Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and Loyola Medicine Appoint Internationally-Recognized Expert in Lung Disease to Lead Department of Medicine

MAYWOOD, IL – Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and Loyola Medicine, its academic medical center partner and a member of Trinity Health, announce the appointment of Marilyn Glassberg Csete, MD, as chair of the department of medicine, effective July 1, 2022.

“As a physician-scientist experienced in academic medicine, Dr. Glassberg understands the importance of balancing education, research, and patient care while serving the needs of each component’s stakeholders,” said Sam J. Marzo, MD, dean, chief diversity officer, and professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery and neurosurgery, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. “Her ground-breaking research, combined with a track record developing mentorship, faculty recruitment and diversity programs at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and Banner Health makes her an ideal leader of our department of medicine at this juncture,” he said.

Dr. Glassberg Csete joins Loyola from the University of Arizona College of Medicine and Banner University Medical Center, both in Phoenix, where she is the inaugural division chief of pulmonary medicine, critical care, and sleep medicine; the vice-chair for diversity and inclusion, as well as senior director of clinical research and strategy and growth for the department of internal medicine. Board-certified in pulmonary medicine, Dr. Glassberg is an internationally-recognized expert in interstitial and rare lung diseases.

For more than 25 years, Dr. Glassberg has spearheaded “bench to bedside” medicine by conducting National Institutes of Health (NIH), industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated clinical trials in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Her team conducted the first in man Phase One clinical trial of intravenous infusion of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in patients with IPF. A sought-after presenter at national and international conferences, Dr. Glassberg has participated in and presented at the Vatican’s global conferences focusing on healthcare initiatives.

Prior to her tenure in Phoenix, Dr. Glassberg was chief of the Pulmonary Division of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where she also earned her MD. She completed her residency at the University of Miami Affiliated Hospitals in the Department of Internal Medicine and her fellowship in Pulmonary Medicine. She was a member of the faculty for 27 years.

An Honors graduate of Wellesley College with a BA in Biology/Psychology, Dr. Glassberg conducted her honors thesis under Dr. Andrew Webb in Dr. Robert Trelstad’s lab at Shriner’s Burn Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital. She completed postgraduate research training with Drs. Judah Folkman, Murray Bern and Bruce Zetter at Children’s Hospital Boston and Drs. Una Ryan and J. David Puett at the University of Miami.

Dr. Glassberg has received continuous research funding from the NIH and U.S. Department of Defense, as well as foundations and public companies. With the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic in Phoenix, she directed efforts with the Indian Health Service and the State of Arizona to enhance healthcare services for the Native American and underserved populations throughout Arizona. She also worked with medical students, house staff, and junior faculty at U Arizona/Banner in Phoenix and Tucson to conduct seminal clinical research that resulted in several publications in COVID-related lung disease.

“The overarching goal of a strong Department of Medicine is to deliver safe, state-of-the-art patient-centered care while providing pivotal educational opportunities for students, residents, fellows and faculty; and to conduct basic, clinical and translational research,” said Glassberg Csete. “I look forward to working with my new colleagues, especially faculty, to ensure that they can thrive in an ever-demanding environment,” she said.

“Dr. Glassberg brings a unique combination of growing clinical centers of excellence that will contribute to the strength of one of Loyola Medicine’s most important and clinically diverse departments,” said Richard Freeman, MD, regional chief clinical officer, Loyola Medicine. “She comes to us at a time of intense collaboration between departments as we focus our efforts on regionalizing our clinical services to provide the highest quality, compassionate care to our patients and their families,” he said.

"With her commitment to (and experience in) optimizing collaboration among various specialties and growing key, clinical services to enhance the quality of patient care, Dr. Glassberg will help Loyola Medicine write a new chapter in its ongoing evolution,” said Richard Freeman, MD, MBA, FACS, chief clinical officer, Loyola Medicine, and vice dean of clinical affairs and professor of surgery, Stritch School of Medicine. "Her approach to problem-solving and leveraging and giving voice to faculty talents can create enduring change and a high level of clinical and financial performance,” he said.

Dr. Glassberg serves on the Scientific Advisory Committee of the American Lung Association and Scientific Review Board of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. She has held several national positions as a member of professional societies, including the American Thoracic Society and the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) and its National Diversity Committee.