Dr. Spechler obtained his B.A. degree from Boston University (1971) and his M.D. degree from Boston University School of Medicine (1974). He completed his residency in internal medicine (1974-1977) and his fellowship in gastroenterology (1977-1979) at the Boston VA Medical Center. Upon completing his fellowship, Dr. Spechler joined the staff of the Boston VA Medical Center where he served as Associate Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology until 1990. From 1990 through 1997, Dr. Spechler was the Director of the Center for Swallowing Disorders at the Beth Israel Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston. Dr. Spechler has been a member of the faculty of the UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas since 1997. Dr. Spechler is widely renowned as an expert in diseases of the esophagus. He has a special interest in gastroesophageal reflux disease and Barrett's esophagus. Dr. Spechler has an active program of clinical research that focuses on diseases of the esophagus. He chairs the VA Cooperative Study on Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. He is a member of the American Gastroenterological Association's Committee on GI Research. His current research protocols include an NCI-sponsored study of chemoprophylaxis for Barrett's esophagus, a study of photodynamic therapy for Barrett's esophagus, and a study on the role of NSAIDs in the pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux disease.
