Ezra Burstein, M.D., Ph.D.

Ezra Burstein, M.D., Ph.D.

  • Berta M. and Dr. Cecil O. Patterson Chair in Gastroenterology
  • Internal Medicine - Digestive and Liver Diseases
  • Gastroenterology
  • Cancer Screening

Biography

Ezra Burstein, M.D., Ph.D., is Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Chief of the Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases.

Originally from Lima, Peru, Dr. Burstein received his medical degree from Cayetano Heredia University in Lima. He completed internal medicine residency training at UT Southwestern and advanced training in gastroenterology through a fellowship program at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He then completed a research fellowship in immunology at the Vaccine Research Center of the National Institutes of Health.

Board certified in internal medicine and in gastroenterology, he joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2008.

Dr. Burstein′s research training and expertise is in the area of molecular immunology. Broadly, the work in his laboratory is focused on basic mechanisms that control inflammatory responses in human disease, particularly inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Work from the laboratory has investigated the regulation of the NF-kB transcription factor, which led to the discovery of the COMMD protein family. His group also investigated the basic functions of these factors in immune regulation, including the discovery of their role in endosomal protein sorting. More recently, the lab investigated the genetic and molecular basis of altered immunity in patients with defined Mendelian disorders. These studies led to important discoveries, including the identification of cytosolic RNA:DNA hybrids as regulators of the interferon pathway.

Dr. Burstein is active in several professional organizations, including the American Gastroenterological Association, American Society for Clinical Investigation, American Society for Cell Biology, and American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Education & Training
  • Medical School - Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University (1986-1994)
  • Graduate School - University of Groningen, Molecular Genetics
  • Fellowship - University of Michigan Hospitals & Health Centers (1998-2001), Gastroenterology
  • Residency - UT Southwestern Medical Center (1995-1998), Internal Medicine
Professional Associations & Affiliations
  • American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) (1999)
  • American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) (2012)
Honors & Awards
  • D Magazine Best Doctor 2022
  • Physician of the Year 2017, North Texas Chapter, Crohn's and Colitis Foundation
  • Member 2012, The American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI)
  • Helmsley Scholar 2010, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America
  • AGA Research Scholar Award 2003, Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition
  • John S. Miller Award 1998, Outstanding Performance as a House Officer, UT Southwestern Medical School
  • Valedictorian 1994, Medical School of Cayetano Heredia University
Books & Publications
Research
  • Mucosal immunity and immune-tumor interactions in the GI tract
  • Genetics of inflammatory disorders: Out lab investigates the genetic basis of disorders of immune function, particularly affecting the GI tract
  • COMMD proteins: We study the regulation of endosomal protein sorting and immune function by members of this protein family.

Clinical Focus

  • Gastroenterology
  • Cancer Screening
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease

See More