Joseph Izatt Obituary – The Michael J. Fitzpatrick Professor of Engineering and chair of Duke University’s Department of Biomedical Engineering has passed away.
The deceased has been identified as Joseph Izatt. He was announced dead on Sunday, the 7th of April 2024. There was no cause of death reported for Joseph Izatt.
In a message Monday to the Duke Engineering community, Pratt School Dean Jerome Lynch celebrated Izatt’s career and leadership. “He was an exceptionally thoughtful leader who weighed every decision with a care that originated with his deep love for the BME community. The integrity and humility he brought as a school leader will be missed.”
About Joseph Izatt
Since 2001, Izatt has dedicated himself to Duke students and colleagues and pioneered research. As Duke BME chair, he promoted community achievement and worked with teachers, staff, and students to achieve their goals.
Izatt was a competent researcher and innovator who pioneered optical coherence tomography. The non-invasive medical imaging approach uses optical interferometry to peer through soft tissue like the retina to offer comprehensive images for diagnosis and therapy.
After decades of interdisciplinary collaboration with Duke professor of ophthalmology Dr. Cynthia Toth, Izatt brought this research to patients. They developed handheld OCT systems for newborns and the first intraoperative OCT-guided system for surgery to increase eye exams and operation accuracy.
Izatt became a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) for his scientific achievements.
Besides his studies, Izatt was a courteous and committed Duke Engineering mentor and leader. His awards include the 2008 Pratt School Capers and Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Advising and the 2017 Graduate School Dean’s Award for Mentoring.
He chaired the Pratt 2039 organizational visioning exercise and the Duke Vice President for Research and Innovation Search Committee, shaping the university. Izatt became Duke BME chair in 2022. He recruited top research and teaching faculty to help the department succeed.
He collaborated with the BME Strategic Visioning Committee to guarantee that the department continues to train ethical, well-rounded engineers who can shape biomedical engineering’s future.
Feel free to leave a message of condolences and prayers for the family and friends of the deceased in the comments section as it will go a long way for them during this difficult time.
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