Cleveland Clinic Children’s Has a New Chair

Karen F. Murray, MD, a respected pediatric clinician and researcher, has been appointed Chair of Cleveland Clinic’s Pediatric Institute, Physician-in-Chief of Cleveland Clinic Children’s and President of Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital for Rehabilitation.

She will start at Cleveland Clinic in early July. Dr. Murray will succeed Rita Pappas, MD, who has served as interim Chair since 2017.

“I’m excited to help lead and make the nation even more aware of the excellent pediatric program at Cleveland Clinic Children’s,” Dr. Murray says. “The professional staff delivers world-class clinical care and conducts innovative research, which advances knowledge and benefits patients and families.”

Dr. Murray joins Cleveland Clinic from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, where she served as Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs for the Department of Pediatrics and Professor and Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Recently, she has also served as Interim Chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Pediatrician-in-Chief of Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Her clinical interests include gastroenterology and transplantation. Her research is focused on hepatology, primarily the treatment and pathophysiology of childhood liver disease, such as hepatitis B and C viral infections, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and cholestatic liver diseases in childhood. She has spearheaded efforts to eliminate pediatric hepatitis C by bringing two highly effective adult drugs to infected children. She also has a passion for mentoring pediatrics residents.

Dr. Murray chairs the Gastroenterology Sub-board of the American Board of Pediatrics. She has served on the steering committees of three National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases clinical research networks related to her research.

From 2006 to 2013, she served on the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. In 2016, she become President of the North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She has received many awards, including selection as a “Top Doctor” in Seattle from 2006 – 2018.

Dr. Murray earned her medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore in 1990. In 1993, she completed her internship and residency in pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, where she served as Chief Resident from 1993-1994.

In 1997, she completed a clinical and research fellowship at the Combined Program in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition from Boston Children’s Hospital and the Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School.

In 2016, Dr. Murray completed an executive leadership fellowship through the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Fellowship Program for Women at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia.