McPherson Appointed Chair of Internal Medicine
at UT Medical School at Houston
HOUSTON – (Oct. 27, 2008) – David McPherson, M.D., a longtime funded National Institutes of Health (NIH) researcher and leader in the field of cardiology focusing on targeted molecular imaging and drug and gene delivery, has been appointed chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston.
David McPherson, M.D.
“Dr. McPherson will provide the leadership to take his department to the next level, although it is not a one-person job. He will have to rely upon his chiefs and recruit and engage strong leaders. I believe he has the qualities to bring people together: he is driven, a team player and effective at recruitment. I am certain he will contribute to the growth of internal medicine,” said Giuseppe Colasurdo M.D., dean of the UT Medical School at Houston.
“For the Department of Internal Medicine at the medical school, I want nothing but the best. I would like to see us become a top-tier nationally ranked department by the Association of American Medical Colleges. A few short and long term goals include: aggressively growing our clinical practices, obtaining further NIH funding and strengthening our partnerships with the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System and the Harris County Hospital District,” said McPherson, professor and division director of cardiology at the UT Medical School and chief of cardiology at Memorial Hermann Heart & Vascular Institute-TMC.
McPherson added that he has identified strategic areas of growth for the department: oncology, pulmonary critical care, translational research and educational programs. “The plan includes recruiting a vice chair and five associate chairs in internal medicine,” McPherson said.
McPherson received his medical degree from the University of Alberta in Canada and completed his internship, residency and fellowship at Dalhousie University in Canada. McPherson, who is board certified in cardiovascular disease, internal medicine and echocardiography, completed an additional fellowship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Before joining the faculty at the UT Medical School at Houston in 2006, he was the director of cardiology research at Northwestern University for almost 20 years.