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Vyas named to leadership roles in Department of Pediatrics, Penn State Health Children’s Hospital

Dr. Yatin Vyas has been selected for key leadership roles in the Department of Pediatrics and Penn State Health Children’s Hospital.

Beginning Monday, Nov. 1, Vyas will be:

  • Chair of the Department of Pediatrics
  • Children’s Miracle Network and Four Diamonds Endowed Chair
  • Pediatrician-in-chief at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital

Vyas was Mary Joy and Jerre Stead Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Iowa and led the division of Hematology/Oncology since June 2013 as division director. During his time as director, Vyas led the team at the Stead Family Children’s Hospital to become a beacon of excellence for pediatric cancer care. He served the department as vice chair of research and leader of pediatric research. Additionally, he served as a member of the executive leadership advisory committee for the National Cancer Institute-designated Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center and assistant director of the Physician-Scientist Training Pathway of Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa.

Prior to joining the University of Iowa, Vyas served as a faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, N.Y. He trained in pediatrics at the New York University Medical Center/Bellevue Hospital and completed a fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at Memorial Hospital of MSKCC and New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell University Medical Center.

Dr. Vyas holds certificates in Leadership Development for Physicians in Academic Health Centers from the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Pittsburgh Katz School of Business. He recently graduated as a scholar in the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs Physician Leadership Development Program.

Dr. Vyas’ research is focused on defining the molecular cause and subsequent development of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS), an inborn error of immunity. Research from his laboratory was essential in revealing for the first time an evolutionarily conserved, novel chromatin-resident role for WASp in gene transcription, genome stability and oncogenesis. His research has been nearly continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 2002, having received multiple R01 and R21 awards as a principal investigator, in addition to awards from the American Society of Hematology and the United States Immunodeficiency Network. Vyas has served as a member of multiple NIH study sections. He is an elected member of the honorific Society for Pediatric Research and American Pediatric Society.

Vyas has an interest in developing processes to leverage scientific innovations to impart leading-edge clinical care, grow entrepreneurship and stimulate philanthropy by working collaboratively with Children’s Miracle Network, Four Diamonds, benefactors, Penn State Health and university partners.

Vyas replaces Dr. Michael Beck, who served as interim Chair of Pediatrics during the College’s search for a new Chair.

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