Elijah Paintsil, MD, Named Chief and Chair of Pediatrics

Elijah Paintsil, MD, has been named Chief and Chair of Pediatrics at Boston Medical Center and Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, beginning late August 2023.

Paintsil joins from Yale School of Medicine where, over 18 years, he assumed progressive leadership responsibilities, and currently serves as the Section Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Global Health and is a professor in pediatrics and pharmacology. He is also a professor of epidemiology at Yale University School of Public Health and a professor at the Yale School of Management.

As a leading physician-scientist and an NIH-funded investigator, Paintsil’s research has focused on antiretroviral therapy induced mitochondrial dysfunction, transmission of hepatitis C among injection drug users, and pediatric HIV treatment outcomes in resource limited countries. He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Society for Pediatric Research, Academic Pediatric Society, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society Board, a scholar of the Pediatric Leadership Development Program sponsored by the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs (AMSPDC), and a consultant to Africa CDC in their continent-wide COVID-19 mitigation efforts in Africa.

Paintsil began his career in his native country of Ghana where he completed his medical degree at the University of Ghana and clinical positions at Korle-Bu teaching hospital, Accra and Battor Catholic Hospital. He moved to the U.S. and completed pediatric residency training at Lincoln Hospital in New York City before beginning his journey at Yale School of Medicine with a fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases.

With a deep commitment to advancing pediatric care, training and research, and to achieving health equity for the communities we serve, Paintsil will bring strategic leadership to the Department of Pediatrics and our whole community.

Thanks to Aviva Lee-Parritz, MD, who led the search committee, as well as the other members of the committee for their work. Paintsil succeeds Bob Vinci, MD, who announced his plans to step down as Chief/Chair last April; Vinci will continue to lead the department until Dr. Paintsil’s arrival.