Edith Tzeng, MD

  • Interim Chair, Dept. of Neurological Surgery

As the search for a new chair of the department takes place, Edith Tzeng, MD will serve as the interim chair. Dr. Tzeng, UPMC Chair and Professor of Surgery, is a vascular surgeon-scientist and is certified in general surgery and vascular surgery by the American Board of Surgery.

She earned her medical degree at the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, and completed her general surgery residency and vascular surgery fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh. She also performed a research fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh under the direction of Dr. Richard Simmons. Dr. Tzeng joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC in 2000 and has served as the Chief of Vascular Surgery at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Pittsburgh from 2003 until 2025 when she became the Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery at the UPMC and co-Director of the Heart and Vascular Institute.  She has been a funded investigator throughout her career and has been the program director of the Vascular Surgery Research NIH T32 program for the past 15 years.  In addition, she also serves as Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs for the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Education & Training

  • BS, University of Illinois
  • MD, University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine
  • Surgery Residency, University Health Center of Pittsburgh
  • Research Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh Department of Surgery
  • Vascular Surgery Fellowship, University Health Center of Pittsburgh

Research Activities

  • Vasoprotective functions of carbon monoxide and nitrite/nitrate in vascular injury
  • Innate immunity and danger signals in angiogenesis and vascular injury
  • Role of carbon monoxide and nitrite/nitrate in wound healing and aortic aneurysm formation
  • Translation of inhaled carbon monoxide and dietary nitrite/nitrate to clinical application through clinical trials of post-stenting restenosis