Jonathan Kropski, MD (photo by Erin O. Smith)
Jonathan Kropski, MD, professor of Medicine and holder of the Rudy W. Jacobson Chair in Pulmonary Medicine, has been appointed director of the Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt Health, effective March 15.
Kropski, a physician-scientist whose research has helped advance the understanding and potential treatment of interstitial lung disease, succeeds Anna Hemnes, MD, who was named chair of the Department of Medicine and system physician-in-chief for Vanderbilt Health in January.
Hemnes thanked Joao de Andrade, MD, MMHC, professor of Medicine and Chief Medical Officer/Executive Medical Director of the Vanderbilt Lung Institute, for his “thoughtful stewardship” of the division as interim director during the past two months.
“I am thrilled that Dr. Kropski will be the next director,” Hemnes said. “(He) brings an exceptional record of scientific accomplishment, a deep commitment to advancing discovery and fostering trainees, and a clear vision for clinical growth with highest quality outcomes.”
“This division has earned its reputation as one of the most impactful in the country through rigorous science, engaging collaborations, exceptional training, and patient care that sets the national standard,” Kropski said.
“I look forward to building upon this foundation, supporting the growth of our clinical programs to improve the health and well-being of patients with allergic conditions, lung diseases and critical illness, training the next generation of leaders in the field, and fostering mechanistic, translational and clinical research that will have enduring impact on how we treat patients with these conditions and promote lung health,” he said.
A 2008 graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Kropski completed his internal medicine residency and pulmonary/critical care fellowship through the Physician-Scientist Training Program (Harrison Society) at Vanderbilt. He joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2015 and has a secondary appointment in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology.
Working closely with a multidisciplinary network of collaborators across Vanderbilt, Kropski’s laboratory uses genetic, genomic and single-cell biology approaches along with cell and transgenic animal models to study lung development, lung epithelial injury and repair, and fibrosis.
He and his colleagues have determined the molecular and cellular underpinnings of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and recently identified a potential new treatment for the progressive, incurable lung disease, which is on the rise in the United States.
Kropski’s honors include a Parker B. Francis Fellowship, a Clinical Scientist Development Award from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and a Young Physician-Scientist Award from the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI).
His research has been supported by the federal government, including the National Institutes of Health, and by numerous philanthropic organizations, and he has published more than 100 research papers in major peer-reviewed journals.
As a clinician, Kropski cares for patients with interstitial lung disease at the Nashville VA Medical Center. He is a member of the American Thoracic Society, the American College of Chest Physicians, and the ASCI.
