Nizar Jarjour, MD, ATSF
Ovid Meyer Endowed Professor of Medicine
Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Division
Department of Medicine
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
1. Three statements about you – two true, one false.
- I am the inaugural Artist in Residence for the Department of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin.
- I placed third in the Lung Run held during the ATS meeting in 2005.
- I have attended every ATS meeting since 1988.
2. Give us your ‘elevator pitch’ biography.
I am an adult pulmonary and critical care physician-scientist, privileged to lead an internationally recognized research program that is currently focused on understanding the mechanisms of severe asthma, precision interventions for severe asthma, and the systemic effects of asthma, especially on the brain, heart, and skeletal muscles. I have contributed to 250 scientific publications with nearly 2,000 scientific citations per year, leading to an H factor of 80+. I directed the Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Division for 21+ years (until September 2025). I enjoyed serving on various grant review panels in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. I am a past member of the ABIM - Pulmonary Specialty Board and the FDA Allergy and Pulmonary Drug Advisory Committee. In 2023-2024, I took a sabbatical to England, serving as a visiting professor at Imperial College, London, and University of Southampton.
3. What would you tell yourself as an Early Career Professional?
It is OK to take, and fully enjoy, a vacation; there will be plenty of time to finish that paper or grant! Make time for regular exercise and dabble with hobbies until you find the ones that you enjoy!
4. If you weren’t in medicine, and were in a different industry altogether, what would you be?
Probably in teaching or culinary arts. I love to cook for my family and enjoy hosting friends for dinner. I would love to master advanced cooking techniques and hone my skills when time allows. My parents are retired teachers, and I would find it gratifying to follow in their footsteps. I loved my time in the classrooms with undergrads and medical students and felt that teaching would be a most rewarding career!
5. What is your favorite way to spend a day off?
After a relaxing morning with a cup of tea and catching up on the news from the family and the world, I would head to the ceramic studio to make functional or artistic items! To complete the perfect day, I would take a walk in the neighborhood or a hike in a nearby park with my wife followed by a relaxing dinner!
6. What areas of medicine are you most excited to see develop?
Technology, especially clinical informatics, has transformed the practice of medicine during my career. Digital high-resolution imaging, electronic health records and handheld devices have influenced every area in medicine. However, they also made possible continued availability and expectations of immediate responses! This has blurred the boundaries between work and life outside work. The recent advances in artificial intelligence (and super intelligence) will provide enhanced support for clinicians in their patient evaluation, consideration of diagnostic tests and their interpretation and offering of treatment options. These advances are informed by guidelines and supported by “digital twin” of the physician, in addition to saving time by drafting the needed clinical documentation.
7. What is one advancement in your field you’d like to see in your career?
We have made major advances in treating asthma during my career, with most patients now being free from the damaging effects of systemic steroids. It is my hope that we can move from long term control to achieving lasting remission and eventually a cure for asthma.
8. Which statement (in question #1) was false?
“I placed third in the Lung Run held during the ATS meeting in 2005”. While it is true that I ran dozens of races, I was not a runner in 2005!
In September 2025, our DOM selected me as their first “Artist in Residence” featuring my ceramics work. I have attended and presented at every ATS meeting since my time as a Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellow.
