Dr. Dorothy ‘Elizabeth’ Loy-Gemmer

Elizabeth, daughter of Rev. Dennis Loy and Dr. Beth Vanlandingham, graduated as valedictorian from University High School in Johnson City. She completed her pre-medical undergraduate education at the University of Pennsylvania.

At Penn she was captain of the Women’s Rugby team, director of scholarship for Alpha Phi sorority, and child life volunteer at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Elizabeth worked in a pediatric genetics research laboratory with Dr. Ian Krantz. She completed a study abroad experience at the University of Botswana.

Elizabeth graduated with a B.A. in Biochemistry and then moved to Baltimore to work as a research technician in Dr. Luis Garza’s laboratory studying wound healing. In 2011 she returned to the University of Pennsylvania as a student in the MD/PhD program. She completed her PhD in July 2018 and published a paper in August: The evolution and African ape origins of Plasmodium vivax, one of the parasite species that cause malaria.

She received her Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) in May 2020. She was matched to her Internal Medicine residency placement at the University of Colorado in Boulder.  Elizabeth is participating in a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care medicine at the University of Colorado Hospital. She was awarded the Humanism & Excellence in Teaching award by the graduating  medical students at the University of Colorado. She works as a hospitalist part time. She, her husband, Tom, and their son reside in Boulder.