Professorships

Opportunities

Distinguished Professorship, Department Chair, Dean: $2.5 million+

A distinguished professorship is the highest honor bestowed upon Jefferson’s faculty, reserved for the visionary leaders in our ranks who embody, promote, and inspire others to live our institutional values: to be bold and think differently, do the right thing, and put people first.

Division Chief, Institute/Center Director, Senior Administrator: $2 million+

Jefferson is home to world-renowned centers and institutes in a myriad of disciplines and disease areas. It is vital that we recruit and retain internationally acclaimed program directors who will strengthen our reputation for excellence. Endowing a center or institute directorship ensures that we continue to attract future-focused, elite-level leaders—now and in perpetuity.

Full Professorship $1.5 million+

A full professorship is one of the highest honors in higher education, reserved for trailblazing faculty who live and breathe our institutional vision to reimagine the future of health, education, and discovery to create unparalleled value.

Assistant/Associate Professorship: $1 million+

Assistant/Associate professorships are a powerful catalyst for innovation, enabling the holder to bring bold new ideas, programs, and research to life.

Visiting Scholar in the Institute for Advanced Study: $500K+

Visiting scholars are drawn from the ranks of the world’s brightest academic stars and most accomplished professionals. They catalyze research, provoke dialogue, and inspire deep thinking and collaboration among our faculty and students. Learn more about the Institute for Advanced Study.


Existing Professorships

Michael E. Mahla, MD James Donald Wentzler, MD Professorship and Chairmanship in Anesthesiology

Dr. Mahla is a specialist in neurosurgical anesthesia who has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, abstracts, chapters, lectures, and non-peer-reviewed publications, particularly in the area of neurophysiological monitoring of the brain and spinal cord. He is a frequently invited lecturer and member of several professional and scientific societies, including the American Medical Association and American Society of Anesthesiologists. As chair of the Department of Anesthesia and enterprise senior vice president for perioperative services, he oversees anesthesia-related programs and operations across Jefferson Health. 

Benefactor: Estate of Betty C. Wentzler

Emad Alnemri, PhD Thomas Eakins Professorship in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Dr. Alnemri is a world-renowned expert in the study of apoptosis, the normal process of programmed cell death known by the Greek word that means “falling off,” like leaves from a tree. The extensive body of research he has produced on molecular mechanisms influencing programmed cell death has made him one of the most influential biomedical scientists in the world, according to the European Journal of Clinical Investigation. For more than two decades, Dr. Alnemri’s lab has contributed to leading discoveries about molecular pathways of apoptosis and inflammatory cell death that have implications for metabolic disease, aging, tumor progression, and cancer. 

Andrew E. Aplin, PhD Kalbach-Newton Professorship in Cancer Research

Dr. Aplin is the associate director of basic science and the leader of Cancer Cell Biology and Signaling, one of five NCI-designated research program areas in the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. The multi-disciplinary team Dr. Aplin leads is collaborating with researchers nationally and internationally to explore biochemical reactions that can lead to cancer and develop therapies to block them. His lab is currently funded by grants from the NIH/NCI, the Melanoma Research Alliance, the Melanoma Research Foundation, the Adelson Medical Research Foundation, and the Falk Medical Research Trust.

Benefactor: Estate of Raymond B. Kalbach, Estate of Caroline Newton

Jeffrey L. Benovic, PhD Thomas Eakins Professorship in Cancer Biology

Dr. Benovic is a leading expert on the signaling of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR), which regulate biological functions that include neurotransmission, sensory perception, and cellular responses to chemical stimuli. Implicated in diseases ranging from cancer to neurological disorders to cardiovascular disease, GPCRs are the target of more than one-third of drugs currently on the market. Dr. Benovic’s work is uncovering opportunities for improving on those therapeutics. The recipient of numerous grants from the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association, he has been named by International Scientific Indexing as a highly cited researcher in biology and biochemistry, reflecting the influence of his widely published research. He collaborates with clinician-researchers at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, the Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, and elsewhere to create and test new treatments for diverse diseases.

Christine Eischen, PhD Herbert A. Rosenthal, MD'56 Professorship in Cancer Research

Dr. Eischen is the vice chair of the Department of Cancer Biology. Her research focuses on identifying cancer cell vulnerabilities to improve targeting and treatment of human malignancies. Dr. Eischen leads a productive cancer research laboratory. They primarily study B cell lymphoma, but investigate T cell lymphomas as well as lung, breast, and ovarian carcinomas.

Benefactor: Estate of Herbert A. Rosenthal

Isidore Rigoutsos, PhD Richard W. Hevner Professorship in Computational Medicine

Dr. Rigoutsos is the founding director of the Computational Medicine Center in the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and a member of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. He is a professor in the Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, and has joint appointments in the Department of Cancer Biology and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Dr. Rigoutsos has more than 30 years of computer science experience and more than 25 years of experience in computational molecular biology.

Benefactor: Multiple Benefactors

Robert Diecidue, DMD, MD, MBA, MSPH D. Walter Cohen, DDS, and Claire H. Reichlin Professorship in Dental Biosciences

Dr. Diecidue is chair of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Sidney Kimmel Medical College. He has been a member of Jefferson's faculty for 27 years and is an esteemed educator who has trained more than 40 residents and fellows, preparing new generations of dental practitioners with state-of-the-art skill and knowledge.

Benefactor: Lynne and Harold Honickman, The Resnick Foundation

Dana Scott William A. Finn '67 Directorship of the Design, Engineering, and Commerce Core Curriculum

Dana Scott is an Associate Professor and Director of the DEC Core Programs in the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering, and Commerce, and serves as the Director of Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes on Jefferson’s East Falls Campus. Professor Scott has received numerous accolades, including Adobe Creative Campus Fellow (2020), Fulbright Fellow (1997-1998), and University Fellow (Temple, 1996-1997). A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design (BFA) and Tyler School of Art (MFA), Dana is a practicing, multi-disciplinary artist who has exhibited internationally. Her background in Fine Arts is instrumental in her approach to pedagogy, where she focuses on reinforcing critical problem-solving skills through design foundations, human-centered design, and in educational assessment. Professor Scott has conducted workshops and presented at numerous internationally recognized assessment and pedagogical conferences. She has worked with the broader Philadelphia community to champion the DEC Core principles across audiences ranging from high school students to city employees.

Theodore A. Christopher, MD The Green Family Foundation and John and Patricia Walsh Professorship in Emergency Medicine

Dr. Christopher serves as chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and the Methodist Hospital Division. He continues to be an instrumental mentor to Jefferson residents and medical students, as well as a recognized international leader in his field.

Benefactor: The Daniel B. and Florence E. Green Foundation, John and Patricia Walsh

Anna Flattau, MD Alumni Professorship in Family Medicine

Dr. Flattau is the Chair of the Department of Family & Community Medicine at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and the Vice President for Primary Care Services for Jefferson Health. She is a practicing family doctor with extensive experience working in community health centers and with populations affected by social injustice. She began her career at Columbia University as medical director of a wound healing program and was subsequently recruited to Montefiore, where she founded and grew a Wound Healing Program across three hospital campuses, provided community-based primary care, and developed a specialized primary care practice within the abdominal transplant center. In recognition of this work, Dr. Flattau was appointed as an Innovation Advisor at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Dr. Flattau also served as Senior Assistant Vice President at NYC Health + Hospitals, the nation’s largest municipal health system, where she was Chief Clinical Officer for Medicaid payment reform initiatives across a network of over 200 partner organizations.

Robert J. Motley, MD, MHCDS Ellen M. and Dale W. Garber Professorship in Family Medicine

Dr. Motley is vice chair of the Department of Community Medicine, where he directs the rural Physician Shortage Area Program, a nationally recognized initiative for recruiting and retaining clinicians for practice in smaller towns and rural areas of Pennsylvania and Delaware. An expert in community medicine and an authority in the design and leadership of healthcare organizations to optimize service for diverse populations, Dr. Motley has published an array of articles in peer-reviewed journals that assess best practices for delivering family medicine. Over the course of his career, Dr. Motley has received numerous accolades, including the Hospital and Health System of Pennsylvania’s Achievement Award and the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award.

Benefactor: Estate of Dale W. Garber

Robert L. Perkel, MD Friends of Robert Perkel Professorship in Humanities in Medicine

A graduate of Yale University, Robert L. Perkel, MD, received his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed his residency in Family Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in 1981. In 1981, he co-founded and became the Director of the Department’s Home Visit Program. He is currently a senior clinician educator in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. For many years, he served on the Medical Executive Committee of TJUH. He was also founder and longtime Chair (now Chair Emeritus) of the TJUH Ethics Committee.

Dr. Perkel has mentored many current Departmental faculty over the years and has won numerous major teaching and clinical awards at Sidney Kimmel Medical College. In 2001, Dr. Perkel was the recipient of the national Lane Adams Award by the American Cancer Society for the compassionate care of cancer patients. He currently lectures extensively in history, ethics, and medicine, with a particular focus on issues of racial and social justice as they pertain to the behavior of physicians.

Benefactor: Multiple Benefactors

George P. Valko, MD Gustave and Valla Amsterdam Professorship in Family and Community Medicine

In addition to his role as vice chair of Clinical Programs and Quality, Dr. Valko also serves as medical director of the Department of Family and Community Medicine. His passion lies in patient care and teaching. Dr. Valko is proud to be both a preceptor and advisor within one of the best family medicine residency programs in the United States. As the former chief medical information officer at Thomas Jefferson University, Dr. Valko was instrumental in implementing the electronic medical record to Jefferson University Physicians (JUP).

Benefactor: Valla Amsterdam*

Daniel A. Monti, MD, MBA Ellen and Ron Caplan Professorship and Chair of Integrative Medicine and Nutritional Sciences

Dr. Monti is the CEO of the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health. For the past fifteen years, he has developed integrative medicine at Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) from a part-time clinical program to a featured clinical service line and the first-ever Department of Integrative Medicine and Nutritional Sciences at an American medical school. This follows another historic first of having organized all integrative medicine activities at Jefferson into an institute structure, the only one of its kind. Dr. Monti leads all major clinical, research, and business planning and has developed multiple unique products for integrative medicine.

Benefactor: Ellen and Ronald Caplan

Mitchell Kaminski, MD, MBA Navvis Professorship in Population Health

Dr. Mitchell Kaminski joined the Jefferson College of Population Health in August 2018 as program director for Population Health. He had most recently served as chief clinical officer for the Delaware Valley Accountable Care Organization (DVACO) from June of 2015. He is a family physician who has practiced, taught medical students and residents, and led quality initiatives and practice innovations throughout his career.

Benefactor: Navvis & Company, LLC

David B. Nash, MD, MBA Dr. Raymond C. and Doris N. Grandon Professorship in Health Policy

Dr. Nash is a board-certified internist who is internationally recognized for his work in public accountability for outcomes, physician leadership development, and quality-of-care improvement. He is the founding dean of the Jefferson College of Population Health (JCPH). Dr. Nash stepped down from the Deanship of JCPH on July 1, 2019, in order to pursue a global sabbatical and to recruit international students to JCPH.

Benefactor: Raymond C. Grandon*

Marlana Orloff, MD Alexander and Johnston Family Endowed Clinical Directorship

Dr. Marlana Orloff is an associate professor of medicine and medical oncologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital – Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA.

Her clinical and research focus is on primary and advanced melanomas. Her main interest is in rare melanomas including uveal, conjunctival, and mucosal melanoma. Her research is centered on investigating the epidemiology of uveal melanoma and discovery of novel therapies for melanoma. She works very closely with the team at Wills Eye Hospital to manage hundreds of patients with primary and metastatic ocular melanoma. She is a member of a multidisciplinary team of medical oncologists, interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, and numerous other essential personnel that treats patients with metastatic uveal melanoma from all over the country. She is principal and co-investigator on a number of clinical trials enrolling patients with primary and advanced melanomas of all types.

Her current research is funded by Melanoma Research Alliance, industry support, and the generous philanthropic support of patients and their families.

Benefactor: Anonymous

Takami Sato, MD, PhD K. Hasumi, MD Professorship in Medical Oncology

Dr. Sato is the director of the Department of Medical Oncology’s Metastatic Uveal Melanoma Program. This is one of the few programs in the United States treating melanoma originating in the eye. Uveal melanoma is very rare, affecting only six or seven people per one million. This cancer commonly spreads to the liver, and patients who do not receive treatment live an average of six months. Dr. Sato has devoted his career to improving understanding of this disease and developing new treatments, particularly for patients who are not eligible for surgery.

Benefactor: Kenichiro Hasumi

Nicole L. Simone, MD The Margaret Q. Landenberger Professorship

Dr. Simone is the leader of the Breast Cancer Research Program at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson and the radiation director for the Jefferson Breast Care Center. Dr. Simone is an expert in using dietary alteration to increase the effectiveness of cytotoxic therapy, such as radiation and chemotherapy, in breast and prostate cancer. Her research interest is to change the landscape of cancer care by empowering patients to use dietary interventions to improve outcomes.

Benefactor: The Margaret Q. Landenberger Research Foundation

Maria Werner-Wasik, MD, FASTRO Walter Curran Professorship in Radiation Oncology

A recognized authority on radiation therapy for lung cancer and brain cancer, Dr. Werner-Wasik serves as vice chair of Radiation Oncology for Jefferson Health. Dr. Werner-Wasik frequently lectures at national and international conferences, including the American Society for Therapeutic Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) World Conference. She has been a Lung Track Leader for the annual scientific ASTRO meeting and serves as an American Board of Radiology core group Oral Examiner for the Radiation Oncology Specialty Board examination. The contact principal investigator at Jefferson for NRG Oncology, Dr. Werner-Wasik has held numerous leadership roles in the non-profit, which is one of the lead protocol organizations within the National Clinical Trials Network. She has frequently received recognition as a Top Doctor for Cancer, America’s Top Oncologist, and Top 1% of Physicians in America.

René J. Alvarez, Jr., MD, FACC, FAHA, FACP The Lubert Family Professorship in Cardiology

Dr. Rene Alvarez is a heart failure/heart transplant cardiologist. He has been involved in the care of patients with cardiomyopathies for more than two decades. Dr. Alvarez joined Jefferson as chief of the Division of Cardiology in September 2018. Prior to Jefferson, Dr. Alvarez was the director of Heart Failure/Transplantation at Temple University Hospital.

Benefactor: Multiple Benefactors

Catherine Anastasopoulou, MD, PhD, FACE Steven, Daniel, and Douglas Altman Chair of Endocrinology

Dr. Catherine Anastasopoulou is a graduate of the Medical School of Athens, Greece. She trained in Internal Medicine at Jefferson Einstein Hospital and completed her fellowship in Endocrinology at the LAC/USC Medical Center in Los Angeles. She is a fellow of the American College of Endocrinology and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Anastasopoulou joined Einstein faculty in 2002 and she is currently the Steven, Daniel, and Douglas Altman Chair of Endocrinology at Jefferson Einstein Hospital. She has been named a “Top Doctor” by Philadelphia magazine. Her clinical practice includes all general consultative endocrinology, but her areas of special interest are osteoporosis (male and female) and calcium disorders.

Benefactor: Louise and David Altman

Matthew Behme, MD Paul J. Johnson Chair of Medicine

Dr. Matthew Behme serves as the Interim Paul J. Johnson Chair of Medicine at Jefferson Einstein Hospital. Starting as a resident at Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia in 2005, he became a faculty member in 2008 and Associate Program Director of Internal Medicine Residency. By 2013, he was Medical Director of the Community Practice Center and later chaired General Internal Medicine, overseeing Geriatrics until 2021.

Beyond the hospital, Dr. Behme contributes to local Federally Qualified Health Centers and Delaware Valley Community Health. He’s also the Associate Medical Director of Einstein Care Partners and recently became Associate Chair for Urban Health at Jefferson Einstein.

A Rutgers – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School graduate, Dr. Behme holds board certifications in Internal and Preventative Medicine, specializing in Addiction Medicine. He’s an Assistant Professor at Sidney Kimmel Medical College and active in Einstein’s Internal Medicine Residency.

Dr. Behme’s tenure is marked by addressing healthcare disparities, managing grants, and launching programs like the Einstein Welcome MAT, Refugee Health Clinic, behavioral health integration, post-incarceration care, weight loss, diabetes care, and the Urban Health Track training.

Benefactor: The Johnson Family

Cuckoo Choudhary, MD Dorrance H. Hamilton Professorship in Medicine (Gastroenterology & Hepatology)

Dr. Choudhary is a distinguished gastroenterologist and Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College. With over two decades of faculty experience, she is a leader in the field, focusing on inflammatory bowel disease and women's GI health. She also serves as Division Lead for Women, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which emphasizes her commitment to advancing healthcare inclusivity.

Her exemplary contributions to medical education have garnered numerous accolades, including recognition on three occasions as teaching attending of the year for Medicine and SKMC Dean's Award for advancement in education. She played a pivotal role in organizing and co-directing significant women in gastroenterology events, including the founding of the Women’s Gastroenterology Conference at SKMC/Jefferson Health.

Dr. Choudhary's dedication to excellence is exemplified through her consistent recognition as GI Attending of the Year as well as her acknowledgment as a "Top Doc" in Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey multiple times since 2016. Her contributions to gastroenterology, medical education, and inclusion have established her as a respected figure in the community.

Benefactor: Dorrance H. Hamilton* and Family

Robert M. Coben, MD, FACP, AGAF Anthony J. DiMarino, Jr. MD Professorship (Gastroenterology)

Since 1996, Dr. Coben has served the Jefferson community as a clinician, educator, and researcher. He is Associate Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and Program Director for the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship Program—among the most sought-after in the country. Dr. Coben has held various leadership roles in scientific meetings, including the James L.A. Roth Visiting Professorship in Gastroenterology, the Bockus International Society of Gastroenterology Lectureship, and the Simon A. Komarov Prize for Excellence in Gastroenterology Research Symposium.

Benefactor: Dorrance H. Hamilton* and Family

Gregory C. Kane, MD Jane and Leonard Korman Professorship in Pulmonary Medicine (Pulmonary & Critical Care)

Dr. Kane is the chair of the department of medicine and a proud member of the Jane and Leonard Korman Respiratory Institute – Jefferson Health and National Jewish Health. His clinical expertise is in lung cancer screening, diagnosis, and management; sarcoidosis; bronchiectasis; asthma, and general pulmonary medicine. Dr. Kane is a national leader in medical education, having received the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s Courage to Teach Award in 2010 and having served as president of the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine.

Benefactor: Jane* and Leonard Korman*

David M. Kastenberg, MD J. Edward Berk Professorship in Medicine (Gastroenterology & Hepatology)

Specializing in gastroenterology, Dr. Kastenberg has practiced medicine for more than 30 years and has served the Jefferson community in many distinguished clinician, educator, and researcher roles since 1992. He is currently the Co-Director of the Celiac Disease Center, the Director of Research at the Division of Gerontology, the Enterprise Director of Gastroenterology Clinical Services, and the Founder and Director of GI Research Internships at Thomas Jefferson University. Since 2014, Dr. Kastenberg has been the Professor of Medicine at Sidney Kimmel Medical College’s Department of Medicine.

Dr. Kastenberg’s career is decorated with numerous honors, such as Newsweek’s “Top Cancer Doctors” in 2015, “Top 25 Teachers” as rated by residents in 2012 at TJUH’s Department of Medicine, and South Jersey Magazine’s “Top Doctor” award from 2011 to 2013 and again in 2020. He has regularly been invited to lecture at conferences and colleges worldwide.

Benefactor: Richard Berk

Marianthi Kiriakidou, MD Magee Professorship in Medicine

Benefactor: Anna J. Magee*

Gregary Marhefka Howard H. Weitz, MD, MACP, FRCP (London), FAAC Professorship in Cardiology

Dr. Gregary Marhefka is the Director of Jefferson’s Medical Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit and sees patients in the Jefferson Heart Institute. His clinical work with critically ill heart patients mirrors his teaching work with students, residents, and fellows in our Sidney Kimmel Medical College. After earning with his undergraduate degree from Penn State University and medical degree at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Dr. Marhefka moved onto an internal medicine internship and residency at the National Naval Medical Center. Dr. Marhefka honorably served as an active duty combat physician in Iraq before returning to Jefferson in 2005 for fellowship training in Cardiovascular Medicine. He completed his cardiovascular disease fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and joined as faculty in 2008.

Benefactor: Multiple Benefactors

Jerry McCauley, MD, MPH, FACP Robert L. Capizzi Professorship in Medicine (Nephrology)

Dr. McCauley has been the Chief of Nephrology at Jefferson since 2013. He is an expert in transplantation. Dr. McCauley’s research interests include examining the various effects of transplantation, methods to improve organ donation, and ethics of transplantation, among others. In addition to his research, Dr. McCauley has developed a regional presence in leadership training and mentoring for physicians.

Benefactor: Dorrance H. Hamilton* and Family

Steven McKenzie, MD, PhD Thomas Drake Martinez Cardeza Research Professorship in Medicine (Hematology) and Leandro M. Tocantins, MD - Farid I. Haurani, MD Directorship of the Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research at Thomas Jefferson University (Hematology)

Steven E. McKenzie, MD, PhD leads the Division of Hematology. In his role, he continues to serve as an attending physician at Jefferson and supervise Hematology/Oncology fellows, Neonatalogy fellows, and Molecular Biology, Pharmacology, Microbiology and Immunuology, Genetics and Chemical, and Biomolecular Engineering graduate students in laboratory and seminars.

Benefactor: Mr. and Mrs. Thomas D. Cardeza*; Farid I. Haurani*

Raymond Penn, PhD Robley Dunglison Professorship in Pulmonary Research (Pulmonary & Critical Care)

Dr. Penn is the director of the Center for Translational Medicine. His research expertise focuses on the application of basic receptor biology research to develop new drugs and treatment strategies for lung diseases, including asthma, COPD, and cancer.

Benefactor: Jane* and Leonard Korman*

Ileana L. Piña, MD, MPH Robert M. Stein, MD, FACC, FAHA, ’68 Professorship in Cardiovascular Quality and Safety

Dr. Piña serves as the Quality Officer for the Cardiovascular Line at Thomas Jefferson University. She also serves as Senior Fellow and Medical Officer to the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. As a clinical research trialist, Dr. Piña’s research interests include transition of care in heart failure patients, quality improvement and the role of natriuretic peptide-guided management for patients hospitalized for heart failure, biomarkers of myocardial stress and fibrosis in chronic heart failure, and heart failure differences by sex.

Benefactor: Robert M. Stein, MD ’68, FACC, FAHA

J. Eduardo Rame, MD, MPhil, FAHA, FESC Louis R. Dinon, MD Professorship in Clinical Cardiology

The director of the Advanced Heart Failure Fellowship Program at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Dr. Rame serves as enterprise chief of Advanced Cardiac and Pulmonary Vascular Disease at Jefferson Health. Dr. Rame brings world-class clinical and research expertise, having led the first Continuous Flow Support Device Program on the West Coast. He collaborates with cardiologists and surgical partners across the enterprise, leading the development of multi-disciplinary programs dedicated to the recovery of patients with complex cardiovascular diseases ranging from familial aortopathies to right heart failure syndromes and end-stage cardiomyopathies. His research in Recovery of Heart Function and Restoration of Total Body Health and Potential will continue at Jefferson.

Benefactor: Louis R. Dinon, MD Foundation

Jesse Roman, MD Ludwig A. Kind Professorship in Medicine (Internal Medicine)

Dr. Roman serves as CEO of the Jane & Leonard Korman Respiratory Institute and as chief of Jefferson Health’s nationally ranked Division of Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Medicine. An authority on interstitial lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis, and sarcoidosis, Dr. Roman has published more than 115 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals and 20 manuscripts. Under Dr. Roman’s leadership, the institute has expanded research and clinical trials, launched centers of excellence, and enhanced faculty engagement with fellows. The editor-in-chief of The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, Dr. Roman has been named a Top Doc by Philadelphia magazine and Al Dia. He received a World of Difference Award for his research on Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome.

Benefactor: Estate of Hester C. Kind

David A. Sass, MD, FACP, FACG, AGAF, FAASLD Rorer Professor of Medicine

Dr. David Sass is a gastroenterologist and transplant hepatologist who has held the title of Medical Director of the Liver Transplantation Program since joining Thomas Jefferson University in 2013. He has been a Professor of Medicine at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College since 2016. Dr. Sass, whose academic career has spanned two decades, is a distinguished clinician, educator and researcher in the field of liver disease and transplantation.

He is a past president of the Pennsylvania Society of Gastroenterology, a board member of the Philadelphia County Medical Society, and has been a member of several standing committees of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Dr. Sass has published over 150 original research papers, case reports, reviews, book chapters, and abstracts. He has been nominated for three Golden Apple Awards for excellence in teaching in his former institution (Drexel University) and has been a Top 25 Teacher as rated by the Thomas Jefferson University medical residents. He has also been named numerous times as a Philadelphia Magazine and Castle Connolly Top Doctor, as well as “America’s Top Doctor” over the past 10 years.

Benefactor: Rorer Family

Michael P. Savage, MD Ralph J. Roberts Professorship in Cardiology (Cardiology)

Dr. Savage has been in practice for more than three decades. His specialties include cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology. As director of the Angioplasty Center, Dr. Savage leads a team that has pioneered minimally invasive angioplasty procedures and continues to develop advances to make these procedures better and safer for patients. In addition to his role as director of the Jefferson Angioplasty Center, Dr. Savage also serves as director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory.

Benefactor: John Reginald Alchin and Colin Halford Edward Maryatt, Christine J. Smith and Lawrence S. Smith*

Shey-Shing Sheu, PhD William Wikoff Smith Professorship in Cardiovascular Research (Cardiology)

Dr. Sheu is the associate director of the Center for Translational Medicine. Dr. Sheu’s lab studies the mechanisms in which mitochondria—the power plants of living cells—can balance the energy demand and supply in cardiac muscle cells. Disruptions in the supply of energy currencies to the cells lead to morbidity and mortality. His research aims to elucidate the fundamental principles of how the cardiac mitochondria can respond to “fight or flight” stressful conditions with a stable energy homeostasis.

Benefactor: The W.W. Smith Charitable Trust

Pooja Singh, MD, MBA Beatrice F. Nicoletti Professor of Nephrology (Transplant Nephrology)

Dr. Singh began her clinical fellowship at Jefferson in 2006. Since becoming a Jefferson faculty member in 2008, she has served as an expert in the care of kidney transplant patients, an outstanding educator, and a highly regarded scholar. Dr. Singh is an inspiring leader at the Jefferson Transplant Institute, as medical director of the Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program and the Live Donor Kidney Transplant Program. She is involved with national organizations including the National Kidney Foundation, the American Society of Transplantation, and the United Network for Organ Sharing.

Benefactor: Robert V. Nicoletti* and Family

Howard H. Weitz, MD, FACP, FACC Bernard L. Segal Endowed Professorship in Clinical Cardiology (Cardiology)

Dr. Howard Weitz is Associate Chairman and Master Clinician of the Department of Medicine. He is the co-developer of “Consult Guys,” a production of the Annals of Internal Medicine, read by thousands of physicians worldwide each month. As a senior cardiologist, he helps set the national standard for cardiologist training and competency as a member of the American College of Cardiology Competency Management Committee. His role at SKMC will be to lead the approach to the development of the “Master Clinician” for learners at a variety of phases of their careers.

Benefactor: Bernard L. Segal

David J. Whellan, MD, MHS, FACC, FAHA James C. Wilson Professorship in Medicine (Jefferson Coordinating Center for Clinical Research)

As the associate provost for clinical research at Thomas Jefferson University and associate dean for clinical research at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Dr. Whellan is the architect of Jefferson’s clinical research infrastructure, designing policies and practices to support cutting-edge, effective and compliant studies. Dr. Whellan oversaw the creation of the Jefferson Clinical Research Institute and led Jefferson to launch the Partners in Innovation Education and Research Consortium, a novel network of partnering healthcare organizations that conduct cutting-edge clinical research. He serves as principal investigator of the Jefferson Regional Clinical Center for the NIH HF Network, one of nine centers across the U.S. selected to participate in a series of novel heart failure clinical trials.

Benefactor: Estate of Beatrice A. Wilson

John J. Zurlo, MD W. Paul & Ida H. Havens Professorship in Infectious Disease (Infectious Diseases & Environmental Medicine)

Dr. Zurlo is an infectious disease specialist who has been practicing for close to four decades. His areas of expertise include HIV/AIDS, outpatient antimicrobial therapy (OPAT), and medical education. Dr. Zurlo was named chief of Jefferson’s Division of Infectious Diseases in 2018. Prior to coming to Jefferson, Dr. Zurlo spent 28 years at Penn State Health’s Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

Benefactor: John P. Havens, Peter H. Havens

Matthias J. Schnell, MS, PhD Dr. V. Watson Pugh and Frances Plimpton Pugh Professorship in Microbiology and Immunology

An internationally recognized authority on virology and vaccines, Dr. Schnell directs the Jefferson Vaccine Center and chairs the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College. Dr. Schnell leads a team of researchers who focus on both vaccine development and viral pathogenesis. His findings have been presented to diplomats and leaders around the world. In the lab, Dr. Schnell is particularly interested in finding methods to treat emerging viral diseases with vaccine “carrier” vectors, which allow for new vaccines to be developed quickly, economically, and within existing and safe supply chains. As principal investigator for an array of research projects, Dr. Schnell has garnered grants from NIH and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in addition to private sources. He is the author of more than 125 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and as of May 2021, his publications had received more than 10,500 citations.

Benefactor: V. Watson Pugh and Frances Plimpton Pugh

Rodney D. Bell, MD Lynne and Harold Honickman Professorship in Neurology

Dr. Bell is the chief of the Division of Cerebrovascular Disease and Neurological Critical Care. Dr. Bell focuses his studies on stroke prevention and modification of risk factors, neurophysiological monitoring of the critically ill patient, hypothermia, and novel therapies to treat brain ischemia. He was the nation’s first doctor to perform brain perfusion for stroke treatment.

Benefactor: Lynne and Harold Honickman

Tsao-Wei Liang, MD William C. Rowland, Jr. Professorship in Neurology

Tsao-Wei Liang, MD serves as the Medical Director of the Jefferson Comprehensive Parkinson’s Disease Center and is the William C. Rowland, Jr. Associate Professor of Neurology.  He is the Co-Founder of the Division of Movement Disorders in the Department of Neurology.  Under his leadership, his team has grown to include five other movement disorder neurologists, a fellowship program, advanced practice providers, a genetic counselor, social worker, and close collaborations with Neurosurgery, Psychiatry, Neuroscience, and Rehabilitation Medicine.  The Center sees over 3000 individual patients annually with Parkinson’s disease and related movement disorders across the tri-state region and beyond.

He has represented Jefferson as Principal Investigator on a number of pivotal clinical trials for PD and has garnered regional top doctor awards and recognition for excellence in teaching.  What he is most passionate about is redefining healthcare to center around the patient by improving access, developing novel therapeutics, devices, rehabilitation strategies, and championing rare neurodegenerative disorders.

Benefactor: Estate of William C. Rowland, Jr.

Abdolmohamad Rostami, MD, PhD Nicholas J. Maiale Distinguished Professor in Neurology

Abdolmohamad Rostami, MD, PhD is the Nicholas Maiale distinguished professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology and director of the multiple sclerosis/neuroimmunology research laboratory at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He received an MD with distinction from Shiraz University in Iran and a PhD in molecular biology from Penn. He completed his residency and fellowship in clinical multiple sclerosis and basic neuroimmunology at Penn, then joined the faculty of the department of neurology there. 

Dr. Rostami’s research interest is on the immunopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and finding better therapies for it. He has trained more the 60 pre and postdoctoral students and fellows who now have their own laboratories and hold leadership positions around the world.

Benefactor: Nicholas J. Maiale

Irwin Levitan, PhD Paul C. Brucker MD, Professorship in Neuroscience Research

Dr. Levitan is the founding chair of the department of neuroscience at Jefferson. He has been interested in the regulation of nerve cell communication for more than 40 years. His studies in the mid-1970s on large identified neurons in snails helped to define the then-emerging field of neuromodulation, which is the alteration of nerve activity through targeted delivery of a stimulus, such as electrical stimulation or chemical agents, to specific neurological sites in the body.

Benefactor: Vickie and Jack Farber

Piera Pasinelli, PhD Frances and Joseph Weinberg Professorship in Neuroscience

Dr. Pasinelli’s research focuses on understanding the mechanisms regulating normal physiology as well as pathophysiology of the motor neurons. The main goal is to understand and identify the pathogenic mechanisms underlying motor neuron degeneration and death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). At Jefferson, she is the founder and director of the Weinberg ALS Center, a program that combines basic, translational, and clinical research with clinical practices and education on ALS.

Benefactor: Vickie and Jack Farber

David W. Andrews, MD Anthony Alfred Chiurco, MD Professorship

The Brain Tumor Center at Jefferson, under the direction of Dr. Andrews, is home to a robust program integrating world-class surgical and medical care, leading-edge research into the development of new therapies and techniques, and a highly competitive training program. One of the Center’s signature research efforts has been led by Dr. Andrews: the development of an immunotherapy treatment for glioblastoma (GBM), the most common and most aggressive brain tumor.

Benefactor: Anthony A. and Kim Chiurco

Pascal Jabbour, MD Angela and Richard T. Clark Distinguished Professor and Division Chief of Neurovascular Surgery and Endovascular Neurosurgery

Dr. Jabbour is a world-renowned neurosurgeon, dually trained in open and minimally invasive endovascular techniques. He is a pioneer of neuroendovascular robotics, and specializes in the treatment of patients with diseases in the blood vessels in their neck, brain, or spinal cord. He is also the author of more than 425 papers in peer-reviewed journals, many based on his clinical studies. Dr. Jabbour’s research, along with the dedicated work of Jefferson research fellows, has provided numerous patients with access to novel clinical trials for aneurysms and other life-threating neurological conditions.

Benefactor: Angela and Richard T. Clark

Robert H. Rosenwasser, MD, FACS Jewell L. Osterholm, MD Professorship in Neurological Surgery

Dr. Rosenwasser is internationally renowned for his unique specialty as both a cerebrovascular neurosurgeon as well as an interventional neuroradiologist. He is president, chief executive officer, and director of clinical operations for the Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, one of the leading neuroscience programs in the country.

Benefactor: Jewell L. Osterholm*

Kate FitzPatrick, DNP, RN, ACNP, FAAN, NEA-BC Connelly Foundation Chief Nurse Executive Officer

Dr. FitzPatrick assumed the role of the Connelly Foundation Chief Nurse Executive Officer in January 2021. She previously served as Jefferson’s SVP for Nursing Practice & Clinical Development. Among her many accomplishments, she led the system-wide strategic plan for standardization of nursing practice and clinical development, has been a key partner for system quality and safety efforts as part of our OnPoint program, and has leveraged key partnerships with regional academic partners to optimize student placements. Dr. FitzPatrick has also provided crucial leadership to our Incident Command Center for our COVID-19 response, including practice changes, PPE strategies, and policies to support patients and family-centered care.

Benefactor: The Connelly Foundation

Leslie Hyman, PhD Thomas D. Duane Professorship in Ophthalmology

An internationally recognized leader in the field of vision research and public health, Dr. Hyman is an ocular epidemiologist who has been at the forefront of scientific research into the leading causes and risk factors of visual impairment. Dr. Hyman directs the Wills Vision Research Center at Jefferson and serves as vice chair for research at Wills Eye Hospital. Having authored more than 300 peer-reviewed scientific papers, books, reviews and editorials, she has been an international guest lecturer on glaucoma, retinal, and corneal disease and led studies examining eye disease in different populations. She has made unique, significant and pioneering contributions to vision research by advancing the field of ophthalmic epidemiology and clinical trials, with important implications for understanding the major causes of blindness and guiding the delivery of eye care. Early in her career, Dr. Hyman achieved wide national and international recognition for being the first researcher to conduct a large-scale case-control study to identify risk factors for age-related macular degeneration.

Benefactor: Estate of Jane T. Freedman, Morgan Cowperthwaite*

Michael G. Ciccotti, MD Dr. Everett J. and Marian Gordon Professorship in Orthopaedic Surgery

Dr. Ciccotti is currently chief of the Division of Sports Medicine at the Rothman Institute and Thomas Jefferson University as well as the director of the Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Education and Fellowship Program. He has served as head team physician and medical director for the Philadelphia Phillies since 1999, and head team physician for Saint Joseph’s University sports since 1998. Additionally, he has served as a consultant for the Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Flyers, and Villanova University.

Benefactor: Everett J.* and Marian Gordon*

Andrzej Fertala, PhD Biomet Professorship in Orthopaedics

Dr. Fertala runs a laboratory whose current work is focused on fibrosis. Following knee injury or knee replacement surgery, fibrosis can cause a painful and debilitating condition known as “stiff knee.” Dr. Fertala, together with a group of orthopaedic surgeons, are examining novel ways to block excessive collagen production with the goal of preventing abnormal scarring in order to improve recovery.

Benefactor: Biomet, Inc., Mr. and Mrs. Dane A. Miller, Marty Whalen

Alan Hilibrand, MD Joseph M. and Marie H. Field Professorship in Spinal Surgery

Dr. Hilibrand is the vice chairman of academic affairs and faculty development for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Sidney Kimmel College (SKMC) at Thomas Jefferson University. He is also the co-chief of spinal surgery for the department and the director of the spine fellowship at Rothman Institute. Dr. Hilibrand has served as director of orthopaedic medical education for SKMC for nearly two decades. He has also maintained the role of chief compliance officer for Rothman since 2001.

Benefactor: Joseph M. Field and Marie H. Field

William J. Hozack, MD Walter H. Annenberg Professorship in Joint Replacement Surgery

Dr. Hozack is an internationally-recognized expert in total hip and knee replacement. He is the former director of Joint Replacement Service at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Orthopaedic surgeons from around the world visit regularly to learn his techniques. He is the recipient of several awards, including a Rhodes Scholar candidacy, The Knee Society’s Insall Award, and The Hip Society’s Frank Stinchfield and Otto Aufranc Awards.

Benefactor: Multiple Benefactors

Javad Parvizi, MD, FRCS James Edwards Professorship in Orthopaedic Surgery

The director of Clinical Research at the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, Dr. Parvizi is an internationally recognized authority on pelvis, hip, and knee reconstruction. As a researcher and surgeon, his areas of interest include periprosthetic joint infection, hip pain in young adults, and prevention of thromboembolic disease. He has published 30 textbooks and more than 800 peer-reviewed scientific articles and 200 book chapters and received more than 50 awards and honors from international scientific societies around the globe. He has received funding for his research from the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, Orthopedic Research and Education Foundation, Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation, Arthritis Foundation and numerous other funding entities. He is the co-founder of the International Consensus Group on Orthopaedic Infections.

Benefactor: Catherine R. Edwards*

Makarand V. Risbud, PhD James J. Maguire, Jr. Professorship in Spine Research

Dr. Risbud is co-director of the Cell and Developmental Biology PhD program and director of the Spine Research Laboratory. He and his team investigate the importance of local environmental factors in regulating cell function in the intervertebral discs—the soft tissue between vertebrae that serves as shock absorbers in the spine. Back pain is a ubiquitous condition and the second-most prevalent neurological ailment in the United States, costing the country upwards of $100 billion each year.

Benefactor: The Maguire Family

Irving M. Shapiro, BDS, PhD Anthony F. and Gertrude M. DePalma Professorship in Orthopaedic Research

Dr. Shapiro’s research focus is orthopaedic basic science. His work examines understanding the mechanism of degeneration of the intervertebral disc and its relationship to lower back pain, and developing new approaches to prevent and treat joint infection.

Benefactor: Gertrude M. DePalma*

Alexander R. Vaccaro, MD, PhD Richard H. Rothman Professorship in Orthopaedic Surgery

Dr. Vaccaro has served as president of the Rothman Institute since 2014. He is a professor of neurosurgery and orthopaedic surgery. He is a renowned spine surgeon and is the past president of the American Spinal Injury Association and the Association for Collaborative Spine Research. As chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dr. Vaccaro leads the largest orthopaedic surgery program in the Delaware Valley—one that is consistently chosen by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s best in orthopaedics.

Benefactor: The Annenberg Foundation

Gerald R. Williams, Jr., MD John M. Fenlin, Jr., MD Professorship in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery

Dr. Williams’s work centers on clinical management, education, and research of conditions that affect the shoulder. This includes shoulder arthritis, rotator cuff disease, and traumatic injuries. Procedures include shoulder replacement, arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, arthroscopic and open management of shoulder dislocations, and open reduction, internal fixation of fractures.

Benefactor: Multiple Benefactors

James Raphael, MD Adolph V. Lombardi, Jr., MD Chair of Orthopaedics at Jefferson Einstein Hospital

James S. Raphael, MD, is the Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and Director of the Hand Surgery Program at Jefferson Einstein Hospital. Dr. Raphael specializes in the treatment of chronic and traumatic conditions of the hand, wrist, and elbow. He is regionally recognized for his proficiency in today’s most advanced orthopedic surgery procedures, including arthroscopy, microsurgery, replantation, free-tissue transfer, nerve surgery, and reconstruction. Dr. Raphael co-chairs the Research Program in the Department of Orthopedics at Jefferson Einstein and has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed medical journals. He was named a “Top Doc” by Philadelphia magazine in 2012 through 2014. His publications include “Combined Dislocation of the Trapezium and the Trapezoid: A Case Report with Review of the Literature” and “Coronoid fixation using suture anchors.”

Benefactor: Adolph V. Lombardi, MD

David M. Cognetti, MD, FACS Herbert Kean, MD Professorship of Otolaryngology

Benefactor: Dr. Herbert Kean and The Honorable Joyce Kean

Marluce Bibbo, MD, ScD Warren R. Lang, MD Professorship in Pathology

Dr. Bibbo is an internationally recognized expert in cytology, the study of structure and function in animal and plant cells. She has taught and studied pathology at Thomas Jefferson University for nearly three decades. Her clinical and research focus is the application of techniques such as immunocytochemistry and molecular analysis in fine needle aspiration biopsy. Dr. Bobbo is the lead editor of “Comprehensive Cytopathology,” considered an authoritative and indispensable guide on the use of cytology in diagnostic investigation and screening, now in its fourth edition. From 2004 to 2013, Dr. Bibbo served as editor-in-chief of Acta Cytologica, the official journal of the International Academy of Cytology and affiliated cytology societies around the world. She is a past president of both the American Society of Cytopathology and the International Academy of Cytology.

Benefactor: Estate of Warren R. Lang

Gyorgy Hajnoczky, MD, PhD Raphael Rubin, MD Professorship in Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology

As director of the Mitochondrial Research Center at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Dr. Hajnoczky leads the first facility at an academic medical institution to focus on mitochondrial microscopic imaging research and diagnostics. The center, which integrates cutting-edge imaging with metabolic technologies, genetics, and proteomics, serves as a national and international resource for research and mitochondrial studies. Dr. Hajnoczky’s research focuses on mitochondrial calcium, endoplasmic reticulum (a membrane system that produces proteins that enable cells to function), cell dynamics and cell signaling.

Renato V. Iozzo, MD Gonzalo E. Aponte Professorship in Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology

Dr. Iozzo is a world leader in cancer biology, matrix biology, and the study of proteoglycans – compounds containing a protein bonded to glycosaminoglycan groups – which commonly appear in connective tissue. His research focuses on proteoglycans and their roles in cancer, angiogenesis and autophagy. The deputy chair of Jefferson’s Department of Pathology, Anatomy & Cell Biology, Dr. Iozzo also directs the Extracellular Matrix Program at Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. He is the author of hundreds of articles, which have been widely cited by peers. Having served on numerous NIH study sections, he has been a member of the institution’s College of Scientific Reviewers since 2010. Dr. Iozzo has held visiting professorships at institutions around the globe. His influence is such that the American Society for Matrix Biology confers an annual Renato Iozzo Award to recognize the accomplishments of distinguished mid-career scientists.

Stephen C. Peiper, MD Peter A. Herbut Professorship in Pathology

Dr. Peiper’s expertise is in genomics and precision diagnostics for personalized medicine. As chair of the Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, much of his effort is now directed to administration. This is one of the larger departments at Thomas Jefferson University and one of the departments with significant levels of NIH funding. In addition to his department chair role, Dr. Peiper serves as director of Clinical Laboratories for Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (TJUH) and senior vice president of Enterprise Pathology and Laboratory Services.

Benefactor: Multiple Benefactors

James S. Schwaber, PhD Daniel B. Baugh Professorship in Anatomy & Director of the Daniel B. Baugh Institute

The director of the Daniel Baugh Institute for Functional Genomics and Computational Biology, Dr. Schwaber oversees interdisciplinary research and education in the rapidly evolving fields of pathology, anatomy and cell biology. Dr. Schwaber initiated the institute’s computational and genomics focus, putting researchers on a path to study regulatory networks in the context of adaptation in central autonomic control circuits, dysfunction of cardio-respiratory regulation, stem cell differentiation, and alcoholic liver disease and liver repair. Under his leadership, the institute led a studying laying the foundation for the first 3D map of neurons in the heart, a development that will help scientists understand their role in heart attacks and other cardiac conditions.

David C. Brousseau, MD, MS Robert L. Brent Professor of Pediatrics

David C. Brousseau, MD, MS, is the Chair of Pediatrics at Nemours Children’s and at Sidney Kimmel Medical College. Dr. Brousseau serves as the physician leader for excellence across all academic pillars including clinical care, educating the next generation of physicians, and advancing the scholarship and research program growth to improve children’s health.

Dr. Brousseau is board certified in Pediatric Emergency Medicine. His primary research focus is on sickle cell disease, including health services research, implementation science and clinical trials aimed at improving the disparate care these children receive. He has been continuously federally funded and has mentored multiple fellows and junior faculty to federal funding. Dr. Brousseau has been the recipient of many professional awards and he is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Ambulatory Pediatric Association, American Society of Hematology, and a standing member of an NIH study section. He also serves as a reviewer for more than a dozen prestigious journals.

Benefactor: Multiple Benefactors

Scott A. Waldman, MD, PhD The Samuel M. V. Hamilton Family Professorship in Medicine

Dr. Waldman is chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. He is a physician investigator spearheading molecular delivery and clinical development and application of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to improve the care of patients with cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. He is a leader in clinical pharmacology whose groundbreaking research has led to multi-institutional clinical trials examining the utility of guanylyl cyclase C (GCC) as a molecular marker for treatment and prevention of gastrointestinal cancers.

Benefactor: Dorrance H. Hamilton* and Family

John Lauriello, MD The Daniel Lieberman Professorship in Psychiatry and Human Behavior

Dr. Lauriello is a distinguished clinician, scholar, and educator who chairs the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and serves as senior vice president of Behavioral Health. The author or editor of more than 125 books, book chapters, and peer-reviewed articles, Dr. Lauriello is an authority on the diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. He has served as principal investigator in scores of grant and pharmaceutical trial-funded studies. Before coming to Jefferson in 2019, Dr. Lauriello held the Chancellor’s Chair of Excellence at the University of Missouri Department of Psychiatry, where he was named the Robert J. Douglas MD and Betty Douglas Distinguished Faculty Scholar in Psychiatry. In 2018, he was elected Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He has been named one of the “Best Doctors in America” from 1998 to 2020.

Benefactor: Jane C. MacElree

Patricia C. Henwood, MD Executive Vice President and James D. and Mary Jo Danella Chief Quality and Safety Officer

Dr. Henwood broadly focuses on global health, humanitarian emergencies, and point-of-care ultrasound. Over the last decade she developed and led ultrasound training programs in Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, and Liberia with a non-profit she co-founded, Point-of-care Ultrasound in Resource-limited Environments (The PURE Initiative). Dr. Henwood’s field-based research as a clinician-scientist in emergency settings now focuses primarily on the intersection of ultrasound and infectious disease management after working on in the humanitarian response to the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) epidemic in West Africa. She created a novel approach to field-based EVD care by incorporating ultrasound into management recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, in addition to leading a study evaluating Ebola and pregnancy across fives sites published in Clinical Infectious Disease. Her current research includes work on the sonographic evaluation of tuberculosis, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in addition to malaria, ARDS, and COVID-19. Dr. Henwood has been leading Jefferson’s Emergency Medicine COVID-19 Task Force since the start of the pandemic, and she also serves as co-investigator on a grant from the City of Philadelphia operationalizing two COVID-19 testing sites in vulnerable communities. She is also a co-investigator on multiple COVID-19 studies.

Benefactor: James D. and Mary Jo Danella

Adam E. Flanders, MD, FSIIM William E. Conrady, MD Professorship in Radiology

Adam E. Flanders, MD, FSIIM, is a professor of radiology and rehabilitation medicine, vice chairman of imaging informatics, vice chairman of enterprise imaging, and co-director of neuroradiology at Thomas Jefferson University. He has been on faculty at Thomas Jefferson University since 1989.

Dr. Flanders has been a member of many committees for the American Society of Neuroradiology, including the Rules Committee, where he served as chair; Education Committee; and Computer Sciences and Information Committee (CSI). He served in various capacities in the American Society of Spine Radiology (ASSR), and now chairs the ASNR Neuroradiology CDE workgroup in collaboration with the ACR and RSNA.

Dr. Flanders has also served in many roles in the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), and was a recipient of the Society of Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) fellowship. In 2021, he was recognized as Radiologist of Year by the Philadelphia Roentgen Ray Society (PRRS) and received the Outstanding Educator Award by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Benefactor: Estate of William E. Conrady

Vijay M. Rao, MD, FACR The David C. Levin Professorship in Radiology

Dr. Rao is a recognized authority in radiology who serves as senior vice president of Radiology and Imaging for the entire Jefferson enterprise. As chair of the Department of Radiology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Dr. Rao leads one of the most dynamic departments in the country, reflecting tremendous academic productivity, clinical expertise, and excellence in educational programs. Dr. Rao’s articles about clinical applications of radiology, trends in imaging, and the education of radiologists have appeared in peer-refereed journals. She is the past president of the Radiological Society of North America. Focusing her clinical practice on head and neck radiology, Dr. Rao has been listed as a Top Doc in Philadelphia magazine. 

Benefactor: Arthur Penn

Baskaran Sundaram, MBBS, MIRC, FRCR Herman I Libshitz, MD Professorship in Thoracic Radiology

Dr. Sundaram, is professor of radiology at Jefferson and director of the Cardiothoracic Imaging Division in the Department of Radiology. Before coming to Jefferson in 2014, Dr. Sundaram served for more than a decade at the University of Michigan Medical School, first as lecturer and finally as clinical associate professor. Dr. Sundaram is a noted teacher and mentor, and has received numerous commendations for excellence in the teaching of residents and medical students. His research focuses on imaging of the thorax and cardiovascular imaging and outcomes.

Benefactor: Herman and Alison Libshitz

Dale D. Berg, MD George Fritz Blechschmidt, MD Professorship in Clinical Skills Education

The co-director of the Rector Clinical Skills & Simulation Center and director of advanced physical diagnosis, Dr. Berg oversees a key resource that supports teaching and assessment activities at Thomas Jefferson University. Under Dr. Berg’s leadership, the center develops programs to teach and assess skills as well as the core competencies in undergraduate, graduate and continuing medical education as well as faculty development, using human and mechanical simulation. Dr. Berg, a professor of medicine at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, co-founded the robust standardized patient program at the center, which also produces objective structured clinical examinations, and supports research for coordinating and supporting simulation programs.

Benefactor: Estate of George F. Blechschmidt

Dylan Edwards, PhD Nancy Wachtel Shrier Director of Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute

Dr. Edwards’ research focuses on using technology, including transcranial magnetic stimulation and rehabilitation robotics, to improve motor recovery after stroke and spinal cord injury. This work spans the translational continuum from basic science through to clinical trials. He conducts basic research to better understand the basis of motor symptoms, and these findings inform the development of novel rehabilitation treatment strategies. The research in Dr. Edwards’ lab includes contemporary techniques of noninvasive brain stimulation (such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation), neuroimaging, kinematics, virtual reality, and telerehabilitation, along with conventional rehabilitation therapies, to study and promote the motor recovery process.

Benefactor: Marc G. Shrier

Alberto Esquenzai, MD John Otto Haas Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Dr. Esquenazi is a member of the Einstein Board of Trustees. He is also a member of American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R); American Society of Biomechanics; Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society; and the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics. He is a professor of rehabilitation at Temple University School of Medicine, Jefferson’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College, and Drexel University College of Medicine. He serves as director of the Annual Inter-City Gait and Orthotics course sponsored by the Temple/Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation physical medicine and rehabilitation residency training program. He was a member of the Task Force on Medical Rehabilitation Research for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine and AAPM&R. Dr. Esquenazi has been recognized several times by Philadelphia magazine as one of the region’s “Top Docs” and received the Distinguished Clinician Award from AAM&R and Pennsylvania Association of Rehabilitation Facilities. He has published many original papers and book chapters and has presented nationally and internationally on amputation, rehabilitation, orthosis, gait analysis, and spasticity management. He’s an active researcher in technology and rehabilitation.

Benefactor: Otto Haas Charitable Trust

Steve R. Williams, MD The Michie Professorship in Rehabilitation Medicine

Dr. Williams chairs the Departments of Rehabilitation Medicine at Sidney Kimmel Medical School and Jefferson Health, which through its affiliation with the Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, is designated as one of 14 model spinal cord injury centers in the U.S. by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. An expert on spinal cord injury, Dr. Williams has published his research extensively in peer-reviewed journals. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Leonard P. Tow Humanism in Medicine Faculty Award at Boston University School of Medicine and the Governor of Massachusetts Award for Excellence in Community Service and Education.

Benefactor: Estate of Jessie B. Michie

Bon Ku, MD, MPP Marta and Robert Adelson Professorship in Medicine and Design

The assistant dean for Health and Design, Dr. Ku leads the Medicine+Design initiatives at Sidney Kimmel Medical College. As director of the Health Design Lab, he manages a medical device incubator program and oversees the Scholarly Inquiry Design track, the first four-year design program for medical students, which he launched in 2014. Dr. Ku, an emergency medicine physician, spearheads projects such as designing layouts that streamline movement through the emergency department, and using 3D printers to adapt hand-pumped ventilators to keep COVID-19 patients alive amidst mechanical ventilator shortages.

Benefactor: Marta and Robert Adelson

John M. Spandorfer, MD Roger B. Daniels Associate Dean of Professionalism in Medicine

Since 1992, Dr. Spandorfer has been a Thomas Jefferson University attending physician. At least half of his time is dedicated to direct patient care. In addition to his internal medicine practice, in his role as associate dean, Dr. Spandorfer provides oversight at Jefferson to programs related to professionalism in medicine, which both teach professionalism and ensure the learning environment is suitable for role-modeling the ideal traits of physicianship.

Benefactor: Multiple Benefactors

Karen A. Chojnacki, MD, FACS Francis E. Rosato Professorship in Surgery

Dr. Chojnacki’s additional roles include serving as the Vice Chair for Education, Director of the Division of General Surgery, and Director of the General Surgery Residency Program. Dr. Chojnacki has distinguished herself in the evidence-based, clinical practice of surgery as an outstanding educator and leader, and in the doctor-patient relationship framework. She has been recognized as an exceptional physician by her peers, trainees, and patients.

Benefactor: Multiple Benefactors

Paul J. DiMuzio, MD, FACS William Maul Measey Endowed Professorship in Surgery (Vascular & Endovascular Surgery)

Dr. DiMuzio is the Director of Jefferson’s Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, and he provides co-leadership to Jefferson’s Vascular Center. Dr. DiMuzio’s own clinical expertise includes carotid artery disease, aneurysms of the thoracic and abdominal aorta, peripheral vascular disease, venous disease, and thoracic outlet syndrome. His research expertise is in the area of vascular tissue engineering and adult stem cells.

Benefactor: The Benjamin & Mary Siddons Measey Foundation

Warren R. Maley, MD The Nicoletti Family Professorship in Transplantation Surgery

Dr. Maley directs the Division of Transplantation, the Jefferson Transplant Institute and the Live Donor Liver Transplant Program. He also serves as surgical director of the Liver Transplant Program. Under Dr. Maley’s leadership, Jefferson has maintained an exceptional transplantation program that remains among the highest rated in the region. Dr. Maley has managed a high volume of surgeries and frequently has been recognized as a Top Doc by Philadelphia magazine. A prolific researcher in the fields of liver transplantation and surgical therapy to improve patient safety and care, Dr. Maley has published in leading journals that include Transplant Proceedings, Transplantation, Liver Transplantation, and Annals of Surgery, in addition to writing 11 book chapters. 

Benefactor: Robert V. Nicoletti* and Family

Rohinton J. Morris, MD, FACS Anthony E. Narducci Professorship in Surgery

As the director of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and clinical leader of Cardiovascular Services, Dr. Morris provides oversight of all heart and chest surgeries at Jefferson Health. Dr. Morris is a recognized expert in cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgery who has overseen programs at several leading academic healthcare centers. His research has appeared in numerous peer-reviewed publications, and he has served as a reviewer for Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Journal of Heart & Lung Transplantation, and Circulation. Dr. Morris has been admitted as a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and is a member of myriad professional organizations. He frequently is listed as Top Doc in Philadelphia magazine and often is recognized by Castle Connolly as one of “America’s Top Surgeons.”

Benefactor: Estate of Anthony E. Narducci

Benjamin R. Phillips, MD, FACS, FASCRS Gerald J. Marks Professorship in Colorectal Surgery

Dr. Phillips is an Associate Professor of Surgery and the Endowed Chair/Chief of Jefferson’s Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery. He also serves as the Assistant Program Director of the Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship. His clinical specialties include robotic and minimally invasive/laparoscopic colorectal surgery for cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis, and other colorectal disorders. Over the last decade at Jefferson, Dr. Phillips has managed a high volume of surgeries while providing education, research, and exceptional patient care. Dr. Phillips has had multiple yearly recognitions as a Top Doc by Philadelphia magazine. Dr. Phillips has published in leading journals that include the American Journal of Physiology, American Journal of Surgery, American Surgeon, Gastroenterology, Journal of Surgical Radiology, Journal of Surgical Research, Open Access Surgery, Scientific Reports, and Seminars in Colon and Rectal Surgery. Dr. Phillips’ goal is to “utilize the modern technology, techniques, and information paired with empathy and sharp technical skill to serve patients now and in the future.”

Benefactor: Multiple Benefactors

Charles J. Yeo, MD, FACS Samuel D. Gross Professorship in Surgery

The senior vice president and chair of Surgery at Jefferson Health, Dr. Yeo is an internationally recognized authority on pancreatic cancer and other complex alimentary tract diseases who has designed and led randomized clinical trials that have reshaped the field of pancreatic surgery. Dr. Yeo is co-director of the Pancreas, Biliary and Related Cancer Center, where he has performed more than 1,000 Whipple procedures, a complex surgery that can be life-saving for patients with pancreatic cancer. A prolific researcher, Dr. Yeo is the editor-in-chief of the encyclopedic, two-volume “Shackelford’s Surgery of the Alimentary Tract,” now in its 8th edition.

Benefactor: Estate of Maria Gross Horowitz

Radi Zaki, MD Robert G. Somers, MD Chair of the Department of Surgery

Dr. Radi Zaki came to Jefferson Einstein Hospital from St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Transplant Program in New York, where he served as a multiorgan transplant attending physician. He completed his surgical residency at New York Medical College, Sound Shore Medical Center, and completed a multiorgan transplant fellowship at Einstein. Dr. Zaki was named a Philadelphia magazine “Top Doctor” in 2010.

Benefactor: Multiple Benefactors

Leonard G. Gomella, MD, FACS Bernard W. Godwin, Jr. Professorship in Prostate Cancer

Dr. Gomella is a leading clinician and researcher in urologic oncology who chairs the Department of Urology. The senior director for clinical affairs at Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center and clinical director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center Network, Dr. Gomella has led path-breaking basic science and clinical research that has resulted in new diagnostic techniques and treatments for prostate, bladder and kidney cancer. Dr. Gomella's team was first to use RT-PCR to detect micrometastasis in patients with prostate cancer, a discovery that led to a new field of investigation in this disease. Dr. Gomella is also recognized as an early contributor to urologic laparoscopy, initiating the program at Jefferson in 1990. The author of hundreds of articles and medical textbooks, Dr. Gomella has gained frequent recognition as a Best Doctor in America, a Top Doctor for Cancer and one of the Top 10 urologists in the U.S. The numerous awards he has received include the American Cancer Society Volunteer Achievement Award and a National Cancer Institute Achievement Award.

Benefactor: Estate of Bernard W. Godwin, Jr.

Scott G. Hubosky, MD Demetrius H. Bagley, MD Professorship in Endourology

Dr. Hubosky is the director of endourology and vice chair of quality and safety for the Department of Urology at Jefferson. Established in 1904, Jefferson’s Department of Urology is one of the oldest in the United States. Dr. Hubosky has been at Jefferson since 2006. His area of expertise is endourological management of complex upper urinary tract diseases such as nephro-ureterolithiasis, upper tract urothelial neoplasms/carcinomas, and upper tract obstructions.

Benefactor: Multiple Benefactors

Costas D. Lallas, MD, FACS Nathan Lewis Hatfield Professorship in Urology

Dr. Lallas is Professor and Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Urology at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College. He completed medical school at Jefferson/SKMC and general surgery and urology at Duke. After a fellowship in minimally invasive urologic oncology at the Mayo Clinic, he returned to Jefferson in 2005.

Dr. Lallas has dedicated his career at Jefferson toward education, and was promoted to Vice Chair of Education for the Department of Urology in 2014 for these efforts. He holds leadership positions in both UME and GME, serving as the Director of Medical Student Education in the Department, the Associate Program Director for the urology residency, and the Co-Director for the Endourology Society fellowship. Recognizing his significant role in surgical education, Jefferson named Dr. Lallas the Director of Surgical Simulation for the Rector Clinical Skills and Simulation. With the merger of the Einstein Healthcare Network into the Jefferson Enterprise, he was appointed the Einstein Urology Residency Program Director.

Benefactor: Estate of Dr. Henry Reed Hatfield

* Benefactor is deceased.

Contact

Name: Lisa Repko
Vice President, TJU & Planned Giving
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