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Dr. Dean Edell

Dr. Dean Edell, one of the first "media doctors" in the nation, retired from ABC7 News in March 2007. Dr. Edell provided medical reports for ABC7 News and is a familiar name to viewers across the nation. He hosts one of America's most popular syndicated radio talk show heard in over 400 markets.

About Dr. Edell's career
From 1987 to 1989 Dr. Edell hosted Dr. Edell's Medical Journal, a live, half-hour medical information show. It aired weekly on ABC7 and was independently syndicated on the Discovery Channel and the Learning Channel. In 1992, Edell hosted and was co-executive producer for Doctor Dean, a half-hour daily network talk show.

Each weeknight on ABC7 News at 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., Dr. Edell explored the latest medical news. Dr. Edell is known for translating complicated medical information into concise, easy-to-understand reports and for tackling topics that are obscure, unusual and often controversial.

Dr. Dean Edell has received several awards, among them an IRIS award for programming excellence in the Major Market Magazine Format category. This yearly award is presented by the National Association of Television Programming Executives (NATPE) to local television stations. The program was also selected for an award by the American Heart Association, and its producers received a Special Merit Award in the 1989 C. Everett Koop Media Awards competition. In addition, Dr. Edell has also been nominated for numerous Emmy Awards and has received many other awards, including a Recognition Award from the American Cancer Society.

A native of New York, Edell studied Zoology as an undergraduate student at Cornell University and then earned his M.D. at Cornell University Medical School in 1967. Edell moved to California to do his residency at the University of California, San Diego. An ophthalmologist and surgeon, he set up a private practice in San Diego and served as an instructor of Anatomy and a clinical instructor at the Department of Surgery for the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine.

Edell gave up his private practice to pursue personal interests, and eventually moved to Sacramento and served as medical director of the County Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Center. He moved to the Bay Area in 1980.

Edell's interests surpass the field of medicine and over the years have included designing custom jewelry, collecting antiques, and organic farming. He studied Fine Arts at the New School in New York City and has lectured on the subject at UC Davis. His paintings and drawings have been exhibited at art galleries in Manhattan and elsewhere.

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