Indian-American physician-scientist and renowned women’s health researcher Dr. Geeta K. Swamy has been appointed the next dean of Boston University’s Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, marking a significant leadership milestone for the Indian-American medical and academic community in the United States.
Swamy will assume the position on January 1, 2027, becoming the 19th leader of the Boston University medical school. She joins BU after more than two decades at Duke University, where she has held senior clinical, research and academic leadership positions.
Currently, Swamy serves as Haywood Brown, MD Distinguished Professor of Women’s Health, Executive Vice Dean for Clinical Sciences and Research Administration at Duke University School of Medicine, and Associate Vice President for Research at Duke University.
Leading Voice in Women’s and Maternal Health
A practicing obstetrician-gynecologist and maternal-fetal medicine specialist, Swamy’s research focuses on perinatal infections, maternal immunization and complications of pregnancy. She has authored more than 200 scientific publications and has led research supported by organizations including the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Her research career has included studies examining premature birth, infectious diseases during pregnancy and maternal vaccination. Early in her career, she led research into the long-term outcomes of children born prematurely, work that earned her the 2008 NIH Young Investigator Award for Perinatal Research. She was subsequently recognized for research examining the impact of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic on women.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Swamy participated in vaccine research at Duke, including studies examining the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant women.
Distinguished Academic Career
Swamy earned a bachelor’s degree in public health and biostatistics and her medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Pittsburgh and a fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at Duke.
She joined Duke’s faculty in 2004 and went on to hold a succession of increasingly senior positions, including associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, senior associate dean, vice dean and associate vice provost for scientific integrity. She has also led major research and administrative operations across Duke’s medical school and health system.
New Chapter at Boston University
Boston University President Melissa Gilliam and Provost Colin Duckett announced Swamy’s appointment following a national search. University leadership highlighted her combination of clinical expertise, scientific achievement and experience managing a complex academic research enterprise.
“What inspired me about this role was the opportunity to connect the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine more deeply to the university through interdisciplinary discovery, to Boston Medical Center through our shared mission, and to the communities of Boston through a commitment to improving health for all,” Swamy said.
At BU, she will oversee the medical school’s education and research missions, working with faculty, students and staff while helping strengthen the institution’s relationship with Boston Medical Center Health System, the school’s primary teaching hospital.
Strengthening a Major Medical Partnership
Swamy’s appointment comes as Boston University and Boston Medical Center seek to deepen a partnership that spans approximately three decades. The university launched an initiative in 2025 to strengthen collaboration in medical education, biomedical research and patient care, particularly for communities that face significant health disparities.
Boston University is also entering a period of significant research activity. The medical school recently secured continued funding for the Framingham Heart Study and received a Massachusetts Life Sciences Center grant supporting research into historically underexamined women’s health conditions.
For the Indian-American community, Swamy’s appointment represents another prominent example of physicians of Indian heritage reaching senior leadership positions at major American academic and medical institutions.
With her background spanning patient care, women’s health research, vaccine science, medical education and university leadership, Swamy is set to begin a new chapter at Boston University on January 1, 2027.
