A force to be reckoned with, Katrina Armstrong, MD, MSCE left her mark on LDI and Penn on her way to becoming Physician-in-Chief at Massachusetts General Hospital, the first woman to hold the position. She arrived at Penn in 1996, and by the time she left in 2013, she had built a remarkable research portfolio focused on medical decisionmaking, quality of care, and cancer prevention and outcomes. She held a variety of leadership positions at Penn, including Chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine, Associate Director of the Abramson Cancer Center, Co-Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, and Director of Research at LDI.

Dr. Armstrong's research led to new insights on how to use genomic advances to improve cancer prevention and control, how to improve women's decisions through personalized breast cancer screening and communication, and the mechanisms behind cancer disparities. Her achievements as a researcher led to her election to the American Society of Clinical Investigation in 2006 and an Outstanding Investigator Award from the American Federation for Medical Research in 2009; her devotion to teaching was honored by Penn’s Leonard Berwick Memorial Teaching Award in 2003; her leadership garnered Penn’s FOCUS Award for the Advancement of Women in Medicine in 2011; and her professional accomplishments culminated in election to the National Academy of Medicine in 2013.

Recognizing her strengths as a researcher, teacher, and physician, Mass General came calling, and on April 15, 2013, she took the helm as Physician-in Chief of MGH’s Department of Medicine. Her tenure began on a catastrophic day—the day of the Boston Marathon attacks. That day left an enduring impression on her. She recalled the professionalism and humility with which the MGH staff conducted themselves in service to the community at the time, demonstrating the extraordinary capabilities of her new institution.

We are very proud to have contributed to Katrina Armstrong’s development as a researcher and leader, and of her ongoing accomplishments. MGH, you owe us one.