Cheryl Mae Craft, PhD
Cheryl Craft is the President and CEO of the John Douglas French Alzheimer’s Foundation. Over the last 20 years she actively served on the JDFAF International Scientific Board, on the Board of Directors, and was elected President and CEO in 2018.
Dr. Craft was born and raised in Appalachia in Southeastern Kentucky. In high school, the National Science Foundation awarded her a Research Scholarship, which sparked her passion and love for research. After graduating Valedictorian, she received a B.S. with honors from Valdosta State University, Georgia and a secondary teaching certificate at Eastern Kentucky University. In 1984, she earned her doctorate in human anatomy and neuroscience from the Biomedical Graduate School, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, followed by a NSRA postdoctoral fellowship to study genetics and molecular neurobiology at the National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute. Her initial academic faculty appointment was in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas where she was the founding Director of Molecular Neurogenetics for Schizophrenia Research Center and Affective Disorders Center.
At the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Dr. Craft is a tenured Professor in Ophthalmology and Cell and Neurobiology (inaugural Chairman, 1994-2004) and serves as the Director, NIH medical ethics for responsible conduct of research. She was founding Co-Director of the USC Neurological Institute, was an integral team leader in the creation of the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, and was founding Director of the USC Postdoctoral Scholars Program. From 1994-2013, she was honored to be the inaugural recipient of the Mary D. Allen Endowed Chair in Vision Research and served as the Senior Executive Scientific Director of the Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research at the Doheny Eye Institute. She is the Vice Chair of the Board of Governors for the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Foundation (ARVO). She also serves on the board for the MUSES Foundation for the California Science Center, and is past President of Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation, Inc. (ARCS), Los Angeles Founder Chapter (2014-2017).
Throughout her academic career, her research program has focused on understanding the genes expressed in the pineal gland and eye that interact with the environment for maintaining high acuity vision. When these genes are altered, the genetic defects may lead to loss of sight through photoreceptor cell death and the uncoupling of the body’s “biological clock.” She has created genetically engineered animal models and tools to explore the delicate balance of photoreceptors in maintaining vision and in developing therapeutic targets to prevent blindness in Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Retinitis Pigmentosa.
For Dr. Craft’s scientific expertise and achievements, she has received academic awards, research funding from both government and private foundations, serves on national committees and scientific advisory boards. One of her major passions is to mentor and to prepare students to become productive research scientists, physicians and informed citizens. The California Science Center MUSES honored her as their 43rd Woman of the Year, the Keck School of Medicine of USC in 2015 recognized her for lifelong commitment to mentoring, and the ARVO Foundation in 2020 will honor her with a lifetime achievement award.