Dr. Sevdenur Cizginer, MD, MPH, AGSF, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS) in Boston, Massachusetts. Double board-certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine, she serves as a physician-scientist at the Center for Aging and Serious Illness (CASI) within the Mongan Institute at HMS while providing patient care at Massachusetts General Hospital. For over a decade, she has specialized in delivering comprehensive geriatrics and palliative care to frail older surgical patients with complex medical and surgical conditions, including those with cognitive impairments. As a nationally recognized leader in geriatric surgery, she serves on the American College of Surgeons leadership team, working to implement evidence-based geriatric surgery standards throughout the U.S. Hospitals.
Dr. Cizginer's research program employs implementation science to improve care for older surgical patients, with focused expertise in geriatric colorectal cancer surgery, care transitions, and postoperative delirium prevention. Her current Beeson-funded research develops and implements a novel care transition model to enhance post-discharge outcomes for older colorectal cancer surgery patients, utilizing qualitative and mixed methods in collaboration with local and national research partners.
A pioneer in geriatric-surgical care integration, Dr. Cizginer founded the Surgery OSCAR Program (Optimization of Senior Care And Recovery) in 2014 at The Miriam Hospital, Brown University. This innovative collaboration between geriatrics, palliative medicine, and colorectal surgery has demonstrated measurable improvements in patient outcomes and significant cost reductions. The program's success has been recognized with the Lifespan Health System Certification of Recognition and the Barnet Fain Quality Award at Brown University-affiliated hospitals.
Her distinguished career has been honored with numerous accolades, including the Providence Business News' 2015 40 Under Forty Award for professional excellence and community leadership. She has received grant support from the John A. Hartford Foundation and Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, and was selected for the prestigious 2018-2019 TIDES/AGS-ADGAP Emerging Leaders in Aging Program. In 2020, she made history as the youngest recipient of The Miriam Hospital's Charles C.J. Carpenter, MD, Outstanding Physician of the Year Award, the institution's highest honor recognizing exceptional contributions to medicine, leadership, and patient care. Most recently, she was awarded the highly competitive K76 Paul B. Beeson Emerging Leaders Career Development Award in Aging from the National Institute on Aging.
Dr. Cizginer lives in Winchester, Massachusetts with her husband, a fellow physician, and their three young children.