Timothy R. Billiar, M.D.

Timothy R. Billiar, M.D., is executive vice president, UPMC, and chief scientific officer. Dr. Billiar’s focus is on clinical and research related advancements at UPMC, UPMC Enterprises and the Immune Transplant and Therapy Center. He serves as the primary liaison to the University of Pittsburgh and the senior vice chancellor for Health Sciences.

He has been the George Vance Foster Professor and Chair in the Department of Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine since 1999. He received his medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, and completed his surgical residency at the University of Minnesota and the University of Pittsburgh. 

Dr. Billiar has been recognized with membership in the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences. He is former president of the Society of University Surgeons, the Surgical Infection Society and the International Nitric Oxide Society. He also served on the Surgery Anesthesia Trauma Study Section of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and currently serves on the Surgery Residency Review Committee of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Dr. Billiar’s laboratory is funded in a number of areas, with the main research focus on immune response to injury and shock. The laboratory is credited with initially cloning the human inducible nitric oxide synthase gene. Dr. Billiar’s work extends into areas of liver disease and innate immunity. His laboratory currently is funded by three NIH grants and he holds seven U.S. patents associated with his research.