Dr. Julia Busik is the Chief Scientific Officer of Ceramedix, Inc. and Chief of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board. An internationally recognized expert on diabetic retinopathy, she directs Ceramedix’s scientific strategy and research initiatives. Through her guidance and collaborative studies with Dr. Richard Kolesnick, she has pioneered the development of anti-ceramide antibodies for treating diabetic retinopathy.
Dr. Busik brings over 20 years of experience at the forefront of research into diabetic retinopathy progression mechanisms. She currently serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Physiology at the University of Oklahoma. Previously, she was Professor at Michigan State University, where she also advanced from Assistant to Associate Professor. Her esteemed research programs have primarily focused on studying dyslipidemia in diabetic retinopathy. Studies from her laboratory were among the first to identify that ceramides are present in the eye and demonstrate how they contribute to disease progression. To advance her innovative research, she has been awarded distinguished grants from the National Eye Institute, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and American Diabetes Association.
In recognition of her significant contributions to the field, Dr. Busik has been honored as an ARVO fellow and has held leadership roles within the American Diabetes Association. Her accomplishments have been further acknowledged through prestigious awards, including the Junior Faculty Mentoring Award and Research Excellence Award from Michigan State University. She has authored over 80 publications in high-profile journals and several book chapters. She holds an undergraduate degree in natural sciences and a master’s degree in physiological sciences from Novosibirsk State University, USSR. She holds a PhD in physiology from Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Yokohama, Japan.