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Richard David Semba

Richard David Semba, MD

Johns Hopkins Affiliations:
  • Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty

Languages

  • English

Gender

Male

About Richard David Semba

Professional Titles

  • W. Richard Green Professor of Ophthalmology

Primary Academic Title

Professor of Ophthalmology

Background

Richard D. Semba, M.D., M.A., M.P.H., is the W. Richard Green Professor of Ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute. He is also Affiliated Faculty with the Center for a Livable Future in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Dr. Semba conducts research on nutrition, food systems, and human health. He has authored or co-authored over 400 peer-reviewed scientific publications and has written three books: “Handbook of Nutrition and Ophthalmology”, “The Vitamin A Story: Lifting the Shadow of Death”, and “Catalogue of the William Holland Wilmer Rare Book Collection.” He also co-edited the textbook “Nutrition and Health in Developing Countries.”

Dr. Semba received his M.A. and M.D. from Stanford University, and his M.P.H. from Johns Hopkins University. He completed his ophthalmology residency at the Wilmer Eye Institute and has been a faculty member at Wilmer since 1987.

Centers and Institutes

Wilmer Eye Institute Research

Research Interests

Age-related Macular Degeneration, Aging, Food Systems, Nutrition, Sustainable Diets, Vitamin A Deficiency

Selected Publications

  • Semba RD, Shardell M, Sakr Ashour FA, Moaddel R, Trehan I, Maleta KM, Ordiz MI, Kraemer K, Khadeer MA, Ferrucci L, Manary MJ. Child stunting is associated with low circulating essential amino acids. EBioMedicine 2016; 6: 246-252

  • Semba RD, de Pee S, Kim B, McKenzie S, Nachman K, Bloem MW. Adoption of the ‘planetary health diet’ has different impacts on countries’ greenhouse gas emissions. Nature Food 2020;1:481-484

  • Semba RD, Lam M, Sun K, Zhang P, Schaumberg DA, Ferrucci L, Ping P, Van Eyk JE. Priorities and trends in the study of proteins in eye research, 1924-2014. Proteomics Clinical Applications 2015; 9: 1105-1122

  • Semba RD, Ramsing R, Rahman N, Kraemer K, Bloem MW. Legumes as a sustainable source of protein in human diets. Global Food Security 2021;28:100520

  • Semba RD, Manley J, Rosman L, Rahman N, Bloem MW. Relationship of cash transfers with risk of overweight and obesity in children and adults: a systematic review. BMC Public Health 2022 Jun 15;22(1):1190

Honors

  • Lew R. Wasserman Merit Award, Research to Prevent Blindness, Research to Prevent Blindness, 1/1/06
  • Pediatric Nutrition Award, John Kinney/Nestle, 1/1/02
  • Eli Lilly Clinician Scientist Award, Johns Hopkins University, 1/1/92
  • Physician Scientist Award, National Institutes of Health, 1/1/87
  • Graduate Fellowship in Latin American Studies, Tinker Foundation, 1/1/82
  • Orinoco Foundation Fellowship, Stanford University, 1/1/80
  • Cum Laude, Yale College, 1/1/78
  • Honors and Distinction in Biology, Yale College, 1/1/78
  • William R. Belknap Prize for Excellence in Biology, Yale College, 1/1/78
  • Japanese-American Citizens League Scholarship Award, Yale College, 1/1/73

Additional Training

  • Residency: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Ophthalmology (Maryland) (1987)

Expertise

Education

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

M.P.H., 1991

Stanford University School of Medicine

M.D., 1983

Stanford University

M.A., 1983

Yale University

B.S., 1978