Announcement of the Asok K. Ray, MD, FRCS (Edin) and Purnima Ray Professor in Pediatrics

The professorship is named for Asok K. Ray, MD, FRCS (Edin). He was born in Calcutta, India, and earned his medical degree from Calcutta University. After surgical training in India, he trained with distinguished orthopedic and general surgeons in the United Kingdom. In addition to earning a diploma in anesthesia from the Royal College of Surgeons in London, post-graduate education included fellowships in Scotland and the United States and a tenure as chief resident of Cook County Hospital. At MacNeal Hospital, Dr. Ray established a private practice and organized the orthopedic department, serving as the department’s first chair for 15 years. Dr. Ray came to the University of Illinois at Chicago to attend orthopedic rounds, and speaks highly of the warm welcome he received by our residents and faculty and the camaraderie that he went on to share as a member of the UIC staff. Dr. Ray has been a Clinical Professor of Orthopedics at the College of Medicine since 1974, and he has also been affiliated with several other medical centers. Scholarly work includes the publication of numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals. Inspired by Mother Teresa, Dr. Ray expanded his service beyond medical care and began giving financial contributions to her causes. This led him to establish the Indima Foundation in memory of his late parents, Indira and Manik Lal Ray. Philanthropic investments made by the Foundation throughout India have included the construction of medical facilities and support for underprivileged students and disadvantaged youth. Following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the Foundation’s scope was broadened to reach individuals in need across the globe.

Approval of Dr. Philip F. Giampietro as the Inaugural Asok K. Ray, MD, FRCS (Edin) and Purnima Ray Professor in Pediatrics

Effective August 16, 2022, Philip F. Giampietro, MD, PhD, has been named the inaugural Asok K. Ray, MD, FRCS (Edin) and Purnima Ray Professor in Pediatrics by Dr. Mark I. Rosenblatt, Executive Dean, on behalf of the University of Illinois College of Medicine along with the full support of the Chancellor, Provost, and Vice Chancellors for Academic Affairs, Advancement, and Health Affairs. This appointment has been made possible by a generous gift from Dr. Ray through the Indima Foundation, with Dr. Ray naming the professorship after both himself and his wife to honor her stalwart support of his career and philanthropy over the years. The endowed professorship will focus on genetically determined disease research and care management, with a particular emphasis on programs related to the genetics of congenital bone disease. Preparations for an investiture ceremony are underway for Dr. Giampietro, Professor of Pediatrics, who is Chief of the Section of Pediatric Genetics. Dr. Giampietro graduated from the Biomedical Sciences Doctoral Program of the City University of New York’s Mt. Sinai School of Medicine and then received his medical degree from the State University New York (SUNY) School of Medicine in Stony Brook. He completed an internship at the SUNY Stony Brook University Hospital Department of Pediatrics and a residency at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center Department of Pediatrics in New Hyde Park. He also completed a medical genetics fellowship at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York. He is board certified in General Pediatrics and in Medical Genetics. His clinical interests include dysmorphology, connective tissue disorders, and birth defects. His research interests include the genetics of congenital and idiopathic scoliosis. He has worked closely with orthopedic surgical colleagues, clinical and molecular geneticists, and epidemiologists to better understand genetic and environmental contributions to these conditions. He also has interests in use of social media for children with genetic conditions, personalized medicine, and syndrome delineation.