Stanford Report, March 1, 2006

Medical School Dean Pizzo re-appointed to five-year term

President John Hennessy and Provost John Etchemendy have re-appointed Dr. Philip A. Pizzo to a second five-year term as dean of Stanford Medical School.

Pizzo assumed the deanship on April 2, 2001. He holds the Carl and Elizabeth Naumann Professorship for the Dean of the School of Medicine and is a professor of pediatrics and of microbiology and immunology. Prior to coming to Stanford, he was physician-in-chief of Children's Hospital in Boston and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

"We are delighted to re-appoint Dr. Pizzo to this significant role," Hennessy said. "His first term has been marked by a creative and energetic approach to the myriad responsibilities of the job. He has worked diligently to coordinate and integrate the research and teaching of the Medical School within the framework of the hospitals and the larger university. His focus on translational research and work with other schools on joint ventures, such as Bio-X and the new Department of Bioengineering, are indicative of the boldness of vision with which he has approached this job. His academic leadership in areas such as human genetics and stem cell and cancer research is critical to the future of the Medical School and the university."

Pizzo acknowledged the contribution of the "extraordinary faculty, students and staff" in his time at the Medical School.

"It is a privilege to work with such talented and creative individuals and leaders," Pizzo said. "I am also very pleased that, during the past several years, our basic and clinical faculty have become unified under the banner of 'Translating Discoveries' and have joined with colleagues throughout the Medical Center and university to make Stanford a clear leader among research-intensive schools of medicine. These are among the most challenging of times in American medicine. But I am confident that Stanford will continue to emerge as one of its leaders in innovation, discovery and the translation of knowledge from the laboratory to the patient."

During his tenure as dean, Pizzo has led efforts to build the Medical School's profile in research, teaching and scholarship and increase its presence nationally on issues of importance in medical education and public health. Among those initiatives are a new curriculum for Stanford Medical School students and the master's in medicine program. He also has led efforts to recruit top faculty and clinical chairs for the school and worked with the hospitals to support an expanded effort in research and training for medical students. He is working with faculty and his leadership team on a long-term facilities plan that will ensure the school has the physical plant needed to continue to build its excellence in the years to come.

Before joining Children's Hospital and Harvard, Pizzo was head of the infectious disease section, chief of pediatrics and also acting scientific director of the National Cancer Institute's Division of Clinical Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health. Pizzo holds a B.A. from Fordham University and an M.D. from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, as well as honorary degrees from Fordham and Harvard. In addition, Pizzo has been highly recognized for his contributions as a clinical investigator, especially in the treatment of children with cancer and HIV.