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

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

Professor & Division Chief

Endowed Title
Berta M. and Dr. Cecil O. Patterson Chair in Gastroenterology
School
Medical School
Department
Internal Medicine | Molecular Biology
Graduate Programs
Genetics, Development and Disease, Immunology

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For more information on the doctor and patient care, please visit the clinical profile.

  • Biography

    Download Curriculum Vitae

    Ezra Burstein, M.D., Ph.D., is Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Chief of its 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
    Medical School
    Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University (1994)
    Residency
    UT Southwestern Medical Center (1998), Internal Medicine
    Fellowship
    University of Michigan Hospitals & Health Centers (2001), Gastroenterology
    Graduate School
    University of Groningen (2013), Molecular Genetics
  • Research Interest
    • COMMD proteins: We study the regulation of endosomal protein sorting and immune function by members of this protein family
    • Genetics of inflammatory disorders: Our lab investigates the genetic basis of disorders of immune function, particularly affecting the GI tract
    • Mucosal immunity and immune-tumor interactions in the GI tract
  • Publications

    Star Featured Publications

    Featured Featured Featured Featured Featured Featured Featured Featured Featured
    Interaction between the gut microbiota and colonic enteroendocrine cells regulates host metabolism.
    Tan S, Santolaya JL, Wright TF, Liu Q, Fujikawa T, Chi S, Bergstrom CP, Lopez A, Chen Q, Vale G, McDonald JG, Schmidt A, Vo N, Kim J, Baniasadi H, Li L, Zhu G, He TC, Zhan X, Obata Y, Jin A, Jia D, Elmquist JK, Sifuentes-Dominguez L, Burstein E, Nat Metab 2024 May
  • Honors & Awards
    • Physician Champion of the Year
      Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, North Texas Chapter (2021)
    • Berta M. and Cecil O. Patterson Chair in Gastroenterology
      UT Southwestern (2019)
    • Physician of the Year
      Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, North Texas Chapter (2017)
    • Helmsley Scholar
      Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (2010)
    • AGA Research Scholar Award
      Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition (2003)
    • John S. Miller Award for Outstanding Performance as a House Officer
      UT Southwestern Medical School (1998)
    • Valedictorian
      Medical School of Cayetano Heredia University (1994)
  • Professional Associations/Affiliations
    • American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
    • American Gastroenterological Association
    • American Society for Cell Biology
    • American Society for Clinical Investigation (2012)
    • Association of American Physicians (AAP) (2024)