Gyongyi Szabo, MD, PhD, Hon. ScD, Named Chief Academic Officer at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

BOSTON – Gyongyi Szabo, MD, PhD, Hon. ScD, today was named Chief Academic Officer of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), overseeing the medical center’s robust research and teaching programs.  Szabo will join BIDMC on July 1, 2019.  

In her new role, Szabo will identify and support a broad range of basic, translational and clinical research priorities. BIDMC currently has more than 2,500 clinical research studies underway and consistently ranks as a national leader among independent hospitals in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding.  A teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, BIDMC also trains more than 650 residents and fellows each year. 

“Dr. Szabo is an accomplished physician, scientist and mentor,” said Pete Healy, President of BIDMC. “As our new Chief Academic Officer, her passion and expertise will be instrumental to enhancing Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s reputation for excellence in patient-centered care, discovery and education.”

An internationally recognized leader in the field of liver immunology and a highly regarded educator, Szabo will bring to BIDMC extensive knowledge and experience in scientific research and mentorship.  Most recently, she served as Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Medicine, Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Sciences, Director of the MD/PhD Medical Scientist Training Program and Associate Vice Provost for Interprofessional Education in Research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. 

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Szabo and know she will be a vital partner to the BIDMC and Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians leadership teams, as well as to our faculty, in advancing our shared commitment to extraordinary patient care, supported by world-class education and research,” said Alexa Kimball, MD, President and CEO of Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians, the employed physician group of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.  

Szabo’s research and clinical interests include innate immunity of the liver and the gut-liver axis. Her translational and clinical investigations focus on alcoholic hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and viral hepatitis and have recently revealed the importance of micro-RNAs and extracellular vesicles in liver diseases. Her laboratory studies the cellular and molecular mechanisms of inflammation and innate immunity in liver injury to identify therapeutic targets for future therapies.  She has received uninterrupted NIH grant support since 1989, including the Merit Award, and currently has five NIH grants. 

“It is my honor to join the outstanding leadership team and faculty of BIDMC,” said Szabo, who will also serve as Faculty Dean for Academic Programs Harvard Medical School. “I look forward to exploring new opportunities and building partnerships to serve the academic community, enhance the depth of translational and clinical sciences, support faculty development and broaden educational opportunities.” 

Having published more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, Szabo is a fellow of several professional associations, including the American Gastroenterological Association, the American College of Physicians, and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Szabo is also a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and serves on advisory boards of several federal agencies and leading academic institutions. She served as President of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases in 2015 and she is the inaugural Editor-in-Chief of Hepatology Communications.

Szabo earned her medical degree at the University Medical School in Debrecen, Hungary and her doctoral degree from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. She completed a residency in medicine and a fellowship in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Szabo is board certified in Gastroenterology.