Professorship Investiture: the Thomas F. Peterson, JR Professorship in Imaging Research and Innovation and the Frederick C. Robbins, M.D., Professorship in Child and Adolescent Health
Tuesday, August 11, 2026, 4:30-7 p.m. Eastern
Event Location: Wolstein Auditorium
Event Details
Celebrating the investiture of Chris A. Flask, PhD as the chairholder of the Thomas F. Peterson, JR Professorship in Imaging Research and Innovation and Sudha K. Iyengar, PhD as the chairholder of the Frederick C. Robbins, M.D., Professorship in Child and Adolescent Health.
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 | 4:30 p.m.
Wolstein Research Building
2103 Cornell Road
Cleveland, OH 44106
Business Attire
Valet Parking on Circle Road
Contact Eric Hayes with any questions at exh432@case.edu or 216.368.0341.
Dr. Chris Flask is a Professor of Radiology, Biomedical Engineering, and Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). Dr. Flask has dedicated the majority of his engineering career to CWRU. Dr. Flask first received his BS and MS in Chemical Engineering from CWRU in the 1990's, and then his PhD in Biomedical Engineering in 2025. Throughout his distinguished research career within the Department of Radiology at CWRU and University Hospitals, Chris has focused on developing innovative MRI biomarkers to support clinical trials and therapeutic development for children and young adults with rare genetic diseases, including cystic fibrosis and polycystic kidney disease. These impactful research efforts have prompted several multi-center clinical imaging studies in collaboration with numerous institutions nationwide. His work has been continually supported by the NIH, the PKD Foundation, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the MRI research team’s long-standing partnership with Siemens Healthineers. Today, Dr. Flask’s efforts are dedicated to mentoring and training the next generation of physicians and scientists, driven by a commitment to improving healthcare for all, with a special focus on women and children.
Dr. Sudha K. Iyengar is an internationally recognized genetic epidemiologist focused in the study of the genetics of vision, renal disease, and speech-sound disorder. She currently directs a multifaceted laboratory that bridges both bench and computational research. Her laboratory is responsible for identification of genes for many diseases, including novel genes for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), age-related cataract and Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy (FECD). She has a long track record in directing research that requires the management of large datasets and analysis with high density genome-wide linkage, genome-wide association, methylation analysis and next-generation sequencing type data, including workflows and quality control for exome sequencing, RNA-seq and ChIP seq. Four concurrent funded efforts in Dr. Iyengar’s portfolio include mapping the genetic architecture of diabetic retinopathy in South Asia, identifying genes, hormones, and behavioral deficits that predict speech-sound disorder, ocular clinical conditions (e.g. AMD) and the Million Veteran Program, and a project to perform a genome-wide association study for microbial keratitis leading to corneal ulcers.
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