Jorge Bezerra, M.D., Chair and Professor of Pediatrics, has received the Harry Shwachman Award from the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN). Presented at the NASPGHAN’s annual meeting Nov. 7 in Chicago, the national honor recognizes Dr. Bezerra’s groundbreaking work to improve outcomes for children with digestive and liver disorders.

Dr. Bezerra, who also serves as Pediatrician-in-Chief at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, said the award is an affirmation of his scientific contributions, leadership in pediatric hepatology, mentorship of trainees, and commitment to building programs that elevate children’s health.

“I share the award with the many trainees and junior colleagues who joined me along the way,” he added. “Their curiosity, hard work, and growth represent the lasting legacy the award celebrates.”

Among his achievements, Dr. Bezerra helped uncover how the body’s immune system attacks and damages the bile ducts in babies with biliary atresia, which is a key part of how this liver disease starts. He also discovered that a protein in the blood, called matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7), becomes unusually high in these infants. This finding led to a new blood test that helps doctors recognize the disease sooner and move more quickly to the surgery that gives children the best chance for recovery.

Recent research in the Bezerra Lab revealed that abnormal development of the bile ducts may trigger the start of biliary atresia, the most common cause of chronic liver disease in children.

“This discovery brings us closer to identifying new ways to stop the disease from progressing and to ultimately develop targeted therapies for affected infants,” he said.

A pediatric gastroenterologist, Dr. Bezerra has had continuous support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to lead preclinical and translational research on biliary atresia. Among his career highlights, he had the unique opportunity to lead the NIH-funded Digestive Health Center from 2016-2022, which advanced research on digestive diseases in children.

“Through this work, we helped spark the development of intestine and liver organoids – tiny, laboratory-grown versions of human tissues – that allow scientists to better model and study childhood diseases,” he said.

After earning his medical degree from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte School of Medicine in Brazil, Dr. Bezerra completed a pediatrics residency at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, followed by clinical and research fellowships in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

He is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians as well as a Fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association. He is a past President of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and a former Chairman of the Board of Scientific Counselors of the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Dr. Bezerra joined UTSW as Chair of Pediatrics in October 2022.