Chief - Division of Gastroenterology

Position Description

The Chief, Division of Gastroenterology (GI) will lead and grow successful clinical, educational, and research programs in the Division ofGastroenterology.

The Division of Gastroenterology was formed over 50 years ago and now has over 60 faculty, successful clinical practices in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, outstanding teaching, and a robust extramurally funded research program.

The Chief of Gastroenterology will promote excellence in clinical practice, teaching, and research. The Chief will be responsible for growing the clinical care activities in the Division to meet the needs of educating medical students, residents and fellows, and to meet the growing need for high quality GI physicians affiliated with Washington University’s busy medical specialty practices. The Chief will support and advance the successful medical education mission of the Division and expand training opportunities in clinical research and teaching at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, other BJC HealthCare hospitals and Washington University School of Medicine (WashU MEDICINE).The Chief will also nurture the strong extramurally funded basic science, clinical and translational research programs within the Division.

The Chief will be recognized as an outstanding leader in GI, with the ability to support and grow clinical, research, and education domains. The Chief will oversee the outpatient and inpatient clinical enterprises of the Division, including expansion of high quality, accessible GI and Hepatology outpatient care to support the academic training and research missions of the University.

In the clinical realm, the Chief will recruit outstanding physicians, oversee exemplary GI care, and will expand outpatient and inpatient services to better serve the clinical needs of the BJC HealthCare hospitals and WashU MEDICINE.

For the educational mission, the Chief will provide oversight and support for Division faculty and staff who provide undergraduate and graduate medical education including rotations, and GI fellowships.

The Chief will also oversee basic science, clinical and translational scholarship and research within GI, including hiring new faculty who will become independent investigators. GI research faculty possess strong and wide collaborations across multiple Divisions, Departments, Programs and Schools at WashU. Areas of potential growth include clinical translational research in liver disease (including MASLD and HCC), GI cancers broadly but with emphasis on foregut (esophageal, gastric and pancreatic) and colorectal cancer, and the applications of artificial intelligence in digestive and liver disease.A major strength of the GI Division is in its programs in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and the new leader will be expected to consolidate and build upon this foundation.

The Chief is responsible for faculty recruitment including clinician track and investigator track faculty and is responsible for nurturing and supporting their development.The Chief is tasked with oversight of all administrative functions of the Division including financial operations, infrastructure, and personnel.

Basic Qualifications

Candidates must be certified by the ABIM and hold an MD or equivalent degree and should be at the Professor rank. The successful candidate will be a visionary leader in GI, recognized for clinical and research excellence, have demonstrated a commitment to medical education, promoting scholarship, research, and career development opportunities for students, residents, fellows, and faculty members.Candidates should have significant leadership experience and mentoring skills necessary to support and grow the Division. Candidates should also have a significant record of accomplishment in research, and the ability to support, mentor, and recruit faculty pursuing research across varied topics relevant to GI. The ability to recruit, develop, mentor and manage faculty and staff across the clinical, research and education missions is essential.