(Columbus, Ohio) – Today, Gail E. Besner, MD, chief of pediatric surgery at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the William Clatworthy Jr. Professor of Surgery in the Department of Surgery at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, was elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Election to NAM is considered one of the highest honors in the field of medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. Dr. Besner is the third faculty member from Nationwide Children’s Hospital to be appointed to this prestigious organization.
New members are elected by current members through a process that recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health. NAM recognized Dr. Besner for “being an internationally renowned expert on novel therapeutics to prevent necrotizing enterocolitis since her seminal discovery of heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (1990). Her pioneering research on administering probiotics in their biofilm state to protect the intestines and brain has progressed to a recently completed first-in-human FDA-approved Phase-1 clinical trial.”
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a debilitating and deadly condition affecting infants born prematurely. In NEC cases, intestinal tissues become inflamed, and in severe cases, there is ischemia and death of the involved intestines. Treatment for NEC often involves surgery to remove the diseased intestines, and in its most severe forms the mortality rate approaches 50%.
“Dr. Besner’s pioneering contributions and innovative leadership in pediatric surgical research clearly demonstrate our strategic goal of achieving best outcomes for children everywhere,” said Dennis Durbin, MD, MSCE, president of the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s. “Election to NAM is a richly deserved acknowledgement of Dr. Besner’s exemplary career.”
Dr. Besner joined the Nationwide Children’s faculty in 1991, where she is also a principal investigator in the Center for Perinatal Research in the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s.
“These newly elected members represent the most exceptional scholars and leaders whose remarkable work has advanced science, medicine and health in the U.S. and around the globe,” said Victor J. Dzau, president of NAM. “Their expertise will be vital to addressing today’s most pressing health and scientific challenges and informing the future of health and medicine for the benefit of us all. I am honored to welcome these esteemed individuals to the National Academy of Medicine.”
Earlier this year, the American Surgical Association awarded Dr. Besner the Medallion for Scientific Achievement, the highest honor bestowed by the association. The association gives this award only when a worthy recipient is nominated. Dr. Besner is only the third pediatric surgeon and the second woman ever to receive this award. She also received Nationwide Children’s Surgical Career Achievement Recognition Award in 2025 for exceptional dedication, leadership and contributions to the field of pediatric surgery. In 2024, Dr. Besner received the Daniel Drake Medal from her alma mater University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, the highest recognition that the college can bestow on its faculty and was named the Allen Distinguished Scholar in Pediatric Research, given to a preeminent Nationwide Children’s senior researcher for scientific innovation and achievement advancing the understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of childhood disease. Dr. Besner will assume the presidency of the American Pediatric Surgical Association in 2026.
“Dr. Besner clearly deserves this national recognition not only for her important contributions to the field of pediatric surgery, but to the countless families whose lives she has touched,” said Carol Bradford, MD, dean of The Ohio State University College of Medicine and vice president for health sciences at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Dr. Besner is an exceptional physician-scientist whose research will benefit children and families for decades to come.”
About the National Academy of Medicine
Established originally as the Institute of Medicine in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine addresses critical issues in health, science, medicine, and related policy and inspires positive actions across sectors. NAM works alongside the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding of STEMM. With their election, NAM members make a commitment to volunteer their service in National Academies activities.