Noted physician, scientist Rohit Varma named dean of Keck School of Medicine of USC

A visionary leader in the epidemiology of eye diseases, he has been interim dean of the school since March

Contact: Zen Vuong at (213) 300-1381 or zvuong@usc.edu; Meg Aldrich at (626) 825-0309 or Meg.Aldrich@med.usc.edu

Rohit Varma has been named dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, effective immediately. Varma will also hold the May S. and John Hooval Dean’s Chair in Medicine.

USC Provost Michael Quick announced the appointment Nov. 9 on behalf of USC President C. L. Max Nikias. Varma was appointed interim dean of the Keck School in March.

“I am truly honored and privileged to serve as the dean of the Keck School of Medicine, particularly at such an exciting and transformational period for USC and the field of medicine in general,” Varma said. “I look forward to partnering with our outstanding leadership team, world-renowned faculty and dedicated staff to build upon the school’s legacy and advance President Nikias’ vision for our university.”

Added Quick: “While we interviewed a number of top candidates for this position, the standout to lead the Keck School of Medicine of USC was Rohit Varma. We are lucky to have had him here, leading the way as interim dean. We are proud of the outstanding quality and talent of the Keck faculty and staff, current students and graduates. We know that [the school] will continue to soar in the future under the leadership of Dean Varma.”

Varma is the holder of the Grace and Emery Beardsley Chair in Ophthalmology at the school and is a professor of ophthalmology and preventive medicine. His most recent service to USC includes serving as the chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, director of the USC Gayle and Edward Roski Eye Institute and president of the USC Care Medical Group.

An accomplished physician and scientist, Varma is recognized worldwide as a visionary leader in the epidemiology of eye diseases. He is an expert on changes in the optic nerve in glaucoma and is also studying new imaging techniques in the early diagnosis of glaucomatous optic nerve damage. His primary research focuses on epidemiologic studies of eye disease in children and aging populations.

He is the principal investigator of the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study, the Chinese American Eye Study, the Multi-Ethnic Pediatric Eye Diseases Study and the African American Eye Disease Study. More recently, Varma has been involved in the development of novel implantable intraocular pressure sensors and drainage devices. He has over 247 publications in various peer reviewed ophthalmic journals, and has co-authored two ophthalmic books.

Varma obtained his medical degree at the University of Delhi, India. He completed his residency in ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and earned a master of public health from Johns Hopkins University. He completed two glaucoma fellowships, one at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia and the other at USC.

ABOUT THE KECK SCHOOL OF MEDICINE OF USC
Founded in 1885, the Keck School of Medicine of USC is among the nation’s leaders in innovative patient care, scientific discovery, education, and community service. It is part of Keck Medicine of USC, the University of Southern California’s medical enterprise, one of only two university-owned academic medical centers in the Los Angeles area. This includes the Keck Medical Center of USC, composed of the Keck Hospital of USC and the USC Norris Cancer Hospital. The two world-class, USC-owned hospitals are staffed by more than 500 physicians who are faculty at the Keck School. The school today has more than 1,500 full-time faculty members and voluntary faculty of more than 2,400 physicians. These faculty direct the education of approximately 700 medical students and 1,000 students pursuing graduate and post-graduate degrees. The school trains more than 900 resident physicians in more than 50 specialty or subspecialty programs and is the largest educator of physicians practicing in Southern California. Together, the school’s faculty and residents serve more than 1.5 million patients each year at Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital, as well as USC-affiliated hospitals Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center. Keck School faculty also conduct research and teach at several research centers and institutes, including the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine at USC, the USC Cardiovascular Thoracic Institute, the USC Roski Eye Institute and the USC Institute of Urology.

In 2016, U.S. News & World Report ranked Keck School of Medicine among the Top 40 medical schools in the country.

For more information, go to keck.usc.edu.

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Image: Rohit Varma holds the Grace and Emery Beardsley Chair in Ophthalmology at the Keck School, and is a professor of Ophthalmology and Preventive Medicine. (Photo/Joel Lipton)