Harry C Dietz

Biography

Dr. Harry “Hal” Dietz is a professor of pediatrics, an associate professor of medicine and an assistant professor of neurological surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the Victor A. McKusick Professor of Genetics and also serves as the director of the William S. Smilow Center for Marfan Syndrome Research. Recognized as the world’s leading authority on Marfan syndrome, Dr. Dietz conducted genomic mapping and research on therapeutic agents for deficiencies in the genetic protein fibrillin, which is linked to Marfan syndrome. His research contributions have made diagnosis of the condition patient-specific and accurate. He has received more than 50 national and international awards and honors, including the Antoine Marfan Award from the National Marfan Foundation and the Art of Listening Award from the American Heart Association. Dr. Dietz is an ad hoc reviewer for 19 different organizations, including the American Journal of Cardiology, the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine and the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Over more than two decades, Dr. Dietz has mentored approximately 50 predoctoral and postdoctoral researchers. He has authored 213 original publications in peer-reviewed journals, 22 textbook chapters and 226 abstracts, and has also delivered more than 350 lectures on Marfan syndrome and related genetic disorders. Dr. Dietz completed his B.S. at Duke University and received his M.D. from the SUNY Upstate School of Medicine. He completed a pediatric residency and a cardiology fellowship at Johns Hopkins University before joining the faculty in 1992. He is also board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics.

Research Interest

Pathogenesis of Marfan syndrome; Molecular basis of inherited disorders of vascular development and homeostasis; Genetics of aging; Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay; Cardiovascular genetics; Connective tissue disorders