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OHSU Recruits National Leader in Women’s Health, Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Oregon Health & Science University has recruited one of the nation’s foremost experts in maternal-fetal medicine and women’s health to chair its Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and direct its Center for Women’s Health, a National Center of Excellence. Aaron B. Caughey, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.P., M.P.H., replaces Kenneth Burry, M.D., who has served as interim chairman since September 2008.

“We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Caughey to OHSU. His recruitment is a testament to OHSU’s strong national reputation in the area of women’s health. We look forward to his strong leadership in furthering the cause of women and children’s health around the state of Oregon and nationwide.” said Mark Richardson, M.D., M.B.A., dean, OHSU School of Medicine.

“I also want to express our sincere gratitude for Dr. Burry’s exceptional leadership through this critical transition. His years of service and dedication to women’s health have been invaluable.”

Initial priorities for Caughey include expanding OHSU’s role as a national leader in women’s health by fostering increased collaboration among basic scientists, clinicians, policy-makers and translational researchers, within OHSU and at universities and health care organizations nationwide; and developing new mentorship programs and partnership opportunities that will inform and guide the next generation of women’s health care leaders at OHSU and beyond.

Caughey brings a wealth of expertise in clinical, translational and policy research across the spectrum of women’s health, focusing on outcomes research, decision and cost-effectiveness analyses, quality of care and patient preferences. Specific areas of interest include obesity and weight gain during pregnancy, prenatal screening and diagnosis of genetic disorders, vaginal birth after cesarean section, diabetes in pregnancy, and complications of term and post-term pregnancies.

Caughey joins OHSU from University of Californian San Francisco, where he served as associate professor in residence, director of the Center for Clinical and Policy Perinatal Research, medical director of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Program, and the fellowship program director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology.


Caughey received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and his doctorate in health economics from the University of California Berkeley. He completed residency and fellowship training at Brigham & Women’s Hospital/Massachusetts General Hospital and UCSF, respectively. He also holds a master’s in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, as well as a master’s in public health and a doctorate in health economics from the University of California, Berkley.

Caughey has co-authored more than 30 books and 200 peer-reviewed journal articles. He has been invited to present at dozens of professional conferences; has held a number of research grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, among others; and is the recipient of more than16 faculty teaching awards. He has held numerous leadership positions on national, regional and state committees, and within the hospitals and universities for which he’s worked.

Caughey is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists and has held leadership positions within the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. He is also a member of the Robert Wood Johnson Physician Faculty Scholars Program Committee, the Society for Medical Decision Making, the Society for Gynecologic Investigation and the Pacific Coast Obstetrics and Gynecologic Society.

Caughey is married and has three children. He and his wife, Susan Tran, M.D., a maternal-fetal medicine specialist also joining the OHSU faculty, are expecting their fourth child this fall. In his “spare” time, Caughey has enjoyed spending time with his family and singing with San Francisco Symphony and is considering his avocational options in Portland.

About Oregon Health & Science University
Oregon Health & Science University is the state's only health and research university and Oregon's only academic health center. OHSU is Portland's largest employer and the fourth largest in Oregon (excluding government). OHSU's size contributes to its ability to provide many services and community support activities not found anywhere else in the state. It serves patients from every corner of the state, and is a conduit for learning for more than 3,400 students and trainees. OHSU is the source of more than 200 community outreach programs that bring health and education services to every county in the state.

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