Two clinical leaders join medical school as administrators

Two School of Medicine departments gained new leadership this spring. In May, Mary I. O’Connor, M.D., an accomplished orthopaedic surgeon and researcher, became the inaugural director of medical school’s new Musculoskeletal Center. And in July, Jean-Francois (Jeff) Geschwind, M.D., an internationally known radiologist and a recognized leader in the field of liver cancer, joins the faculty as chair of the Department of Diagnostic Radiology at the School of Medicine and chief of diagnostic radiology at Yale-New Haven Hospital (YNHH).

Geschwind comes to Yale from The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) School of Medicine, where he was vice chair of its Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology. His research focuses on improving image-guided therapies for liver cancer and discovering new therapeutics for cancer in general, targeting tumor metabolism.

A native of France, Geschwind earned his M.D. at Boston University School of Medicine and completed his residency training in a National Institutes of Health-sponsored scholars program at the University of California, San Francisco. He completed a fellowship in vascular and interventional radiology at JHU in 1998 before joining the JHU faculty. In 2007 Geschwind was promoted to professor of radiology, surgery, and oncology at JHU. He succeeds T. Rob Goodman, M.B., B.Chir., professor of diagnostic radiology and chief of pediatric imaging, who served as interim department chair.

O’Connor comes to Yale from Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, where she was professor of orthopaedic surgery and program director of the adult reconstructive fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Florida.

O’Connor earned her bachelor’s degree from Yale College and her M.D. from the Medical College of Pennsylvania. She completed an internship and residency in orthopaedics and a fellowship in orthopaedic oncology, both at Mayo Graduate School of Medicine.

At her Mayo practice, O’Connor treated orthopaedic oncology patients and adults needing complex reconstructive surgeries for degenerative joint diseases. She is co-investigator on a pilot study to determine if injecting a patient’s stem cells into his or her knee joint will slow the progression of arthritic changes.

Similar to Yale Cancer Center, the new Musculoskeletal Center will coordinate interdepartmental clinical and research programs at the medical school and hospital. As a clinical and research center, it brings together specialists in orthopaedics, neurosurgery, neurology, rheumatology, rehabilitation, biomedical engineering, and other specialties to provide a wide range of services, including joint replacement, pain management, and advanced treatment for arthritis, spine disorders, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease, and other conditions.

“Mary O’Connor and Jeff Geschwind bring extraordinary strengths and track records to the medical school,” said Robert J. Alpern, M.D., dean and Ensign Professor of Medicine. “I look forward to the growth of these programs under their leadership.”