Christopher Hess, MD, PhD, Appointed Chair of UCSF Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging

Chair Christopher Hess, MD, PhDThis announcement comes from Talmadge E. King, Jr., MD, Dean of the UCSF School of Medicine.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher Hess, MD, PhD, as the new chair of the UCSF Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, effective January 1, 2018. In this role, Dr. Hess will also become the Alexander Margulis Distinguished Professor of Radiology.

Dr. Hess is a professor of Radiology and of Neurology and chief of Neuroradiology at UCSF. He also serves as the associate chair for quality and safety and as associate director for the NIH T32 training program.

He earned his BS, MS, and PhD in Electrical Engineering and subsequently his MD at the University of Illinois. After completing his Radiology residency and Neuroradiology fellowship at UCSF, where he also served as a T32 fellow and chief resident, he joined the UCSF faculty in 2008.

Outside of UCSF, he holds leadership positions in the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, the Radiological Society of North America, and the American Society for Neuroradiology. He is on the editorial board of the American Journal of Neuroradiology, and is incoming deputy editor for Radiology.

Dr. Hess' research interests lie in the development and application of techniques for acquisition, reconstruction, and analysis in magnetic resonance imaging, particularly for the study of brain degeneration, development, and vascular disease. A respected mentor and educator, he has previously served as fellowship director in Neuroradiology and teaches in UCSF's undergraduate medical education, Masters of Science in Biomedical Imaging, and postgraduate education programs for Radiology and Neurosurgery.

I am confident that Dr. Hess will bring strong leadership and an in-depth understanding of UCSF's organizational culture to this position, and I know he will work tirelessly to further advance the department's remarkable pool of talent and resources for the benefit of the entire institution.

As medicine becomes increasingly data driven, imaging will continue to gain importance for routine clinical care, predicting long-term outcomes and identifying patients most likely to benefit from costly next-generation treatments. Dr. Hess' vision for the department is to make UCSF the premier health system for using imaging to guide personalized medicine, in an environment that emphasizes continuous improvement, scientific discovery and innovation.

I want to also express my deep appreciation to Dr. William Dillon, who has served as interim chair since October. And I want to thank the search committee, chaired by Dr. Michael Gropper, for their work in considering an exceptional pool of candidates from across the country for this position.

Finally, I once again want to express my gratitude to Dr. Ron Arenson for his 25-year chairmanship of the department, making it the stellar organization it is today. 

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