Mark Schweitzer, M.D., a preeminent radiologist and chair of the Department of Radiology at the Stony Brook University School of Medicine in New York, has been appointed dean of the Wayne State University School of Medicine and vice president of Health Affairs for the university.
Dr. Schweitzer will join the university and the School of Medicine on April 27.
“We conducted in-depth interviews with a number of outstanding candidates during our year-long national search, and Dr. Schweitzer’s experience, enthusiasm and vision make him a perfect fit for Wayne State,” said President Wilson, who announced the appointment Jan. 10. “Our faculty, students, and the people of Detroit and the surrounding region will see great advances through his leadership and energy. He will quickly become a leading contributor to our great city’s ongoing renaissance.”
In addition to his leadership role in the School of Medicine, as vice president of health affairs, Dr. Schweitzer will work with the deans of Wayne State’s College of Nursing and the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences on clinical training issues. In this role, he will develop avenues to strengthen collaboration between the three schools to advance interprofessional, team-based approaches to health care, President Wilson said.
“I attended inner-city public universities during my undergraduate and medical school training, and I served at public safety net hospitals,” Dr. Schweitzer said. “My passion throughout my career has been education at all levels. The DNA of Wayne State University and the city of Detroit are intertwined, and the university’s national reputation is illustrious. I’m very much looking forward to serving the people of greater Detroit and Michigan.”
An outstanding medical scholar and educator, Dr. Schweitzer is a talented administrator who has served in many hospital and medical practice roles, including vice chair for clinical practice and chair of the Information Management Group for Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Extensively published and a lecturer for Harvard University Medical School, he holds a number of medical patents.
“The Board of Governors is extremely pleased to be hiring someone the caliber of Dr. Mark Schweitzer to assume what is a critically important leadership position,” said Marilyn Kelly, chair of the board. “Wayne State’s health-related education and community programs are a vital part of the university's identity and mission, and we think that Mark is the right person to lead us into the future.”
Dr. Schweitzer received his bachelor of science from the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education at the City University of New York. He received his medical degree from State University of New York at Buffalo, and completed a residency in diagnostic radiology at Nassau County Medical Center (now Nassau University Medical Center), where he served as associate chief resident. He performed a fellowship in musculoskeletal radiology at University of California, San Diego.
He has served on numerous expert advisory panels, including study sections for the National Institutes of Health and on Food and Drug Administration panels. He has received numerous teaching, mentoring and research awards. A principal investigator or co-principal investigator on more than 30 grants, including NIH R01 awards, he has also conducted many clinical trials involving novel contrast agents.
Certified by the American Board of Radiology, he has served as the presiding officer of the Radiological Society of North America and the International Skeletal Society. Continuously named a “Best Doctor” by New York and Philadelphia publications, he has served as a consultant for several professional sports teams, including the New York Mets, New York Islanders, New York Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Eagles. He has also consulted for numerous college teams and for the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in British Columbia.
President Wilson thanked Dean Jack D. Sobel, M.D., for leading the School of Medicine for the last five years.
“A consummate professional and a well-respected physician, Dr. Sobel led the school through a challenging era and was instrumental in correcting course on a number of issues,” President Wilson said. “We all owe him an immense debt of gratitude. I am glad that he will remain a member of our esteemed faculty and will continue treating patients and conducting research.”