Daniel Brown, MD, professor and interim chair of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, has been named as the department’s next chair. His appointment is effective immediately.
Brown, who is also a professor of Biomedical Engineering, has served as Radiology’s interim chair since the summer of 2023.
He joined VUMC in 2013 from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, becoming the founding director of the newly created Division of Interventional Oncology, a division within Radiology and Radiological Sciences. As division leader, he ushered in a new field of image-guided clinical intervention for patients with complex solid tumors. In 2019 Brown was appointed Radiology and Radiological Sciences’ vice chair for Innovation and Clinical Research.
“The Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences is fundamental to the success of our health system while also playing an essential role in much of our research,” said Jeff Balser, MD, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer for VUMC and Dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “As interim chair Dr. Brown has proven to be an accomplished leader in the challenging climate in which our hospitals and clinics must operate. I am delighted that he will be assuming this vital position on a permanent basis.”
One of VUMC’s largest and most active departments, Radiology and Radiological Sciences is currently home to more than 140 faculty, 50 trainees and 500 staff, and is responsible for performing thousands of diagnostic imaging studies and radiologic procedures each day. As a national leader in radiologic imaging research, the department currently ranks No. 14 in total National Institutes of Health funding. Within the department is the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, one of the nation’s foremost imaging research facilities. The department’s educational programs train residents and fellows across the spectrum of adult and pediatric radiology.
“I am honored at the opportunity to serve as the chair of Radiology and Radiological Sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The last 10 months have been a tremendous learning experience. I am also grateful for Dr. Balser’s confidence and trust as we continue to grow the department to cover our rapidly increasing clinical footprint. The department’s faculty are outstanding, and I am excited to see our team continue to excel at teaching, research and clinical practice as we increase our capabilities with more physicians and staff,” said Brown.
Brown is a graduate of Hahnemann Medical College (now Drexel University College of Medicine) and performed a residency in Radiology at Bryn Mawr Hospital and a fellowship in Interventional Radiology at Penn State University. He practiced at Washington University in St. Louis for nine years before moving to Thomas Jefferson, where he was director of Interventional Radiology.
A frequently invited lecturer, Brown has authored more than 200 articles and scientific abstracts and has written performance guidelines for a number of the minimally invasive oncologic interventions done at Vanderbilt. His research focuses on the entire spectrum of interventional oncology.
