January 4, 2008

Kleinman named MGHfC physician-in-chief

Ronald E. Kleinman, MD, (left) has been named chief of the Department of Pediatrics and physician-in-chief of the MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC). Kleinman has served in an interim capacity in these leadership roles for more than a year.

Affiliated with the MGH for the past 30 years, Kleinman, a professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School (HMS), has served since 1986 as chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at the MGHfC. His specific research interests include gastrointestinal immunology; developmental gastroenterology; treatment of acute diarrheal disease; and the psychosocial, cognitive and physical effects of hunger in children. He has completed landmark studies on the importance of breakfast for children, work that has been integral in sustaining support for national school breakfast programs. He also has led numerous national committees and advisory groups related to issues of diet and nutrition. In addition, Kleinman sits
on the boards of Project Bread and the Global Child Nutrition Foundation.

A graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., Kleinman earned his medical degree from New York Medical College in Valhalla, N.Y., and a master's degree from HMS. He completed a residency in Pediatrics at Montefiore Hospital and Medical Center in New York before coming to the MGH in 1977 as a clinical and research fellow in the Pediatric Gastrointestinal and Nutrition Unit.

Since joining the MGH clinical staff in 1980, Kleinman has distinguished himself through numerous contributions to the hospital's management and governance. He has chaired the MGH's Clinical Practice Management/Quality Improvement Committee of the Children's Service Committee since 1993 and currently serves as a member of the MGPO Board of Trustees.