Dr. Ashton Will Report for THE EARLY SHOW and Will Contribute

To All CBS News Broadcasts and Platforms 

            Jennifer Ashton, M.D., has been named a CBS News Medical Correspondent, it was announced by Sean McManus, President, CBS News and Sports.  In her new role, Dr. Ashton will report on a broad range of medical topics for CBS News' THE EARLY SHOW and will contribute to the division's other broadcasts and platforms.  The appointment is effective immediately.  Dr. Ashton will continue practicing medicine. 

            "CBS News is committed to providing viewers with the information they need most," says McManus.  "Dr. Ashton's proven ability to clearly communicate sometimes complicated health and medical news will be an asset to CBS News and THE EARLY SHOW." 

            Dr. Ashton, a board-certified physician in Obstetrics and Gynecology, is on the attending staff of Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in Englewood, N.J., an affiliate of Mount Sinai School of Medicine.  Her private medical practice, Hygeia Gynecology, treats women in Englewood for both medical and surgical gynecologic conditions.

            Most recently, Dr. Ashton served as a medical contributor for Fox News (2006-09).  During that time, she also was a featured expert on XM Radio's "Oprah & Friends" with Dr. Mehmet Oz and appeared on PBS and on The Learning Channel's "A Baby Story."  

            Dr. Ashton is a member of several professional organizations and is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.  She has done clinical research and presented at national clinical meetings in the fields of General Surgery, Critical Care and Gynecologic Oncology.  Dr. Ashton serves on the Board of Trustees of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation for Humanism in Medicine, is active with many charities and has been recognized for her philanthropic efforts by numerous foundations. 

Her first book, on teenage health and wellness, is due to be published in December of 2009 (Penguin).

            Dr. Ashton was born in Victorville, Calif.  She was graduated from Columbia College, Columbia University, in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in Art History and from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2000 with an M.D, the same year she was awarded the prestigious Bartlestone Award in Pharmacology.  She completed her residency in women's health and gynecologic surgery at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in NYC, an affiliate of Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons.  Dr. Ashton served as Administrative Chief Resident and was awarded Chief Resident of the Year upon completing her residency. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, Dr. Robert Ashton, a thoracic surgeon, and their two children.

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Press Contact:   Kelli Halyard              212.975.6795 or kee@cbsnews.com