Robert Schwartz

Dr. Robert Schwartz serves as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University and practices as an Attending Physician at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Cornell campus. A native New Yorker, he obtained his B.E. in Chemical Engineering from Cooper Union and both his M.D. and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. Following Internal Medicine residency at Barnes-Jewish Hospital at Washington University and fellowship training in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, he established the Schwartz Lab at the Belfer Research Building in January 2014.

Dr. Schwartz's research program centers on developing innovative in vitro models of human liver disease through interdisciplinary approaches combining stem cell biology, hepatocyte biology, and engineering techniques. His laboratory investigates multiple facets of liver pathophysiology including:

• Viral hepatitis mechanisms and therapeutic interventions
• Autoimmune and metabolic causes of liver disease including NAFLD
• Stem cell-derived hepatocyte models for disease modeling
• Organoid platforms for viral infection studies
• Host-virus interactions in SARS-CoV-2 and hepatitis viruses
• Cellular mechanisms of liver fibrosis and regeneration

Analysis of Dr. Schwartz's extensive publication record reveals a strategic focus on leveraging cutting-edge technologies to model and understand viral pathogenesis in the liver. His work has made significant contributions to understanding SARS-CoV-2 infection mechanisms through multi-organoid platforms, with particular emphasis on identifying host factors critical for viral replication. His research group has developed advanced stem cell-based models that preserve inter-individual differences in drug metabolism while enabling detailed study of viral life cycles.

As a dedicated mentor, Dr. Schwartz has guided numerous students through research experiences in his laboratory, with many of his trainees progressing to medical school and advanced research careers. The Schwartz Lab operates within the state-of-the-art facilities of the Belfer Research Building, featuring a BSL-2 Cell and Tissue Culture Lab, access to microscopy cores, an in-house fabrication facility, and shared flow cytometry equipment. The laboratory actively participates in the Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research In Progress Seminar series and maintains its own Journal Club to foster scientific discourse among team members.