Aytekin Oto named Dean for Clinical Affairs at UChicago Medicine

Oto

Aytekin Oto, MD, has been named Chief Physician of the University of Chicago Medicine Physicians, Dean for Clinical Affairs at the University of Chicago and head of the faculty practice plan, effective August 15, 2021.

Oto, who also serves as Chair of the Department of Radiology, will work closely with University of Chicago Medical Center President Tom Jackiewicz, in addition to clinical department chairs, faculty and senior leadership. He aims to enhance the role of the physician enterprise and support physician practices in critical areas that include strategic planning and partnership development. He will also work on extending a clinically integrated network of physicians to bolster population health management.

"Dr. Oto’s appointment is part of a broader reorganization of the UChicago Medicine physician enterprise designed to enable continued growth within the ambulatory network and provide the highest quality patient care while supporting the health system’s education and research missions," said Kenneth S. Polonsky, MD, Dean and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Chicago.

As radiology chair, Oto has introduced a number of important innovations to improve clinical operations and patient access to advanced imaging techniques. He also developed a research plan to enhance clinical imaging sciences and provide better service across the University of Chicago Medicine health system.

After completing his medical education and radiology residency training at Hacettepe University Medical School in Ankara, Turkey, Oto furthered his training as a fellow at the Cleveland Clinic and held faculty positions in Turkey and at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

He has been a distinguished University of Chicago faculty member since 2007. In addition to being a renowned clinical radiologist, he has conducted research funded by the National Institutes of Health on the use of MRI and other imaging techniques to guide biopsies for earlier detection of prostate cancer.

Oto succeeds John Flynn, MD, who remains at UChicago as a faculty member in the Department of Medicine.

Aytekin Oto, MD, MBA

Aytekin Oto, MD, MBA

Aytekin Oto, MD, MBA, is an expert in abdominal radiology -- imaging of the liver, pancreas, prostate and bowel. Working with colleagues in medical and surgical subspecialties, he provides optimized patient care for adults with abdominal and pelvic disorders. He has a special interest in imaging of the prostate, magnetic resonance (MR) guided biopsies and MR guided focal therapy.

Learn more about Dr. Oto