Bernard S. Chang, MD

Bernard S. Chang began serving as HMS dean for medical education in July 2023. He is a noted neurologist, a dedicated HMS faculty member and educator, and former advisory dean of the Francis Weld Peabody academic society.

A Harvard College graduate in biochemical sciences, Dr. Chang received his MD from the New York University School of Medicine and an MMSc degree in clinical investigation from HMS. He completed his residency and fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where he is an HMS professor of neurology. Over the years, his clinical practice has centered on the care of patients with seizure disorders, and his research has helped uncover the mechanisms by which developmental brain malformations lead to epilepsy and learning difficulties.

Dr. Chang’s career in medical education began in 2000 as a neuroanatomy lab instructor for second-year HMS students. He has been recognized by peers and students as a gifted and creative leader and educator who has demonstrated remarkable dedication to advancing the academic mission of the School. As a society advisory dean, he wholeheartedly promoted the well-being of students, including those from historically underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds.

For 10 years, Dr. Chang directed an HMS course on the human nervous system and behavior, and in the mid-2010s he helped lead the curricular reform process that resulted in the Pathways curriculum. In recognition of his teaching and advising, Dr. Chang has been honored with the O’Hara Faculty Prize for Excellence in Teaching, the S. Robert Stone Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Faculty Award for Best Preclinical Instructor, and the Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award.