2009 Astute Clinician Speaker: Harry Dietz, MD

Dr. Dietz is professor of pediatrics, medicine, molecular biology, and genetics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is also an investigator in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Dietz heads a multidisciplinary clinic for the diagnosis and management of individuals with heritable forms of cardiovascular disease, with a special emphasis on Marfan syndrome and related connective tissue disorders. He directs the William S. Smilow Center for Marfan Syndrome Research, a group of dedicated molecular biologists focused on improvement of the lives of individuals with Marfan syndrome through the development of novel diagnostic and treatment strategies. Other research interests include the molecular basis of vessel wall homeostasis and cardiovascular aging and the mechanism and physiologic significance of mRNA quality control mechanisms in health and disease.

His awards include the Richard D. Rowe and Young Investigator Awards from the Society for Pediatric Research. He is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was the 2006 recipient of the Curt Stern Award from the American Society of Human Genetics, the Antoine Marfan Award, and the 2008 Hero with a Heart award from the National Marfan Foundation.

A graduate of Duke University, Dietz earned the MD degree at SUNY Upstate School of Medicine in Syracuse. At Johns Hopkins hospital he completed an internship in pediatrics and residencies in pediatrics and anesthesia and critical care medicine. He also held a clinical fellowship in pediatric cardiology and a post-doctoral fellowship in medical genetics there.