Geeta Swamy Named Next Dean of Boston University’s Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

BOSTON — Boston University has appointed Geeta Swamy, a prominent obstetrician-gynecologist, researcher and academic leader, as the next dean of its Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.

Swamy, who has spent more than two decades at Duke University, will assume the position on January 1, 2027, according to BU Today.

At Duke, Swamy currently serves as the Haywood Brown, MD Distinguished Professor of Women’s Health, associate vice president for research, and executive vice dean for clinical sciences and research administration at Duke University School of Medicine.

Her appointment follows a search for a successor to Karen Antman, who stepped down as dean in 2025 after 20 years in the role. Hee-Young Park, the Carolann S. Najarian, MD, Chair of Medical Sciences and Education and a professor of dermatology, has served as interim dean since 2025.

Swamy told BU Today that the opportunity to strengthen connections between Boston University, Boston Medical Center and the broader Boston community was a key factor in her decision to take the position.

“What inspired me about this role was the opportunity to connect the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine more deeply to the university through interdisciplinary discovery, to Boston Medical Center through our shared mission, and to the communities of Boston through a commitment to improving health for all,” Swamy said.

Swamy brings extensive experience in clinical medicine, biomedical research and academic administration. Her research has focused on perinatal infection, maternal immunization and complications of pregnancy. She is affiliated with Duke University Hospital and Duke Regional Hospital.

According to BU Today, Swamy joined Duke as an assistant professor in 2004. Early in her career, she led research examining long-term outcomes for children born prematurely. The work found higher rates of childhood mortality and lower rates of parenthood among adults who had been born prematurely and earned Swamy the National Institutes of Health Young Investigator Award for Perinatal Research in 2008.

In 2009, she was also recognized by the NIH for research examining the effects of the H1N1 swine flu pandemic on women.

Swamy subsequently held a number of leadership positions at Duke, including associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, senior associate dean of the School of Medicine, and vice dean and associate vice provost for scientific integrity. She also served as a member of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Swamy was involved in several vaccine trials at Duke. Her work included studying the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines among pregnant women.

Her research has also examined the relationship between environmental, social and political factors and health outcomes affecting women and children.

Boston University President Melissa Gilliam said Swamy’s background in maternal and child health, research administration and academic medicine would be important to the university’s next chapter.

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Swamy during this critical next chapter for Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, and for the University overall,” Gilliam told BU Today.

Gilliam also highlighted Swamy’s experience in research administration, operational leadership and building connections between hospitals and medical schools, describing those experiences as important to strengthening Boston University’s partnership with Boston Medical Center Health System.

Provost and Chief Academic Officer Colin Duckett similarly pointed to Swamy’s background as a physician, scientist and academic leader.

“Dr. Swamy brings an outstanding record as a physician, scientist, and academic leader to this role,” Duckett said, according to BU Today.

He said Swamy’s experience would help the medical school expand its biomedical research portfolio while continuing to provide medical students with advanced clinical and scientific training.

Strengthening the Boston University-Boston Medical Center partnership

Swamy will assume leadership of the medical school at a significant point in the relationship between Boston University and Boston Medical Center Health System.

The institutions have maintained a partnership spanning approximately three decades, with Boston Medical Center serving as the medical school’s primary teaching hospital. The organizations also collaborate through Boston University’s School of Public Health, School of Dental Medicine and other academic programs.

Boston University and BMC launched an initiative in early 2025 to strengthen their relationship and identify additional opportunities for collaboration in research, education and patient care.

Alastair Bell, president and CEO of BMC Health System, told BU Today that the partnership between Boston University and BMC is central to their shared work in research, education and healthcare.

“Dr. Swamy will be a tremendous asset to our shared mission,” Bell said.

Her appointment comes as the medical school advances several significant research initiatives. Researchers at the school recently secured funding to continue the Framingham Heart Study, one of the country’s longstanding studies of cardiovascular and cognitive health. The medical school has also received a Massachusetts Life Sciences Center grant supporting research into historically underexamined women’s health conditions.

Swamy said she plans to approach her new role by listening to and working closely with the university community.

“I am honored and excited to join this remarkable community, and I look forward to listening, learning, and working alongside its faculty, staff, students, and partners to shape the school’s next chapter together,” she said, according to BU Today.

Swamy earned her bachelor’s degree in public health and biostatistics and her medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Pittsburgh and a fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at Duke.

She will begin her tenure as dean of Boston University’s Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine on January 1, 2027.