About Colleen Ryan, MD

Colleen M. Ryan MD, FACS, is a Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, and has 30 years of clinical experience in burn surgery at the Sumner Redstone Burn Center at the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Shriners Hospitals for Children - Boston.  Former co-Director of the Sumner Redstone Burn Center, Dr. Ryan's current clinical and research efforts are focused on improving the care and outcomes for people with burn injuries.  She serves as the Director for Burn Outcomes and in this role is defining the health needs of the new population of burn survivors, recognizing that the acute condition has evolved into a chronic phase that benefits from continued medical support.  Dr. Ryan has clinical experience in responding to several burn surge disasters including the 2003 Rhode Island Station Nightclub Fire.  She is Chairperson of the Organization and Delivery of Burn Care Committee of the American Burn Association and serves as the American Burn Association representative to Dr. Robert Kadlec, the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response and serves at the American Burn Association's seat on the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine's Forum on Medical Preparedness addressing response to burn disasters.  Dr. Ryan has authored over 250 publications including topics in burn prevention, burn management, burn outcomes and disaster response.  Dr. Ryan is a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster PA, and Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC. She completed her Harvard surgical residency and fellowship at the New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston and the Hammersmith Hospital at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School in London, respectively.  Dr. Ryan continues to consult on patients at MGH at the request of partners and sees children with burn injuries at the Shriners Hospitals for Children-Boston. 

Departments, Centers, & Programs:

Clinical Interests:

Treats:

Locations

Mass General Surgery: Burn Center
55 Fruit St.
Gray Bigelow Building
Suite 1303
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 617-726-3712

Medical Education

  • MD, Georgetown University School of Medicine
  • Residency, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
  • Residency, Hammersmith Hospital

American Board Certifications

  • Surgery, American Board of Surgery
  • Surgical Critical Care, American Board of Surgery

Accepted Insurance Plans

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Research

The Program for Burn Recovery aims to improve burn survival, understand the health needs of the burn survivors , and provide new treatments and better access to care for people with burn injuries through research and policy.  The Program has multiple components:

Burn Prevention Efforts and Legislation: Recent work includes lobbying for Massachusetts fireworks safety legislation, federal legislation on fire-starter and residential sprinklers, and public information on dangers of gas-fronted gas fireplaces for children

Disaster Preparedness: Collaboration with the MGH Center for Disaster Preparedness on the ASPR's Regional Disaster Health Response System recognizes and addresses bottlenecks in the treatment of large numbers of burn victims in a disaster situation.  

The Boston-Harvard Burn Injury Model System:  Dr. Ryan serves as the Clinical Director of this prestigious center grant directed at improving the lives of burn survivors.

The Shriners Hospitals for Children Burn Outcome Program: Dr. Ryan is the Principal Investigator in several funded multi center studies at the Shriners Hospitals developing metrics quality of life metrics for child burn survivors.

Dr. Ryan is also a significant collaborator in other work involving infection (Dr. L Rahme), scar (Dr. J Friedstat) and childhood trauma (Dr. G Saxe)

Dr. Ryan currently receives funding  from multiple sources including the National Institutes on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness Response Grants, the Department of Defense, the Shriners Hospitals for Children, NIH and the Fraser Fund of the Massachusetts General Hospital.  

Publications

  • Selected Reports:

    • Ryan CM et al. Objective estimates of the probability of death from burns. N Engl J Med 1998;338:362
    • Yu YM, Ryan CM et al. Energy expenditure in burns. JPEN 1999;23:160
    • Sheridan RL, Ryan CM et al. Outcome of children surviving burns. JAMA 2000;283:69
    • Ryan CM et al. Use of Integra artificial skin. J Burn Care Rehabil 2002;23:311
    • Schneider J, Ryan CM et al. Pain after burns. J Burn Care Res, 2006 27:524
    • Goyal S, Ryan CM et al. Toxic epidermal necrolysis in children. J Burn Care Res, 2009;30:437
    • Schneider J, Ryan CM et al. Barriers impacting employment after burns. J Burn Care Res 2009 30:294
    • Griggs C, Schneider JC, Kazis LE, Ryan CM. Patient Reported Outcome Measures: A Stethoscope for the Patient History. Ann Surg. 2017 Jun;265(6):1066-1067. 

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