Theodore John Iwashyna

Theodore J. Iwashyna is an American physician-scientist specializing in critical care medicine. He is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University and holds appointments in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in the School of Medicine and the Department of Health Policy and Management in the Bloomberg School of Public Health.[1] His research focuses on outcomes following critical illness, particularly the long-term consequences of sepsis.[2] He has conducted research on racial disparities in medical devices, specifically pulse oximeter accuracy across different skin tones.[3][4]

Education

Iwashyna received his bachelor's degree in molecular biology from Princeton University, his PhD from the Harris School of Public Policy, and an MD from the Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine.[1]

Career

Iwashyna began his faculty career at the University of Michigan School of Medicine, where he rose to the rank of professor of internal medicine. During this time, he was also co-director of the research core of the Center for Clinical Management Research at the Veteran's Administration Ann Arbor Healthcare System, and co-director of the Michigan National Clinician Scholar Program.[1]

In 2022, Iwashyna joined Johns Hopkins University as a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor as a member of the Knowledge to Action and the Business of Health cluster. He holds appointments in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in the School of Medicine and the Department of Health Policy and Management in the Bloomberg School of Public Health, with a courtesy appointment in the Carey Business School.[1][5]

Research

Iwashyna's research examines the outcomes of critical illness, with a particular emphasis on what happens to patients after they survive intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization. His research on post-intensive care syndrome has documented new cognitive impairment and functional disability among survivors of severe sepsis.[2][6][7]

Iwashyna has conducted research examining racial disparities in pulse oximeter accuracy. This work documented that Black patients had nearly three times the frequency of low blood oxygen levels not detected by pulse oximetry compared to white patients.[3][8] Iwashyna has advocated for regulatory action to address these disparities, including post-market surveillance data to help with enforcement of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines.[9][10][11]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Iwashyna treated COVID-19 patients in the ICU,[12] and helped develop the COVID-19 unit at the University of Michigan and the Department of Veteran Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System.[1] He worked with ethicists and political scientists to help develop practical approaches to reduce inequity if rationing had been necessary.[13] He also conducted research on the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with COVID-19.[14] Research topics included safety of oxygen delivery devices,[15] quality of life, physical function, and psychological consequences of severe COVID-19;[16][17] continuing symptoms, disability, and financial consequences after hospitalization;[18] and readmission and death after initial hospital discharge.[19] He also developed a model to train and deploy medical students as respiratory therapists to address the respiratory therapist shortage during the pandemic.[20] He argued in an opinion piece in the New York Times that large academic medical centers had an opportunity and an obligation to find ways to centralize the care of COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory failure, and should accept transfers of severely ill patients from smaller community hospitals despite financial pressures resulting from the pandemic.[21]

Iwashyna has advocated against proposed cuts to National Institutes of Health funding. He has argued that the cuts, including capping indirect cost reimbursement, would harm the staff, facilities, and administrative infrastructure necessary to conduct biomedical research—thereby harming the health of future patients and hurting the economy.[22][23][24][25]

Awards

Publications

Iwashyna has authored or co-authored more than 450 peer-reviewed articles as of 2026 in journals including The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, The Lancet, and American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. In July 2026, he became a regular contributor to NEJM Voices.[26]

Selected Publications

  • Iwashyna TJ, Ely EW, Smith DM, Langa KM. Long-term cognitive impairment and functional disability among survivors of severe sepsis. JAMA. 2010;304(16):1787-1794. PubMed link
  • Sjoding MW, Dickson RP, Iwashyna TJ, Gay SE, Valley TS. Racial bias in pulse oximetry measurement. New England Journal of Medicine. 2020;383(25):2477-2478. PubMedCentral fulltext link
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute PETAL Clinical Trials Network, Moss M, Huang DT, et al. Early Neuromuscular Blockade in the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. New England Journal of Medicine. 2019;380(21):1997-2008. Pubmed link
  • Prescott HC, Osterholzer JJ, Langa KM, Angus DC, Iwashyna TJ. Late Mortality After Sepsis: Propensity Matched Cohort Study.  BMJ. 2016; 353:i2375 PMID 27189000; PMCID: PMC4869794. PubMedCentral fulltext link
  • Iwashyna TJ, Netzer G, Langa KM, Cigolle C. Spurious Inferences about Long-term Outcomes: The Case of Severe Sepsis and Geriatric Conditions. Am J Resp Crit Care Med. 2012; 185(8): 834–841. PubMedCentral Fulltext Link

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Annika Weder / (2023-04-05). "Jack Iwashyna aims to improve quality of life for survivors of critical illness". The Hub. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  2. 1 2 Iwashyna, Theodore J.; Ely, E. Wesley; Smith, Dylan M.; Langa, Kenneth M. (2010-10-27). "Long-term Cognitive Impairment and Functional Disability Among Survivors of Severe Sepsis". JAMA. 304 (16): 1787–1794. Bibcode:2010JAMA..304.1787I. doi:10.1001/jama.2010.1553. ISSN 0098-7484. PMC 3345288. PMID 20978258.
  3. 1 2 Sjoding, Michael W.; Dickson, Robert P.; Iwashyna, Theodore J.; Gay, Steven E.; Valley, Thomas S. (2020-12-16). "Racial Bias in Pulse Oximetry Measurement". New England Journal of Medicine. 383 (25): 2477–2478. doi:10.1056/NEJMc2029240. ISSN 0028-4793. PMC 7808260. PMID 33326721.
  4. 1 2 "STATUS List | Theodore "Jack" Iwashyna". STAT. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  5. 1 2 "Jack Iwashyna | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Distinguished Professorships". Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  6. ↑ Iwashyna, Theodore J. (2010-08-03). "Survivorship Will Be the Defining Challenge of Critical Care in the 21st Century". Annals of Internal Medicine. 153 (3): 204–205. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-153-3-201008030-00013. ISSN 0003-4819. PMID 20679565.
  7. ↑ McSparron, Jakob I.; Iwashyna, Theodore J. (2020-01-01), "4 - What can be done to enhance recognition of the post-ICU syndrome (PICS)? What can be done to prevent it? What can be done to treat it?", Evidence-Based Practice of Critical Care (Third Edition), Elsevier, pp. 17–22.e1, doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-64068-8.00013-4, ISBN 978-0-323-64068-8, retrieved 2026-07-24
  8. ↑ Valbuena, Valeria S.M.; Barbaro, Ryan P.; Claar, Dru; Valley, Thomas S.; Dickson, Robert P.; Gay, Steven E.; Sjoding, Michael W.; Iwashyna, Theodore J. (April 2022). "Racial Bias in Pulse Oximetry Measurement Among Patients About to Undergo Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in 2019-2020". Chest. 161 (4): 971–978. doi:10.1016/j.chest.2021.09.025. ISSN 0012-3692. PMC 9005857. PMID 34592317.
  9. ↑ Oza, Usha Lee McFarling, Anil (2025-01-06). "FDA releases long-awaited guidance to improve accuracy of pulse oximeters for all skin tones". STAT. Retrieved 2026-07-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ Oza, Usha Lee McFarling, Lizzy Lawrence, Anil (2024-12-30). "Fixing pulse oximeters requires federal might and possible legal action, researchers say". STAT. Retrieved 2026-07-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ Ferryman, Kadija; Crews, Deidra C.; Drabo, Emmanuel F.; Iwashyna, Theodore J.; Kane, Odia; Jackson, John W. (2025-02-18). "Adherence to FDA Guidance on Pulse Oximetry Testing Among Diverse Individuals, 1996-2024". JAMA. 333 (7): 631–632. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.26473. ISSN 0098-7484. PMC 11836753. PMID 39786431.
  12. ↑ "Sad? Inspiring? Rage-Fueled? What Kind of Story From the Medical Front Lines of the COVID-19 Crisis Do You Want?". McSweeney's Internet Tendency. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  13. ↑ Lynch, Julia F.; Perera, Isabel M.; Iwashyna, Theodore J. (June 8, 2021). "Scarce Resource Allocation in a Pandemic: A Protocol to Promote Equity, Timeliness, and Transparency". Critical Care Explorations. 3 (6) e0466. doi:10.1097/CCE.0000000000000466. ISSN 2639-8028. PMC 8189617. PMID 34124688.
  14. ↑ Peltan, Ithan D.; Caldwell, Ellen; Admon, Andrew J.; Attia, Engi F.; Gundel, Stephanie J.; Mathews, Kusum S.; Nagrebetsky, Alexander; Sahetya, Sarina K.; Ulysse, Christine; Brown, Samuel M.; Chang, Steven Y.; Goodwin, Andrew J.; Hope, Aluko A.; Iwashyna, Theodore J.; Johnson, Nicholas J. (2022-03-01). "Characteristics and Outcomes of US Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19". American Journal of Critical Care. 31 (2): 146–157. doi:10.4037/ajcc2022549. ISSN 1062-3264. PMC 8891038. PMID 34709373.
  15. ↑ Iwashyna, Theodore J.; Boehman, Andre; Capecelatro, Jesse; Cohn, Amy M.; Cooke, James M.; Costa, Deena Kelly; Eakin, Richard M.; Prescott, Hallie C.; Woolridge, Margaret S. (2020-04-20), Variation in Aerosol Production Across Oxygen Delivery Devices in Spontaneously Breathing Human Subjects, medRxiv, doi:10.1101/2020.04.15.20066688, retrieved 2026-07-24
  16. ↑ Carenzo, Luca; Protti, Alessandro; Dalla Corte, Francesca; Aceto, Romina; Iapichino, Giacomo; Milani, Angelo; Santini, Alessandro; Chiurazzi, Chiara; Ferrari, Michele; Heffler, Enrico; Angelini, Claudio; Aghemo, Alessio; Ciccarelli, Michele; Chiti, Arturo; Iwashyna, Theodore J. (2021-06-04). "Short-term health-related quality of life, physical function and psychological consequences of severe COVID-19". Annals of Intensive Care. 11 (1): 91. doi:10.1186/s13613-021-00881-x. ISSN 2110-5820. PMC 8177269. PMID 34089104.
  17. ↑ Iwashyna, Theodore J.; Smith, Valerie A.; Seelye, Sarah; Bohnert, Amy S. B.; Boyko, Edward J.; Hynes, Denise M.; Ioannou, George N.; Maciejewski, Matthew L.; O'Hare, Ann M.; Viglianti, Elizabeth M.; Berkowitz, Theodore S.; Pura, John; Womer, James; Kamphuis, Lee A.; Monahan, Max L. (2024-03-01). "Self-Reported Everyday Functioning After COVID-19 Infection". JAMA Network Open. 7 (3): e240869. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.0869. ISSN 2574-3805. PMC 10907923. PMID 38427352.
  18. ↑ Iwashyna, Theodore J; Kamphuis, Lee A; Gundel, Stephanie J; Hope, Aluko A; Jolley, Sarah; Admon, Andrew J; Caldwell, Ellen; Monahan, Max L; Hauschildt, Katrina; Thompson, B Taylor; Hough, Catherine L; NHLBI Prevention and Early Treatment of Acute Lung Injury (PETAL) Network (2021). "Continuing Cardiopulmonary Symptoms, Disability, and Financial Toxicity 1 Month After Hospitalization for Third-Wave COVID-19: Early Results From a US Nationwide Cohort". Journal of Hospital Medicine. 16 (9): 531–537. doi:10.12788/jhm.3660. ISSN 1553-5606. PMID 34424190.
  19. ↑ Donnelly, John P.; Wang, Xiao Qing; Iwashyna, Theodore J.; Prescott, Hallie C. (2021-01-19). "Readmission and Death After Initial Hospital Discharge Among Patients With COVID-19 in a Large Multihospital System". JAMA. 325 (3): 304–306. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.21465. ISSN 0098-7484. PMC 7737131. PMID 33315057.
  20. ↑ Hester, Thomas B.; Cartwright, Julia D.; DiGiovine, Domenic G.; Karlic, Kevin J.; Kercheval, Jacquelyn B.; DiGiovine, Bruno; Gay, Steven E.; Haas, Carl; Hawkins, Daphne; Weirauch, Andrew; Iwashyna, Theodore J. (2020-06-01). "Training and Deployment of Medical Students as Respiratory Therapist Extenders during COVID-19". ATS Scholar. 1 (2): 145–151. doi:10.34197/ats-scholar.2020-0049PS. ISSN 2690-7097. PMC 8043304. PMID 33870278.
  21. ↑ Iwashyna, Theodore J. (2020-10-30). "Opinion | Do Hospitals Value Everyone? This Winter, They Have a Chance to Prove It". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  22. ↑ Dillinger, Katherine (2025-02-08). "Researchers decry 'disastrously bad idea' as NIH slashes payments for research infrastructure | CNN". CNN. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  23. ↑ Nawaz, Anna (February 11, 2025). "The possible long-term impact of Trump's cuts to medical research funding". www.pbs.org. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  24. ↑ Doug Donovan / (2025-02-12). "Johns Hopkins experts: Looming federal budget cuts jeopardize American health, innovation". The Hub. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  25. ↑ Hub staff report / (2025-02-11). "Johns Hopkins leaders: NIH cuts put lifesaving medical research and care at immediate risk". The Hub. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  26. ↑ "Theodore Iwashyna". NEJM Voices. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
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