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Dr. Augustine M. K. Choi has been appointed chairman of the Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and physician-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, effective Aug. 1, 2013. Dr. Choi currently is the Parker B. Francis Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

In his new role, Dr. Choi will lead one of the most comprehensive academic and clinical departments in the country, which comprises 16 divisions and more than 1,700 faculty members, physicians and research scientists focused on clinical care, research and medical education. The department's divisions and clinical services span cardiology, clinical epidemiology, clinical pharmacology, emergency medicine, endocrinology, gastroenterology and hepatology, internal medicine, geriatrics, hematology and medical oncology, hospital medicine, immunology, infectious diseases, medical ethics, nephrology and hypertension, pulmonology and critical care medicine, and rheumatology, as well as specialized centers in sleep medicine, women's health and men's health.

Additionally, the Department of Medicine is a hub for biomedical research and clinical care, and it has a longstanding tradition of excellence in medical education, including residency programs and fellowships in subspecialty areas of medicine.

"Dr. Choi is a true leader and renowned physician-scientist, and Weill Cornell is honored to have him join us as the new chairman of the Department of Medicine," said Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College. "In his new role, Dr. Choi will advance the Department of Medicine's already distinguished reputation, continuing to harness game-changing research discoveries and delivering extraordinary clinical care to our patients."

"Dr. Choi's many years of experience as a leader in academic medicine will be invaluable as he leads one of the largest departments at NewYork-Presbyterian," said Dr. Steven J. Corwin, chief executive officer of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. "With his extensive background in both research and clinical care, Dr. Choi will be pivotal to our continued collaboration with Weill Cornell Medical College in bridging the connections between basic research and clinical services, and to our continued provision of outstanding, patient-centered care."

"It is a distinct honor to be selected as chair of the Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and physician-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell," said Dr. Choi. "The department has an esteemed history in clinical services, education and research, and I look forward to building on its achievements to further advance care."

Dr. Choi is a clinician-scientist with expertise in the pathology and biology of lung disease. His laboratory research has focused on stress response genes and antioxidant enzymes, in particular heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and gaseous molecule carbon monoxide (CO), in response to oxidative stress and inflammation in a variety of models of lung disease such as acute respiratory distress syndrome. His laboratory also focuses on the improved understanding of the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Dr. Choi's research has recently focused on the role of autophagy in acute and chronic lung diseases and his laboratory is currently examining whether low-dose inhaled carbon monoxide can be an effective therapy in human disease. He is a principal investigator of 4 NIH R01 grants, a NIH Program Project Grant, and a NIH U0 grant. Dr. Choi has authored more than 235 original publications in peer-reviewed journals, plus 16 book chapters and 60 reviews. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation and Association of American Physicians. Dr. Choi has served on numerous leadership positions for the American Thoracic Society, including chair of Respiratory and Cell and Molecular Biology Assembly and Scientific Program Committee, chair of the Research Advocacy Committee, and chair of the Task Force on Mentoring/Training. He was the recipient of the 2011 Ho-Am Prize in Medicine, awarded for outstanding contributions to the development of science and medicine, often referred to as the Korean Nobel Prize.

After receiving his medical degree from University of Louisville, Dr. Choi served as an intern, resident and assistant chief resident in internal medicine at Duke University Medical Center. He then completed a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University. Prior to joining Harvard and Brigham and Women's Hospital as chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in 2007, Dr. Choi served on the faculty and medical staff of Johns Hopkins, Yale University and University of Pittsburgh, where he served as chief of pulmonary, allergy and critical care medicine.

Dr. Choi is married to Dr. Mary E. Choi, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. She is a physician-scientist and a practicing nephrologist and will join the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at Weill Cornell Medical College. They have two sons: Justin, who graduated from University of Chicago and is currently a third-year medical student at University of Louisville, and Alex, who is a senior at Boston College.

Weill Cornell Medical College

Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University's medical school located in New York City, is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of medicine, locally, nationally and globally. Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research from bench to bedside, aimed at unlocking mysteries of the human body in health and sickness and toward developing new treatments and prevention strategies. In its commitment to global health and education, Weill Cornell has a strong presence in places such as Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Through the historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, the Medical College is the first in the U.S. to offer its M.D. degree overseas. Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances -- including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer, the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, and most recently, the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. Weill Cornell Medical College is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where its faculty provides comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The Medical College is also affiliated with the Methodist Hospital in Houston. For more information, visit Weill Cornell Medical College.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, based in New York City, is the nation's largest not-for-profit, non-sectarian hospital, with 2,409 beds. The Hospital has nearly 2 million inpatient and outpatient visits in a year, including 12,797 deliveries and 195,294 visits to its emergency departments. NewYork-Presbyterian's 6,144 affiliated physicians and 19,376 staff provide state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine at five major centers: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian/The Allen Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division. One of the most comprehensive health care institutions in the world, the Hospital is committed to excellence in patient care, research, education and community service. NewYork-Presbyterian is the #1 hospital in the New York metropolitan area and is consistently ranked among the best academic medical institutions in the nation, according to U.S.News & World Report. The Hospital has academic affiliations with two of the nation's leading medical colleges: Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.