Shehzad Saeed, MD, is a dedicated physician investigator with a strong focus on health outcomes research related to pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). His work spans epidemiologic and genetic studies, as well as the application of quality improvement and implementation science. After graduating from Dow Medical College in Karachi, he completed his pediatric residency at the University of Chicago and a pediatric gastroenterology fellowship at Tufts University. He then began his clinical practice in Greenville, South Carolina.
Dr. Saeed was later recruited to serve as the fellowship director in the Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), eventually rising to the position of division director. His career then took him to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, where he served as Clinical Director of the Schubert-Martin IBD Center within the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, as well as Clinical Director of the division. The center was one of the original seven sites for the innovative ImproveCareNow (ICN) Network, a groundbreaking improvement collaborative in pediatric IBD.
As Clinical Director of the Schubert-Martin Pediatric IBD Center and site physician leader of the ICN Network, Dr. Saeed actively participated in the Collaborative Chronic Care Network (C3N). This network aimed to transform outcomes and the experience of illness and care, while fostering innovation and accelerating the discovery and application of new knowledge for patient engagement, self-management, and mentoring programs.
Since May 2020, Dr. Saeed has served as Clinical Director for ImproveCareNow, which has expanded to over 100 clinical sites across the United States, Europe, and Qatar, with a registry of more than 50,000 patients—making it the largest of its kind in the world. He has also chaired the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Committee of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN). In this role, he contributed to the development of practice guidelines for IBD care, addressed inquiries regarding biosimilars and pediatric clinical trials, and helped establish national quality metrics for IBD care. Additionally, he chaired NASPGHAN’s Public Education Committee.
Since July 2024, Dr. Saeed has served as Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Wright State University and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Dayton Children’s Hospital. In this capacity, he oversees medical education, faculty development, quality improvement, research, and innovation. His academic focus continues to center on mentoring and empowering faculty and staff, while advancing care and improving the quality of life for children living with IBD.