Pamela B. Davis first began her medical research more than 30 years ago, and now her research has played a role in extending the lives of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Her research is one of the reasons Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) awarded the 2021 Frank and Dorothy Humel Hovorka Prize to Davis, dean emerita of the CWRU School of Medicine.
Davis guided the School of Medicine as Dean from 2007 to 2020 and developed the Health Education Campus of Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic. Her influences have made the medical school known for innovative education.
Before Davis was Dean, she oversaw the CRWU’s cystic fibrosis research efforts, made vital contributions in innovative medicines, established competent teams of researchers, and applied their work to benefit patients directly. The National Institute of Health continuously supported her works for over 30 years. The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences also awarded her the Clinical and Translational Science Award with a total grant of $178 million.
In addition, she supported medical students mentoring Cleveland high school students, witnessed the launch of an endowed scholarship program for inner-city students to earn undergraduate and advanced degrees at CWRU, and developed collaborative research and education ventures across Cleveland.
Davis’ goal is to focus on bettering the community with leadership programs such as addressing food insecurities, controlling hypertension and diabetes, and improving infant mortality in Cleveland.
“I realized that together we have made tremendous progress on each of them: to secure our position among the top medical education programs in the world, to bring our discoveries forward to patients and to improve the health of the community,” said Davis.