David A. Schwartz, MD is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He founded and currently serves as the Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He received his postgraduate training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he completed a fellowship in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and advanced training in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Endoscopic Ultrasound. He is a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Gastroenterological Association. His research has focused on clinical trials for inflammatory bowel disease, imaging of inflammatory bowel disease, the multidisciplinary care of the IBD patient, and the treatment of perianal Crohn’s disease. He has lectured extensively throughout the United States and has written more than 200 articles, book chapters, and abstracts.

The goals of the Gastroenterology Division are to provide outstanding medical care to persons with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver, to train gastroenterology and to perform cutting-edge biomedical research to improve our understanding of digestive diseases. We have 40 full time faculty in the division including research and clinical faculty. There are three strong goals that define the GI Division. The first component is a strong biomedical research with faculty that is focused on innovative discovery-based research. The second is the education and training of medical students, residents, postdoctoral fellows, GI research and GI Clinical fellows. Third the clinical and endoscopic practice at Vanderbilt is focused on compassionate and outstanding patient care. Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and the Nashville Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) both maintain endoscopic units as well as GI clinic facilities. Both a high risk obesity clinic and a malnutrition clinic are housed in the Vanderbilt Center for Human Nutrition. Physicians in the GI Division also provide patient care in the multidisciplinary GERD clinic as well as in the IBD Clinic and the Motility Clinic. Inpatient and outpatient services in GI are provided for VUMC and VAMC separately. The Liver Service covers both hospitals and participates in the VUMC liver transplant program. The Division of Gastroenterology seeks a balance in its clinical and research activities. Our Web Site presents our faculty and their activities in more detail and will provide you with a comprehensive and detailed picture of our activities and interests.