Dr. Jeffrey Drazen stands as a preeminent figure in pulmonary medicine and academic medical leadership with a distinguished career spanning over five decades. He currently holds the position of Distinguished Parker B. Francis Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School while serving as Professor of Physiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Born and raised in Clayton, Missouri, Dr. Drazen completed his undergraduate studies in applied physics at Tufts University before earning his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1972. His professional journey includes a significant tenure as senior physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital and adjunct professorships at Boston University School of Medicine, establishing him as a central figure in Boston's academic medical community.
Dr. Drazen's pioneering research in pulmonary medicine has fundamentally advanced our understanding of asthma pathophysiology through his identification of novel endogenous chemical agents central to the disease mechanism. His groundbreaking investigations directly contributed to the development of four licensed pharmaceuticals now prescribed to tens of millions of asthma patients worldwide, transforming therapeutic approaches to this chronic respiratory condition. With an extensive scholarly record exceeding 600 publications including original research articles, editorials, and book chapters, he has profoundly shaped the field through his scientific contributions and intellectual leadership. His work editing multiple editions of seminal medical textbooks including Goldman-Cecil Medicine has further cemented his influence on medical education and practice across generations of physicians.
As Editor-in-Chief of the New England Journal of Medicine from 2000 to 2019, Dr. Drazen guided one of the world's most influential medical publications through pivotal moments in global health including the SARS, Ebola, and Zika virus outbreaks. He championed transformative initiatives that positioned the journal at the forefront of worldwide efforts to register clinical trials and share clinical trial data, significantly advancing research transparency and reproducibility. Currently serving as Editor of NEJM Group, he continues to shape medical discourse while maintaining an active research program in pulmonary physiology. His enduring commitment to scientific excellence and his leadership role in the National Academy of Medicine's Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation ensure his ongoing impact on the future direction of medical research and publishing.
