Leadership
Helen W. Boucher, MD, FACP, FIDSA, (Hon) FRCPI
Dean and Professor of Medicine
Helen Boucher is the dean and professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and chief academic officer of the Tufts Medicine. An active Infectious Diseases physician, she was previously chief of the Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Tufts Medical Center, and director of the Stuart B. Levy Center for Integrated Management of Antimicrobial Resistance (Levy CIMAR).
Boucher’s clinical interests include infections in immunocompromised patients and S. aureus infections. Her research interests focus on S. aureus and the development of new anti-infective agents. She is the chair of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG) Innovations Working Group, and serves on the Executive and Steering Committees. Boucher is the author or coauthor of numerous abstracts, chapters, and peer-reviewed articles, which have been published in such journals as The New England Journal of Medicine, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Clinical Infectious Diseases, and The Annals of Internal Medicine. She is Associate Editor of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, editor of the Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy, and Infectious Diseases Clinics of North America.
In 2015, Boucher was appointed a voting member of the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB), and elected Treasurer of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). She was awarded the IDSA Society Citation Award in October 2015. Boucher serves as chair of the Board of Trustees of The College of the Holy Cross and as chair of the Board of Trustees of the Physicians of Tufts Medical Center.
Laura Baecher-Lind, MD, MPH
Dean of Educational Affairs
Laura Baecher-Lind has been part of the Tufts organization since 2009 as a busy OB-GYN physician. She was previously the director of the TUSM OB-GYN clerkship and has led the Division of General OB-GYN at Tufts Medical Center. In her current role as dean of educational affairs, Baecher-Lind takes an engaged and analytic approach to her work to advance medical education and to ensure an inclusive curriculum. She actively publishes in both clinical and medical education literature and serves on several national organizations including Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), as well as several subcommittees devoted to inclusive clinical and learning environments. In her free time, Baecher-Lind loves nothing more than hiking, camping, or kayaking with her husband, three children, and geriatric golden doodle.
Michael Chin, MD, PhD
Dean of Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences
Michael Chin is Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) at Tufts University School of Medicine and serve the community of faculty scientists, students, and staff. In this role, he hopes to foster the growth of the enterprise by recruiting and training young scientists and forging partnerships within the greater community of TUSM and TMC, where he remains active as a Research Director, practicing physician and medical educator. He has more than three decades of experience as a faculty member in medicine and science, while building additional entrepreneurial, management and administrative skills. He obtained his MD and PhD degrees through the Medical Scientist Training program at the University of Rochester, then completed Internal Medicine training at Johns Hopkins Hospital, a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute on Aging, Cardiology training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and has served on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and the University of Washington, where he obtained a Certificate in Medical Management prior to joining Tufts. At Tufts Medical Center, he serves as Research Director for the Tufts Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center and Investigator in the Molecular Cardiology Research Institute. At TUSM, he is a Professor of Medicine and Director of the Medical Scientist Training Program. He is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, and a Fellow of the American Heart Association. He is an internationally recognized expert in cardiovascular molecular biology and has run an NIH-funded research laboratory for many years. His educational interests focus on fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and resilience. He enjoys walking the beach on Cape Cod with his family, noting the coastal flora and fauna and occasionally providing resilience training for striped bass by educating them about the hazards of artificial lures prior to releasing them.
Deborah Erlich, MD, MMedEd, FAAFP
Interim Vice Dean of Academic Affairs
Deborah Erlich is a professor of family medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. She previously served as dean of clinical affairs, collaborating with hospitals and affiliates to secure student rotations and support faculty development. A committed educator, Erlich has taught extensively in the MD and PA programs and directed the Family Medicine Clerkship for nine years. She also serves as vice chair of education in the Department of Family Medicine. Clinically, she practices family medicine at Beth Israel Lahey Health in Jamaica Plain, focusing on women’s health and pediatric care. Erlich earned her MD from Tufts, completed residency and fellowship at Cambridge Health Alliance, and holds a master’s in medical education from the University of Dundee.
Scott Epstein, MD
Director of Continuous Quality Improvement & Accreditation, Medical Director of the PA Program
Scott Epstein is a professor of medicine and public health & community medicine at TUSM. He serves as the director of continuous quality improvement (CQI) and accreditation, and as medical director of the Physician Assistant program. A 1984 TUSM graduate, he completed internal medicine residency training and served as chief medical resident at Tufts Medical Center. In 1992, he joined the Pulmonary and Critical Care Division at Tufts Medical Center, eventually directing the Medical Intensive Care Unit and conducting research on mechanical ventilation and various aspects of critical care. From 2004-2007, he was Vice Chair for Education, Residency Program Director, and Clerkship Director in the Department of Medicine at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, a Tufts teaching hospital. Epstein then spent 15 years as TUSM dean for educational affairs. During that time, he led two major curricular revisions and two successful LCME accreditations. He has been a committed educator in the classroom and at the bedside. He directed the 2nd year TUSM Pulmonary Course for nearly 25 years and now co-directs the Introduction to Clinical Reasoning Course.
Heather Gasper
Executive Director, Office of the Dean of the School of Medicine and Chief Academic Officer of Tufts Medicine
Heather Gasper is the executive director for the office of the dean of Tufts University School of Medicine and chief academic officer of Tufts Medicine. She has the distinct pleasure of supporting and advancing the school’s vision of becoming the premier medical school revolutionizing health education and inspiring discovery now and for future generations. Driven by a passion for helping people and mission-based work, she is proud to work on behalf of an institution with such strong core values. Prior to her role as executive director, Gasper has had senior roles at Boston City Hall and Boston Public Health Partners HealthCare, and as a congressional advisor to Congressman Michael Capuano in his DC office. She earned a B.A. in Political Science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.
MaryPat Lohse, PhD
Interim Executive Associate Dean
MaryPat Lohse serves as the interim executive associate dean at TUSM. With more than twenty-five years of experience in higher education, she serves as a member of the dean’s leadership team and provides hands-on leadership in the development and execution of core initiatives at the School of Medicine. Prior to joining Tufts, MaryPat worked at Lesley University, Brandeis University, Boston College, and Wheelock College. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Canisius College, a master’s degree in administration, planning, and social policy from Harvard University's Graduate School of Education, and a doctorate in higher education administration from Boston College.
Margie Skeer, ScD, MPH, MSW
Chair and Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine
Margie Skeer is a Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine. She received her Masters of Social Work and Masters of Public Health from Boston University and her Doctor of Science in social and behavioral sciences from the Harvard School of Public Health. She then completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Brown University Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies. She joined the faculty at the Tufts University School of Medicine in 2011 as an Assistant Professor and became a Professor in 2022. Skeer leads several research studies focusing on interventions related to substance use and prevention and serves as an active member in a local substance use prevention coalition. Due to her impressive contributions to the field, she has been interviewed by various media outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Time Magazine. Dr. Skeer is passionate about the research that she and her incredible team are engaged in and looks forward to seeing the impact of this highly important work.
Kristin Tommey
Senior Director of Development and Alumni Engagement
Kristin Tommey leads fundraising and alumni engagement for the Tufts School of Medicine and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Passionate about building joyous, collaborative, and high-achieving teams, Kristin has spent her career in higher education and academic medicine developing strategies that inspire donors and advance institutional priorities. Prior to returning to Tufts (her alma mater) in November 2023, Kristin led advancement for the Museum of Science following 13 years at The University of Texas at Austin. At UT, she led development for the new Dell Medical School and its UT Health Austin clinical practice, launching the school's grateful patient program, as well as its participation in the university's historic $6B What Starts Here campaign. Additionally, she led development communications at the Cockrell School of Engineering and School of Undergraduate Studies. Kristin is a proud Tufts undergraduate alum and served as managing editor of the Tufts Daily while earning her bachelor's degree in International Relations and German.
Malak AlThgafi, MBBS-MD, MBA
Chair and Professor of Pathology,
Professor of Neurosurgery,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Pathologist-in-Chief,
Tufts Medical Center
Wayne J. Altman, MD, FAAFP
Jaharis Family Chair in Family Medicine,
Professor of Family Medicine,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Michael Baumann, MD
Chair and Professor of Emergency Medicine,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Chief of Emergency Medicine,
Maine Medical Center
Geoffrey G. Binney, MD, MPH
Chair and David And Leona F. Karp Professor of Pediatrics,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Pediatrician-in-Chief,
Tufts Medical Center
Charles Cassidy, MD
Henry H. Banks Chair and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery,
Chair of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Orthopaedist-in-Chief,
Tufts Medical Center
Christopher Dulla, PhD
Chair of Neuroscience,
Annetta and Gustav Grisard Professor in Neuroscience,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Jairam Rao Eswara, MD, FACS
Chair and Associate Professor of Urology,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Chief of Urology,
Tufts Medical Center
Brent P. Forester, MD, MSc
Dr. Frances S. Arkin Chair and Professor of Psychiatry,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Psychiatrist-in-Chief,
Tufts Medical Center
Karen Freund, MD, MPH
Chair and Sheldon M. Wolff Professor of Medicine,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Physician-in-Chief,
Tufts Medical Center
Jason Hall, MD, MPH
Benjamin Andrews Chair and Professor of Surgery,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Surgeon-in-Chief,
Tufts Medical Center
Daichi Hayashi, MD, PhD, MHCM
Alice Ettinger – Jack R. Dreyfuss Chair and Professor of Radiology,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Chair of Radiology,
Tufts Medical Center
Eric Hegedus, PT, DPT, PhD, MHSc
Chair and Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences
Tufts University School of Medicine
Berri Jacque, PhD
Chair and Professor of Medical Education
Tufts University School of Medicine
Matthew Katz, MD, FASTRO
Interim Chair of Radiation Oncology and Associate Professor of Medicine,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Interim Chair of Radiation Oncology,
Tufts Medical Center
John Leong, MD, PhD
Chair of Molecular Biology and Microbiology,
Edith Rieva and Hyman S. Trilling Professor,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Karl Munger, PhD
Chair of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology,
Dorothy Todd Bishop Research Professor,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Miriam O'Leary, MD, FACS
Chair and Associate Professor of Otolaryngology,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Chair of Otolaryngology,
Tufts Medical Center
Alexander Poltorak, PhD
Chair and Professor of Immunology
Tufts University School of Medicine
John Adam Reich, MD
Chair and Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Anesthesiologist-in-Chief,
Tufts Medical Center
Ron Riesenburger, MD
Chair and Professor of Neurosurgery,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Chair of Neurosurgery,
Tufts Medical Center
Soma Sengupta, MD, Phd, MBA
Chair and Professor of Neurology,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Neurologist-in-Chief,
Tufts Medical Center
Margie Skeer, ScD, MPH, MSW
Chair and Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
M. Reza Vagefi, MD
Chair and Professor of Ophthalmology,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Chair of Ophthalmology, Tufts Medical Center
Jason D. Wright, MD
Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Louis E. Phaneuf Research and Teaching Professor of Gynecology,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Fei-Shiuann Clarissa Yang, MD, MBA, FAAD
Chair and Harvey B. Ansell Professor of Dermatology,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Dermatologist-in-Chief, Tufts Medical Center
Beth Buyea, DHSc, PA-C
Program Director, PA Program
Clinical Associate Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Kimberly Dong, DrPH, MS, RD
Program Director, Public Health Program
Associate Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine,
Tufts University School of Medicine
James Kubilus, PhD
Program Director, MBS Program
Associate Professor of Medical Education,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Evan Papa, PT, DPT, PhD
Program Director, DPT-Seattle Program
Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Tawna Wilkinson, PT, DPT, PhD
Program Director, DPT-Phoenix Program
Clinical Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences,
Tufts University School of Medicine
Alexis A. Wright, PhD, DPT
Program Director, DPT-Boston
Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences,
Tufts University School of Medicine