Jorge Bezerra

Jorge A. Bezerra, M.D., is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Pediatrician-in-Chief at Children’s Medical Center Dallas. He holds the Robert L. Moore Chair in Pediatrics. His expertise lies in pediatric gastroenterology and liver diseases, particularly biliary atresia, a leading cause of chronic liver disease in children.

Dr. Bezerra received his medical degree from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte School of Medicine in Brazil. He completed residencies in pediatrics at the University of Arizona and fellowships in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC).

His research focuses on preclinical and translational studies of biliary atresia, including biomarker discovery (e.g., MMP-7 as a diagnostic biomarker) and mechanisms of immune-mediated liver injury. He pioneered the use of organoid models to study biliary epithelial development and discovered maternal microbiome influences on neonatal biliary disease susceptibility.

Dr. Bezerra leads NIH-funded grants investigating biliary atresia pathogenesis and treatment strategies. His lab’s work has identified key immunological signatures and microbial metabolite roles in disease progression. He has authored over 117 publications, emphasizing biomarker validation, clinical trial design, and disease modeling.

• Awards: Member of American Society for Clinical Investigation, Association of American Physicians; Fellow of American Gastroenterological Association (AGA); Past President of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).
• Leadership Roles: Chair of NIDDK’s Board of Scientific Counselors; member of multiple clinical trial steering committees.

His clinical contributions include advancing diagnostic algorithms and surgical timing for biliary atresia, improving patient outcomes through evidence-based protocols.