Thomas Wang named new dean of University of Michigan Medical School

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Thomas J. Wang, M.D., has been appointed as the next dean of the University of Michigan Medical School, effective Sept.15.

He will also hold the title of professor with tenure in the U-M Department of Internal Medicine.

Wang brings a distinguished track record of leadership, research excellence and commitment to medical education as a professor and chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. 

“I’m truly honored to join the University of Michigan and Michigan Medicine,” Wang said. “I'm very familiar with the medical school’s legacy of outstanding patient care, discovery, and education and it has been great to learn about all the ways the institution is building on that tradition. I’m excited to have the opportunity to contribute to this incredible community as the next dean.”

A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Wang received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School after graduating summa cum laude from Harvard College. He completed residency training in internal medicine and advanced training through a fellowship in cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Wang to our leadership team,” said David Miller, M.D., M.P.H., University of Michigan’s executive vice president for medical affairs and chief executive officer of Michigan Medicine.

“His vision for interdisciplinary collaboration, scientific innovation and transformative education aligns seamlessly with our mission to train the next generation of physicians, scientists, and healthcare leaders.”

Wang previously served on the faculty of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School from 2003 to 2013 where he led a nationally recognized program in patient-oriented research and pursued clinical work in heart failure and transplantation. From 2013 to 2020 he served as director of the division of cardiovascular medicine and physician-in-chief of the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute.

Wang’s research has received continuous support from the National Institutes of Health, contributing to advances in understanding the natriuretic peptide system, cardiovascular biomarkers, and the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

“His scholarship encompasses the continuum from fundamental research to clinical application, but it is his ability to orchestrate complex academic enterprises that makes him uniquely qualified for Michigan Medicine,” said Laurie McCauley, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at U-M.

“He is the visionary leader our medical school requires as we address the most critical health challenges facing society.”

Wang, the physician-in-chief at UT Southwestern’s William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, joined the Dallas-based medical center in February 2020, leading its largest department through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, the department served as the primary service for the vast majority of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, nearly 500 a day across three hospitals during the peak surges.

As the seventh chair in the history of UT Southwestern’s Department of Internal Medicine, Wang led transformative growth, recruiting more than 400 new faculty. With the addition of several tracks, the Internal Medicine residency program is now second largest in the country.

Wang is currently president-elect of the Association of Professors of Medicine, a standing member of the FDA Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee and the NIH Human Studies of Diabetes and Obesity study section and an elected member of the Association of American Physicians and the American Society of Clinical Investigation.

His commitment to education has been recognized with the American Heart Association Genomics and Precision Medicine Mentoring Award and the Outstanding Mentor Award from Mass General Brigham.

Wang succeeds Marschall S. Runge, M.D., Ph.D., who served as executive vice president for medical affairs and chief executive officer of Michigan Medicine since March 2015 and dean of the U-M Medical School since January 2016.

“We would like to express our gratitude to the search advisory committee members for their exceptional service. We are also deeply appreciative of the many stakeholders across our community who provided thoughtful feedback and engaged meaningfully throughout the search process,” Miller said. 

“A special thanks goes to Dr. Marschall Runge for his dedication and continued service as Medical School dean during the transition period. We are all thankful for his dedication to both the medical school and the university in this capacity.”