Dr. Edwin Deitch is a preeminent surgical researcher and academic leader whose work has fundamentally transformed understanding of critical care medicine and trauma response. He currently serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, where he has elevated the department to become one of the top ten Departments of Surgery in NIH research funding since his leadership began in 1994. With over fifty years of distinguished medical practice, Dr. Deitch previously held significant positions including Professor of Surgery and Director of Trauma and Burns at Louisiana State University in Shreveport, establishing himself as a national authority in surgical critical care. His medical education began at the University of Maryland, laying the foundation for a career dedicated to advancing trauma surgery and understanding complex systemic responses to injury.
Dr. Deitch pioneered the groundbreaking gut hypothesis of Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS), revolutionizing the field by demonstrating how gut-derived bacteria and inflammatory mediators serve as critical triggers for systemic organ failure following severe trauma or burns. Beginning in the early 1980s through his collaborative work with Dr. Rodney Berg, he established that reduced intestinal blood flow during shock states permits bacterial translocation that drives systemic inflammation, fundamentally reshaping clinical approaches to critically injured patients. His seminal research established the gut as the "motor" of MODS, challenging previous paradigms and creating new therapeutic pathways that have influenced critical care practices worldwide. With more than 280 peer-reviewed publications, three influential books, and continuous NIH funding since 1983, his contributions represent one of the most sustained and impactful research programs in surgical science.
As a transformative leader, Dr. Deitch has served as president of multiple prestigious national societies including the Society of University Surgeons, The American Burn Association, and the Shock Society, significantly shaping the trajectory of surgical research and education. His scholarly influence extends through editorial leadership on nine professional journals and extensive mentorship of generations of surgical researchers who now lead departments across the country. Consistently recognized as one of the "Best Doctors in the U.S.," "Best Doctors in New Jersey," and "Top Doctors in the New York Metro Area" since 1999, his expertise has been sought at over 70 universities and medical schools in the United States and 33 international conferences. Dr. Deitch continues to advance the frontiers of sepsis research and trauma response mechanisms, with his current work exploring novel interventions to prevent organ failure in critically ill patients, thereby extending his enduring legacy of scientific innovation in surgical critical care.
