Dr. Fayez K. Ghishan Named Medical Director for the Clinical and Translational Sciences Research Center

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Fayez K. Ghishan, MD, as medical director for the Clinical and Translational Sciences Research Center (CATS) at the University of Arizona Health Sciences. Dr. Ghishan is chair of the Department of Pediatrics, director of the University of Arizona Steele Children's Research Center and the physician-in-chief at Banner Diamond Children’s Medical Center.

The CATS Research Center was created to support a wide range of clinical and translational research for both the University of Arizona and Banner – University Medical Center Tucson. It offers space, materials, training, and qualified experts and staff in one accessible location for active studies in more than 50 disease categories. As a centralized medical research location, CATS provides a variety of services to investigators from study start-up to closeout, and allows for convenient access to hospital resources, such as laboratories, radiology and other clinical departments.

As the medical director for CATS, Dr. Ghishan will be responsible for maintaining a superior clinical environment and overseeing clinical research operations in support of medical studies. He will lead the strategic deployment of CATS resources and services to effectively respond to the needs of study participants, investigators and sponsors. He will also coordinate with our clinical partner Banner – UMC Tucson on all aspects of medical research, including the delivery of safe and consistent care to patients. In this regard, Dr. Ghishan will continue the important work of his predecessor, Irving Kron, MD, who successfully implemented a new compliance risk assessment review to ensure participant safety and clinical research competence.

Dr. Ghishan, who joined the University of Arizona in 1995, is an accomplished physician-scientist, researcher and educator recognized internationally for his contributions to the field of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition. Dr. Ghishan has contributed to our current understanding of fundamental aspects of gastroenterology with groundbreaking scientific discoveries, including cloning genes involved in intestinal function. He holds two MERIT awards from the National Institutes of Health for Consistent and Excellent Contributions to Scientific Knowledge.

Dr. Ghishan is also a passionate advocate for children’s health and builds trust with his young patients and their families to deliver the best pediatric care. As a professor of medicine in pediatrics, he shares his enthusiasm and knowledge with his students, and has mentored many early-career scientists who have become leaders in their specialties. In his leadership roles, Dr. Ghishan is viewed as an inclusive and compassionate leader who mobilizes others in achieving common goals and upholding the highest ethical standards.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Ghishan on his appointment. I am confident that his experience, as well as his unwavering commitment to scientific discovery and patient care, will propel the CATS Research Center as a strategic resource for Health Sciences in our pursuit of research advancements and solutions to health challenges.

Michael D. Dake, MD
Senior Vice President for University of Arizona Health Sciences