Emory University emergency medicine physician Brent Morgan, MD, will serve as the new medical director for the Georgia Poison Center (GPC). Morgan succeeds Robert Geller, MD, who will officially retire in August 2025 as the medical director, a position that he has served in since 1984.  

“Dr. Morgan and Dr. Geller have worked closely for years, and we are exceptionally grateful for their expertise and dedication to the health and safety of Georgia’s communities,” says Gaylord Lopez, PharmD, executive director of the Georgia Poison Center. “Dr. Morgan will use his extensive expertise in emergency medicine, medical toxicology and addiction medicine to continue serving the citizens of Georgia and advancing Georgia’s Poison Center.” 

As medical director, Morgan leads the GPC’s free 24-hour poison emergency treatment information service providing assistance and expertise in the medical diagnosis and management of human poisonings. The call center is staffed by 21 pharmacists and nurses that are trained as specialists in poison information, three PharmD clinical toxicologists and eight physician medical toxicologists that help manage more than 75,000 calls a year from health care providers, hospitals, industry, schools, and citizens from the 159 counties in the state of Georgia. In addition to providing poison treatment information, the GPC educates Georgia residents in poison prevention and first aid, and educates health care professionals in clinical toxicology, poisoning epidemiology, poison prevention and toxicology diagnosis and care.  

Morgan is a professor and vice chair in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Emory University. He obtained his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine, completed an Emergency Medicine residency at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland and a Medical Toxicology fellowship at Carolinas Medical Center. He is board certified in emergency medicine, medical toxicology and addiction medicine.  

In 2000, Dr. Morgan founded a combined Emergency Medicine Medical Toxicology fellowship training program at Emory University with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emory University and the Georgia Poison Center. He serves as the Emory University Department of Emergency Medicine’s Director of the Medical Toxicology fellowship and is the Chief of the Medical Toxicology section. He established the Georgia Occupational and Environmental Toxicology clinic at Grady Memorial Hospital. It is the only clinic in Georgia that is certified by the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics. Additionally, Dr. Morgan serves as the Director of the Southeastern United States for Advanced Hazmat Life Support.