Honoring the Memory of a Beloved Colleague

Dr. Jonathan Leong, undeterred by a devastating diagnosis of a glioblastoma in 2017, was a beloved and dedicated intern in the Brigham’s Internal Medicine Residency Program until his untimely passing in 2019. Jonathan’s parents, Susanna Szeto and Joseph Leong, honored the memory of their late son by establishing the Jonathan Leong, MD, PhD, Resident Community-Building Dinner Series. They initiated this dinner series to create a stronger sense of community among the program’s first-year interns, carrying forward Jonathan’s spirit of camaraderie, love of food, and dedication to patient care.

This past November, we came together to celebrate the success of the program and to honor Jonathan’s enduring positive influence. Susanna and Joseph are pictured here, along with Internal Medicine Director Maria Yialamas, MD, past residents and close friends Daniel Pipilas, MD, and Timothy Churchill, MD, and me.

In this photo, we are gathered around a cross-stitch physician’s prayer, made and donated by Susanna. Since his passing, Jonathan’s parents have become close friends, and I am honored to have Susanna’s cross-stitch hung in the Medical Residency Office as inspiration to future clinicians.

Joel Katz, MD
Vice Chair of Education