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Frank G. Gress, MD, Named Chair of the Department of Medicine

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, Knoxville (UTHSC COM-Knoxville) has named Frank G. Gress, MD as Chair of the Department of Medicine, effective January 5, 2026. Dr. Gress succeeds Rajiv Dhand, MD, who has led the department since 2012.

Dr. Gress brings more than 30 years of academic, clinical, and administrative experience to this role. A nationally recognized gastroenterologist, he most recently served as Professor of Medicine, Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine, and Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Mount Sinai Hospital South Nassau, part of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, where he has been on faculty since 2018.

Before joining Mount Sinai, Dr. Gress served as Clinical Chief of the Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases and Chief of Endoscopy at Columbia University Medical Center from 2013 to 2018. Prior to that, he was Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, from 2007 to 2013. Earlier in his career, Dr. Gress held faculty appointments at Duke University Medical Center, Stony Brook University, and Indiana University School of Medicine.

Dr. Gress's clinical and research interests include pancreatic disease, early detection of pancreatic cancer, and the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic technologies. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and has served on editorial boards and national committees, including the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and the American Gastroenterological Association.

"Dr. Gress quickly rose to the top of a very talented pool of applicants during the national search for Dr. Dhand's successor," said UTHSC COM-Knoxville Dean Robert M. Craft. "Through this very deliberate process, Dr. Gress has proven to be an ideal fit for our campus, given his ability to grow the missions of healing, education, and discovery within institutions very similar in structure to ours," added Dr. Craft.

Dr. Gress completed his medical education at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and his residency training in Internal Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He completed fellowships in gastroenterology and hepatology at the State University of New York Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn and advanced therapeutic endoscopy at Indiana University Medical Center. He also earned an MBA in Healthcare Sector Management from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business.

"I am honored and excited to join the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, Knoxville as the next Chair of the Department of Medicine. UTHSC's longstanding recognition for clinical care, research, and education is a testament to the dedication and expertise of its faculty and staff," said Dr. Gress. "Together we have an incredible opportunity to lead and transform innovative clinical, education and research programs that will shape the future of medicine. I am eager to begin this journey and work together as we pursue a shared vision for the future."

Dr. Gress follows Dr. Dhand, who has provided more than a decade of leadership and service to the Department of Medicine. The UTHSC COM-Knoxville thanks Dr. Dhand for his many contributions to advancing the department's education, research, and clinical missions, and looks forward to continued growth under Dr. Gress's guidance.

Posted October 17, 2025