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Lawrence Deyton Lawrence Deyton
Murdock Head Professor of Medicine and Health Policy
Professor of Medicine
Professor of Health Policy and Management (Secondary)

Office Phone: 202-994-3727
Email: Email
Department: Medicine

Education

  • BA, University of Kansas, 1974
  • MSPH, Harvard University, 1976
  • MD, George Washington University, 1985

Biography

Dr. Deyton returned to GW in March 2013 after 31 years in leadership research and clinical positions in several federal health and public health agencies including the Food and Drug Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Institutes of Health and the HHS Office of the Surgeon General and Assistant Secretary for Health and as a Congressional aide. During that career, Dr. Deyton had extensive experience establishing and overseeing high profile health and public health research, education and clinical programs, particularly working with front line providers, administrators and researchers.

From 2009-2013, Dr. Deyton oversaw the implementation and enforcement of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. Described by FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg as "the rare combination of public health expert, administrative leader, scientist, and clinician," Dr. Deyton became the Center for Tobacco Product's first director on August 19, 2009 and rapidly established and enforced FDA’s new authorities to regulate tobacco products.

Prior to joining FDA, Dr. Deyton was Chief Public Health and Environmental Hazards Officer for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. His responsibilities there included oversight of all public health programs for the National VA health care system. Previously, Dr. Deyton served for 11 years in clinical research and leadership positions in the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he was Chief of the Antiretroviral Treatment Branch. He oversaw the development and approval of drug treatment strategies including the first trials of combination therapies which are the cornerstone of current HIV treatments.

Dr. Deyton was a founder in 1978 of Washington DC's Whitman Walker Clinic, a community based service organization specializing in LGBT and now HIV care in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of University of Kansas, the Harvard School of Public Health and the George Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Deyton's post-doctorate medical training in medicine was at the University of Southern California/Los Angeles County Medical Center and in infectious diseases at the National Institutes of Health. He has published over 130 scientific articles in the peer-reviewed literature. Dr. Deyton continues to care for patients on a regular basis at the Washington, DC VA Medical Center.

In 2011, Dr. Deyton was a finalist for the prestigious Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal for his career of government service and outstanding contributions to the health, safety and well-being of Americans - 20 finalists are chosen from 4.8 million Federal employees nation-wide. And at GW, in 2014 Dr. Deyton received the GW Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award, in 2017 he was installed as the Murdock Head Professor of Medicine and Health Policy and in 2019 received the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award. In 2019, the American College of Physicians awarded Dr. Deyton the James D. Bruce Memorial Award for Distinguished Contributions in Preventive Medicine.

Industry Relationships and Collaborations

This faculty member (or a member of their immediate family) has reported a financial interest with the health care related companies listed below. These relations have been reported to the University and, when appropriate, management plans are in place to address potential conflicts.

  • None