Chancellor Steve J. Schwab, MD, has named Paul J. Hauptman, MD, a nationally recognized clinical investigator, dean of the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine (UTGSM) in Knoxville. He will also serve as senior vice president and chief academic officer of the University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC) in Knoxville.
Dr. Hauptman comes to UTGSM and UTMC after 20 years with Saint Louis University (SLU) School of Medicine, where he most recently served as assistant dean of Clinical and Translational Research, professor of internal medicine, and director of the heart failure program at Saint Louis University Hospital, as well as an adjunct professor in the College for Public Health and Social Justice. Prior to SLU, Dr. Hauptman held faculty appointments at Harvard Medical School.
He was chosen for the position of dean after a national search. He will begin his role at UTGSM and UTMC on October 1.
“This is an excellent opportunity for someone to take the campus to a new level, while recognizing the tremendous accomplishments and achievements of Dr. Neutens,” said Dr. Hauptman. James J. Neutens, PhD, FASHA, has been the dean of UTGSM for more than 10 years.
“I was very impressed during my visits to the campus and there’s a clear dedication to not just preserve, but grow the educational and research endeavors of the Graduate School of Medicine. I look forward to participating in that process,” Dr. Hauptman said.
Dr. Hauptman received his bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College. He completed his internship and residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a clinical fellowship in cardiology at Mount Sinai Hospital, and a combined research and clinical fellowship in medicine in the cardiovascular division of Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He also served on the faculty at Harvard Medical School for five years.
Dr. Hauptman was director of the Clinical Trials Office of the SLU School of Medicine, the regulatory authority for contracting, budgeting and invoicing of clinical trials for the university. His research interests include outcomes assessment in cardiovascular disease and advanced heart failure, evaluation of care delivery, and clinical research, and trials in congestive heart failure. He has garnered support through federal, foundation, and industry-sponsored research grants, including from the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association. He has also served as an expert panelist for the FDA and has authored over 145 papers in publications including JAMA and the New England Journal of Medicine.
“My area of research is focused on the evaluation of care delivery and physician decision-making in advanced heart failure,” Dr. Hauptman said. “Chronic disease in general is increasing in prevalence and we need to better understand what patients want and what they need. I certainly intend to continue to participate in this area of research, in part because as patients are living longer with heart failure, we are encountering new challenges in clinical care and policy, and we need to be prepared to meet those new challenges.”
Dr. Hauptman said his overriding vision is to find ways to expand upon current research initiatives, further enhancing the reputation of UTGSM and UTMC, while growing very specific areas of research excellence.
“We have a great opportunity to solidify that reputation and to make sure that for the next 10 or 20 years it’s even stronger,” Dr. Hauptman said. “UTGSM is well known for its ability to educate third and fourth-year medical students and train residents and fellows in postgraduate training programs. We certainly want to foster our standing in that regard. Many clinical programs at the UTMC have both an important local impact and a national reputation, and we want to make sure those thrive as well.”
Dr. Hauptman has received numerous honors including the Teacher of the Year Award and the Caring Physician Award from SLU. He holds leadership positions in the Heart Failure Society of America and the Group on Research Advancement and Development of the Association of American Medical Colleges. In addition, Dr. Hauptman serves as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Cardiac Failure, the flagship publication of the Heart Failure Society of America.
The University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville is the only Level I Trauma Center for the region, it is also the region’s only academic medical center through the UT Graduate School of Medicine.