September 15, 2026

James B. Reilly, MD, MSHP, professor of medicine, has been appointed academic chair of the Department of Medicine.

Dr. Reilly currently serves as senior vice president of academic affairs at Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and regional associate dean for the College of Medicine. Since 2018, he has overseen the education and training of hundreds of residents, fellows and medical students across the AHN system.

A nationally recognized medical educator and leader, Dr. Reilly has more than 15 years of experience advancing medical education, patient safety and residency training. His numerous honors include the Penn Pearl Award, the Maurice Attie Junior Faculty Teaching Award, multiple Drexel University College of Medicine Golden Apple Awards and the June Klinghoffer Educator Award, a lifetime achievement recognition for excellence in clinical skills education and mentorship. Dr. Reilly received his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh and completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowship training in nephrology at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also earned a master's degree in health policy research.

Meera Harhay, MD, MSCE, professor of medicine, has been appointed vice chair of research in the Department of Medicine.

In this role, Dr. Harhay will lead the growth of research and scholarship across the department's distributed campuses, helping to advance a unified academic community. She will work closely with the College of Medicine's research leadership, including Vice Dean for Research and Innovation Dr. Sandhya Kortagere, Associate Dean for Medical Student Research Dr. Karen Berkowitz and Associate Dean for Clinical Research Dr. Asif Ilyas.

Dr. Harhay also serves as medical director of clinical research in the Office of the Vice Dean for Research and Innovation. A board-certified nephrologist and physician-investigator, her research focuses on kidney transplantation, clinical epidemiology and improving patient care and quality of life before and after transplantation.

Drexel University College of Medicine thanks Cecilia M. Smith, DO, professor of medicine, for her outstanding leadership and dedication while serving as interim academic chair of the Department of Medicine since January 2020. Dr. Smith will continue in her role as associate dean of the Tower Health Regional Campus in West Reading, Pennsylvania.