Joseph Adam Izatt

Joseph Adam Izatt, 61, of Raleigh, NC passed away on April 7, 2024. His loss was completely unexpected, and his family is profoundly saddened.

He is survived by his wife Susan and their children Elizabeth, Gregory (Hannah), and Daniel. His extended family includes his mother MaryAnn Izatt and his siblings Nancy Bemis (Greg), Jim (MaryAnn), and Richard (Carole). He was predeceased by his father Jerald Izatt and his sister Peggy. Joe and Susan met in college and were married 38 years.

Joe inherited his love of science from his father and started working with lasers in high school. He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received a Bachelor of Sciences in Physics in 1986, followed by a Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Radiation Physics in 1991.  After two years of postdoctoral training, he became a professor of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio, before moving to Duke University in 2001.

Joe was serving as the Michael J. Fitzpatrick Professor of Engineering and chair of Duke’s Department of Biomedical Engineering at the time of his death. In collaboration with his ophthalmology colleagues and dear students, he performed pioneering research in optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging. In recognition of his scientific contributions, he was named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and received the Edwin H. Land Medal in 2021. Joe was a passionate leader and volunteer in the scientific community and prioritized the democratization and accessibility of science; he was the founding editor of Biomedical Optics Express, an open and online-access journal. He was also a successful entrepreneur as co-founder of Bioptigen, which made the technology developed by his lab available to people around the world. Above all else, he was dedicated to his students and colleagues, reflected by his receipt of the Pratt School’s Capers and Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Advising in 2008 and the Graduate School Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring in 2017. Joe always highlighted the strengths of those around him, bringing out the best in everyone he worked with. His enthusiasm for research, science, and engineering was contagious.

Joe was devoted to his family. He was a constant presence at Science Olympiad competitions, athletic events, and musical performances while his children grew up, and his passion for science and technology proved infectious: all his children now work in STEM. But he was much more than a scientist. He had a particular passion for flying and sharing that passion with his family brought him great joy. He flew RC planes and model rockets with his children as they grew up, and in 2016 he achieved his lifelong dream of obtaining a pilot’s license. Since then, he has flown the family on many adventures -- as short as grabbing BBQ one town over, and as long exploring the Florida Keys. Many of those trips were to the coast, where he spent many joyous summer days together with family and friends. He loved traveling and the outdoors: he enjoyed long bike rides along the beautiful roads lining the beach, took boating and sailing trips at every opportunity, skied his whole life, took in every sunset he could, and loved to explore new places. He was an inspiring mentor, a loving father, a devoted husband, and a dear friend.

A funeral service will be held in his honor at 11:00 am on April 12, 2024, at the Goodson Chapel at the Duke Divinity School. An informal gathering will follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Dr. Joseph Izatt Memorial Fund within the Duke Biomedical Engineering Department, or to a charity of your choice. To direct a gift to the memorial fund, go to gifts.duke.edu; click “Or choose an area”; then click “Still can’t find a designation of your choice”; and type “Dr. Joseph Izatt Memorial Fund” in the text box under “Which area of Duke would you like to support?”.