Newswise — (NEW YORK – March 4) Ira Jacobson, MD, a world-renowned expert in the field of hepatology and liver disease, has been appointed Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel.

A principal investigator for several landmark trials on interferon-based therapy and new direct-acting antiviral agents, Dr. Jacobson is helping to transform the treatment of hepatitis C. Dr. Jacobson joins Mount Sinai Beth Israel from Weill Cornell Medical College where he was Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Vincent Astor Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Medical Director of the Center for the Study of Hepatitis C.

“Ira brings to his position both clinical acumen and prolific research experience, having been involved in the development of antiviral therapy for viral hepatitis for more than 25 years,” says Barbara Murphy, MD, Chair of the Department of Medicine for the Mount Sinai Health System and Dean of Clinical Integration and Population Health for the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “We are thrilled to have him join us in our strong commitment to providing excellent patient care, training the next generation of physicians and engaging in cutting-edge clinical research.”

Dr. Jacobson received his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. He completed a Fellowship in Gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital after which he joined the faculty at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, where he has worked for the past three decades.

Dr. Jacobsen has published extensively in The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet and other major journals, and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Hepatology, Hepatology, Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and Digestive Diseases and Sciences.

About the Mount Sinai Health SystemThe Mount Sinai Health System is an integrated health system committed to providing distinguished care, conducting transformative research, and advancing biomedical education. Structured around seven member hospital campuses and a single medical school, the Health System has an extensive ambulatory network and a range of inpatient and outpatient services—from community‐based facilities to tertiary and quaternary care.

The System includes approximately 6,600 primary and specialty care physicians, 12‐minority‐owned free‐standing ambulatory surgery centers, over 45 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, and Long Island, as well as 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the top 20 medical schools both in National Institutes of Health funding and by U.S. News & World Report.

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