIS
Flying Eye Hospital, traveling to under-privileged countries to practice and teach ophthalmic surgery.
Currently, Dr. Ambati is Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences & Director of Corneal Research at the University of Utah School of Medicine
.http://uuhsc.utah.edu/MoranEyeCenter/
Balamurali wrote a book on AIDS with his brother, who is also a doctor. His mother is a Tamil
linguist
and mathematician
.
He graduated May 19, 1995 at age 17 years, 294 days.
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
. In 1995, he entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's youngest doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, at the age of seventeen.
Biography
Ambati was doing calculus at the age of 4. At age 11, he graduated from high school and co-authored a research book on AIDS. He graduated from New York UniversityNew York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
at the age of 13 and Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Mount Sinai School of Medicine is an American medical school in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, currently ranked among the top 20 medical schools in the United States. It was chartered by Mount Sinai Hospital in 1963....
at age 17, becoming the world's youngest doctor in 1995.
He completed an ophthalmology
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
residency at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, where he developed strategies to reverse corneal angiogenesis
Angiogenesis
Angiogenesis is the physiological process involving the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels. Though there has been some debate over terminology, vasculogenesis is the term used for spontaneous blood-vessel formation, and intussusception is the term for the formation of new blood...
, after becoming a winner at the Westinghouse Science Talent Search and the International Science & Engineering Fair and becoming a National Merit Scholar. He received the prestigious Raja-Lakshmi Award in the year 1995 from Sri Raja-Lakshmi Foundation
Sri Raja-Lakshmi Foundation
Sri Raja-Lakshmi Foundation is a Charitable Trust that promotes Arts, Sciences, Literature, Medicine, Journalism, Humanities and other intellectual pursuits and to honour distinguished persons in these fields. Established in 1979 in Chennai by P.V...
, Chennai. After completing a fellowship in cornea
Cornea
The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber. Together with the lens, the cornea refracts light, with the cornea accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical power. In humans, the refractive power of the cornea is...
& refractive surgery
Refractive surgery
Refractive eye surgery is any eye surgery used to improve the refractive state of the eye and decrease or eliminate dependency on glasses or contact lenses. This can include various methods of surgical remodeling of the cornea or cataract surgery. The most common methods today use excimer lasers to...
at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
in 2002, he joined the faculty of the Medical College of Georgia
Medical College of Georgia
Georgia Health Sciences University formerly known as, and now home of the, Medical College of Georgia , is a public academic health center, with its main campus located in the Medical District of Augusta, Georgia. It is the smallest of four research universities in the University System of Georgia...
, where he practiced clinical ophthalmology and conducted research in such areas as corneal angiogenesis and outcomes of corneal and refractive surgery. He also volunteers with the ORBIS
ORBIS International
Orbis International is an international non-profit non-governmental organization dedicated to saving sight worldwide. Orbis programs focus on the prevention of blindness and the treatment of blinding eye diseases in developing countries...
Flying Eye Hospital, traveling to under-privileged countries to practice and teach ophthalmic surgery.
Currently, Dr. Ambati is Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences & Director of Corneal Research at the University of Utah School of Medicine
University of Utah School of Medicine
The University of Utah School of Medicine is located on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was founded in 1905 and is the only medical school in the state of Utah.-History:...
.http://uuhsc.utah.edu/MoranEyeCenter/
Family
His father, Dr. Rao, convinced school administrators to allow his son to study at his own pace—nearly twice as fast as his peers. Dr. Rao says that he taught Balamurali and his brother to be focused and to desire accomplishments.Balamurali wrote a book on AIDS with his brother, who is also a doctor. His mother is a Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
linguist
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
and mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
.
He graduated May 19, 1995 at age 17 years, 294 days.
External links
- Dr. Balamurali Ambati Physician Profile
- Real life Doogie Howser
- Faculty information page at the Medical College of Georgia
- http://dynamicitems.tripod.com/records_humanachievements_earlystartes.htm
- http://www.hindunet.org/alt_hindu/1995_May_2/msg00038.html
- http://jobs.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=768649893bc5975ce97b6bff5354c210