Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition Division Chief

Details

The University of Utah seeks an exceptional gastroenterologist or transplant hepatology leader to serve as the Chief for the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (Gastroenterology) in the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine (DOIM). This is a remarkable opportunity for a dynamic academic leader to further the growth and innovation of this vibrant program’s clinical, research, educational, and other programmatic missions.

The Division of Gastroenterology is one of twelve divisions within the Department of Internal Medicine. The faculty and advanced practice clinicians cover the entire spectrum of gastroenterology and hepatology and are dedicated to high‑quality, value‑driven patient care, education, innovation, and discovery through basic, clinical, population, and health‑services research. Thirty faculty and sixteen advanced practitioners provide outpatient and inpatient services in multiple locations, including the University of Utah Hospital, Huntsman Cancer Institute, the George E. Wahlen

Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VA), and community clinics in South Jordan, Sugarhouse, Park City, Salt Lake City, and Farmington. The Division serves a large geographic area in the Intermountain West with general gastroenterology and hepatology clinics and sub‑specialty clinics (Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Clinic (EGID), Family Cancer Assessment Clinic, and Liver Transplant). The Division performs over 20,000 endoscopic procedures per year and sees over 20,000 patients in our ambulatory gastroenterology and hepatology clinics.

Our research mission is equally important and is fully integrated with our clinical and teaching missions. Research interests in the Division are extensive and include genetics and epidemiology of colon, pancreatic and esophageal cancers, molecular diagnostics and biology of serrated polyps, and molecular analysis of biospecimens of inflammatory GI diseases (hepatitis, ulcerative colitis, and eosinophilic esophagitis). Clinical trials are also extensive, including esophageal disorders (eosinophilic esophagitis, and GERD), inflammatory bowel disease, interventional endoscopy, and liver disease.

Many research endeavors are facilitated by access to the Utah Population Database, the only database of its kind in the United States, and one of the largest sources in the world to support biomedical and health‑related research on genetics, epidemiology, demography, and public health with information on more than 7 million individuals. The Division of Gastroenterology and its current faculty are highly invested in clinical and translational research.

Currently, our program is comprised of 11 research coordinators, spanning all gastroenterology sub‑specialties. In the coming year we estimated our portfolio of projects to surpass $1.5 million in total revenue.

The Division of Gastroenterology is also part of the Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Immunology Consortium (MAGIC) along with the 3i Initiative, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Department of Pathology, Division of Microbiology and Immunology, and the Division of Infectious Diseases. MAGIC seeks to become one of the preeminent microbiome research centers in the United States focused on leveraging discoveries to improve human health. MAGIC has created a biobank to help minimize barriers of translational research by creating a mechanism for patients, clinicians, and scientists to contribute to cutting‑edge gastroenterology health research.

The MAGIC Biobank is a rapidly growing resource for collaborative translational research.

The Gastroenterology Division is also highly committed to the education of gastroenterology fellows, Internal Medicine house staff, PhD postdoctoral fellows, and students. Attracting and training clinicians and researchers are integral to its education mission. The Division provides training to 9 fellows through a competitive, accredited Fellowship Program. The University of Utah offers excellent graduate programs for training PhD and MD/PhD students, and a Physician‑Scientist Training Program (PSTP) in the Department of Internal Medicine.

The…