Columbia University And Newyork-Presbyterian Hospital Announce New Chair Of Department Of Obstetrics And Gynecology At Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center
New York, NY – Feb. 10, 2003 – Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons (P&S) and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital have named Mary D’Alton, M.B.B.C.h., chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at P&S and director of the Obstetrical and Gynecological Service at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
“Dr. D’Alton is a distinguished leader in the field of maternal fetal medicine and we are very pleased that she has agreed to serve as chair of the OB/Gyn Department,” says Gerald Fischbach, M.D., executive vice president for Health and Biomedical Sciences and dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Columbia University. “The experience she brings to the position will serve the department and the university well.”
Herbert Pardes, M.D., president and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, adds, “Dr. D'Alton's unique vision and strong leadership ensures that NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital will continue to provide the most innovative and comprehensive women's healthcare available.”
Dr. D’Alton joined Columbia in 1999 as Virgil G. Damon Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and director of the division of Maternal Fetal Medicine. She has served as acting chair of the department since 2002. She received her M.B.B.C.h. from the National University of Ireland in 1976 and completed a residency in obstetrics & gynecology at the University of Ottawa in 1982. Dr. D’Alton continued her training, completing a fellowship in maternal fetal medicine at Tufts University and a fellowship in the Ultrasound Department and Perinatal Unit at Yale University, both in 1984. That same year, she was named assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Ottawa. She also served as director of the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine and as director of the High Risk Pregnancy Group at the University of Ottawa and Ottawa Civic Hospital. In 1988, Dr. D’Alton became associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and program director of the Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellowship at Tufts University School of Medicine. In 1992, she was named chief of obstetrics and maternal fetal medicine at New England Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine. From 1996-1999, Dr. D’Alton served as professor of obstetrics and gynecology and interim chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tufts and as acting chief of obstetrics and gynecology at New England Medical Center.
“I am pleased to accept the position as chair of the OB/Gyn Department at P&S and director of the OB/Gyn Medical Service at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center,” says Dr. D’Alton. “I believe we have an exciting opportunity to build on our existing strengths in research and patient care for women and children. Our goal is to build a model integrated program in New York City and for the nation.”
In addition to her current academic responsibilities, Dr. D’Alton is principal investigator for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development FASTER trial designed to study the optimal methods for screening for Down’s syndrome. She is the past president of the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine, has authored more than 150 publications, and has won numerous honors and awards for her work.
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