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Julie Byerley, MD, MPH

Julie Byerley, MD, MPH, is president and dean of the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, and executive vice president and chief academic officer of Geisinger.

As president and dean, Dr. Byerley provides leadership that fosters excellence, innovation and a focus on learners, patients and the promotion of health. Her focus is to maintain the school as an industry leader and model its community service mission. As chief academic officer, Dr. Byerley oversees the management of educational experiences for learners throughout Geisinger, including graduate medical education, nursing, pharmacy, advanced practitioners and other health professions.

She also oversees Geisinger’s world-renowned research environment that includes more than 50 full-time research faculty and more than 30 clinician investigators responsible for groundbreaking medical advancements such as the MyCode Community Health Initiative. Geisinger’s research expertise spans precision health, genomics, informatics, data science, implementation science, outcomes research, health services research, bioethics and participation in hundreds of clinical trials each year.

Dr. Byerley previously served as vice dean for academic affairs at UNC School of Medicine, where she oversaw the school’s educational enterprise and the Office of Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development.  Under Byerley’s leadership, the SOM has made significant innovations including the Translational Education at Carolina (TEC) curriculum, creation of the Office of Rural Initiatives, establishment of the Wilmington branch campus, and a new medical education building. She was co-PI of the $1.8M AMA Reimagining Residency grant and was involved in the AMA Accelerating Change in Medical Education Consortium.

She is a Professor of Pediatrics.  Previously Dr. Byerley served the UNC Department of Pediatrics as Pediatric Residency Program Director and Vice Chair for Education, after leading the clerkship for a decade. She has served on the Executive Committee for COMSEP and is engaged in many national organizations.  Dr. Byerley practiced as a general pediatrician in the inpatient setting and the Complex Care and Diagnostic Clinic.

Her scholarship has included writings on mentorship, professionalism, curricular innovation, and ensuring that learners add value. She is committed to producing the physician workforce to be of greatest service to patients and populations.

Dr. Byerley earned a BA in Physics at Rhodes College. Before medical school at Duke University, she worked as a high school science teacher. She completed her Residency and Chief Residency at UNC and earned a Master’s of Public Health at UNC in Maternal and Child Health.  What Dr. Byerley loves most is her family, including two young adult sons and a husband of more than 30 years.