Nationwide Children’s Hospital welcomes Beth Kozel, MD, PhD, as the hospital’s division chief of Genetic and Genomic Medicine and director of Constitutional Genomics Translational Research in the Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Nationwide Children’s Hospital welcomes Beth Kozel, MD, PhD, as the hospital’s division chief of Genetic and Genomic Medicine and director of Constitutional Genomics Translational Research in the Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine. She is also a principal investigator in the Institute for Genomic Medicine.
“Dr. Kozel’s leadership and expertise will help advance the many innovations emerging from our Institue for Genomic Medicine,” said Dennis Durbin, MD, MSCE, president, Abigail Wexner Research Institute (AWRI) at Nationwide Children’s. “Her work embodies the concept of translating scientific discoveries from the lab to clinical practice, observing rare human conditions, then investigating the underlying mechanisms using animal and cell models.”
“We are pleased to have her join us as a division chief where she will join our exceptional faculty enhancing the promise of genetic and genomic medicine in our patients,” said Catherine Krawzceski, MD, physician in chief at Nationwide Children’s and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. “Dr. Kozel’s impact extends beyond research – she has actively shaped rare disease guidelines on a global scale. Clinicians seek her counsel for patients with connective tissue conditions, valuing her expertise. As an educator, she has excelled, earning awards for her mentorship and teaching efforts.”
Dr. Kozel is a clinical geneticist with extensive experience in genetics, vascular and matrix biology with recent research efforts focusing on designing methods for genetic modifier discovery in rare disease cohorts, specifically Williams Syndrome and isolated supravalvular aortic stenosis. She previously directed the multidisciplinary Williams Syndrome Center at Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. She has served on governing bodies and promoted equity in science throughout her career. In 2023, Dr. Kozel was co-awarded the 2023 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s Award, as a member of the Vascular Diagnostics Center team for establishment of the first-of-its-kind center at the NIH.
Dr. Kozel has authored more than 75 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and is active in multiple research and clinical societies. She is engaged in local, national and international research and patient-focused advocacy. To date, she has mentored more than 30 undergraduate, postbaccalaureate, medical students and post-doctoral fellows in various capacities.
“I am thrilled to join Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Institute for Genomic Medicine,” said Beth Kozel, MD, PhD. “With genome technologies rapidly expanding, now is the time to harness those advancements and fully integrate the promise of genetic technologies into clinical care – allowing Nationwide Children's to lead the way in modern genomic diagnostic approaches, precision genetics-based care and therapeutics.”
About The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital
Named to the Top 10 Honor Roll on U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-24 list of “Best Children’s Hospitals,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of America’s largest not-for-profit free-standing pediatric health care systems providing unique expertise in pediatric population health, behavioral health, genomics and health equity as the next frontiers in pediatric medicine, leading to best outcomes for the health of the whole child. Integrated clinical and research programs are part of what allows Nationwide Children’s to advance its unique model of care. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children’s faculty train the next generation of pediatricians, scientists and pediatric specialists. The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the Top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded free-standing pediatric research facilities in the U.S., supporting basic, clinical, translational, behavioral and population health research. The AWRI is comprised of multidisciplinary Centers of Emphasis paired with advanced infrastructure supporting capabilities such as technology commercialization for discoveries; gene- and cell-based therapies; and genome sequencing and analysis. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org/Research.