Dr. Colasurdo brings a compassionate
vision to the role of dean

By Darla Brown

Visionary. Passionate. Hard working. High energy. A walking science. Collaborative.

This is how those in the Texas Medical Center describe the new dean of The University of Texas Medical School at Houston – Giuseppe Colasurdo, M.D., who took office Sept. 1.

His ascension to this role has been meteoric, having been named the head of the Division of Pulmonary Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics 10 years ago, then chair of the department two years ago. But for those who know him and his busy work schedule, it is not surprising how much he has accomplished in his 48 years.

Always in demand

Dean Colasurdo’s work day begins at 7 a.m. and is scheduled without a break – sometimes in 10 minute increments – up until 8 or 9 in the evenings.

“Sixteen or 17-hour days are not uncommon for him,” says Mary Cole, senior executive assistant. “I have worked for many people before, but I have never kept a calendar like this.

“I’ve asked him if he needs protected time, or breathing room, and he says no, he needs to meet with these people, and he wants to give his time.”

Dean Colasurdo, who is concurrently serving the positions of chair and division director in the Department of Pediatrics, has jumped into the dean position with a frenetic pace, and has been witnessed running down the halls of the Medical School to attend a meeting.

“Being dean is an enormous responsibility and a rewarding job – and there are so many opportunities. We just do what we have to do for the Medical School to make it the best,” he says with a smile.

The busy schedule is due in part to juggling the multiple responsibilities in addition to the deanship, and Dean Colasurdo says he does not want to leave the pediatrics project unfinished. “It will be somewhat challenging to balance the two positions, but I am committed to maintaining the chair position until we achieve our ambitious academic goals,” he says firmly.

Joining the Medical School in 1995 as an assistant professor of pediatrics in the Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Dr. Colasurdo was named division director in 1997 and has directed the fellowship training program in pediatric pulmonary medicine since 2001. He also is physician-in-chief at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.

“He is passionate and driven, and probably one of the hardest working people I have ever worked with,” says Craig Cordola, chief executive officer of Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, who has worked with Dr. Colasurdo for the last four years.

Years ago, recalls Cordola, there was an emergency in the pediatric intensive care unit with media attention, and things were getting bad.

“Giuseppe called me at 2 a.m. to let me know about the situation, and both of us were there by 3 a.m. to take care of the kid. That’s when I realized that he is one of those physicians who is available 24 hours a day. And as a leader, that has proven to be the case in my relationship with him as CEO of Children’s Hospital – I can call him anytime, 10 or 11 at night, or first thing in the morning, and we can get things done in real time,” he says.

Compassion and commitment is what Jorge Zambra, the director of management operations for the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, saw in action when he called Dr. Colasurdo one night about a friend’s elderly mother, who was having trouble being seen in the emergency room.

“I called Dr. Colasurdo for advice, and hours later, at 10 p.m., who walked in the ER but Dr. Colasurdo – he had been at the school since 6 a.m., seeing patients, attending meetings. He cared enough to check on the patient because she was a friend of mine. That’s who he is,” says Zambra, who has worked with Dr. Colasurdo for the last 12 years.

“His heart must weigh half of his body weight,” Zambra adds. “They say ‘heart of gold,’ but his must be weighted with diamonds, Euros, jewels.”

Still time for patients and research

Dean Colasurdo’s schedule allows him to see patients in the UT Physicians clinic only on Thursday mornings. He has built the practice up over the past 10 years, and now the group has more than 2,000 patients – from infants to older children who have been seen since birth.

“Other faculty have stepped up in the clinic and have been great about taking on the patient demand,” he says.
In the clinical setting, Dr. Colasurdo doesn’t wear a white coat, to help make the patients and their parents feel more at ease. And he doesn’t like to put the patients up on the examining table, if he can help it – he would rather them sit in front of the new tablet PCs that are in the patient rooms – to be on their level.

“Remind me, what is your favorite food?” he asks Juan Pena, 12, one of his special patients who has a very rare lung condition and has come by to see Dr. Colasurdo because of low-grade fevers.

“Pizza,” Juan says, smiling.

“And your favorite drink?” Dr. Colasurdo says with a grin, as he examines him.

“Coke,” Juan says, after thinking about it.

“Are you sure it’s not margarita, or red wine?” Dr. Colasurdo jokes, laughing.

“No,” says Juan with a shy smile.

It’s this easy rapport that makes worried parents with sick children smile with relief when Dr. Colasurdo walks into the room, greeting him like an old friend.

“Seeing patients is a lot more predictable than the dean’s office,” he adds, with a smile.

Dr. Colasurdo maintains an active laboratory at the Medical School, focusing his research on the cellular mechanisms responsible for increased susceptibility to respiratory pathogens in infants and young children.

“Our investigations place emphasis on studies that cannot be performed in humans but have the potential to transform the way we approach patients with childhood asthma and other inflammatory lung disorders,” Dr. Colasurdo says.

The overall hypothesis of this work is that complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors are important determinants of the expression of a variety of asthma and “wheezing” phenotypes.

“To this end, we have developed in vivo and in vitro models of highly relevant lung disorders in children: asthma, cystic fibrosis, aspiration syndromes, respiratory syncytial virus infection (RSV),” he explains.

These studies, designed to mimic challenging diseases in young patients, have already produced new insights into the ontogeny of RSV-induced airway dysfunction. Further, the information generated from these studies has been successfully translated into bedside therapy in children with severe RSV infection and respiratory failure (see http://ped1.med.uth.tmc.edu/headlines/01-Marissa.html).