Dr. Brian W. Christman
Christman named vice chair of Clinical Affairs
Dr. Brian W. Christman, associate professor of Medicine, has been appointed vice chairman for Clinical Affairs at the Nashville Veterans Administration Hospital in the Department of Medicine. He was also appointed Chief of the Medical Service of the Tennessee Valley Health System at Murfreesboro and Nashville, effective Sept. 6.
In his new role as vice chairman, Christman will have departmental responsibility for clinical faculty activity at the Nashville Veterans Administration, an affiliate hospital of Vanderbilt. He is also responsible for student and housestaff teaching programs at the VA. At TVHS, Christman will be responsible for helping to manage the internal medicine practices at both sites and for helping the VA achieve its patient care goals.
“ I am delighted to have Brian leading our clinical mission at the VA,” Dr. Eric G. Neilson, Morgan Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medicine said. “He has a keen understanding of how our medical center works and how we can facilitate our school mission while serving the TVHS. Brian will be a great asset to our program going forward.”
Christman received his B.S. degree from Tulane University in 1977. He later attended the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine where he received his M.D. degree in 1981. Christman completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt and has worked in the Department of Medicine since 1987 when he was named assistant professor of Medicine.
During his career, he has also served as an investigator for the Center for Lung Research, director of the Core Analytical Laboratory in the Center for Lung Research, and director of the training program in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.
As a specialist in pulmonary diseases, Christman is a member of many professional societies and has received many awards and honors including the Parker B. Francis Fellowship in Pulmonary Research, the Judd Sidney H. Reiss Award for Excellence in Pulmonary Medicine, and the Hugh Jackson Morgan Teaching Award, which was selected by the Department of Medicine house staff in 2001. He has also been recognized as one of America’s Top Doctors for the past three years.
At a national level, he is the past president of the Tennessee Thoracic Society, Chairman of the Professional Education and Research Review Committee of the American Lung Association of Tennessee, and has served on nominating, research and program committees for the American Thoracic Society.
A reviewer for many prestigious medical journals in his field, Christman has spoken at a number of national and international venues. He is funded by the National Institutes of Health and currently leads a Program Project Grant on liver-lung interactions and lung inflammation.
He is an authority on lung permeability, ARDS, and the role of eicosanoids in pulmonary hypertension.
“The Department of Medicine is at an exciting stage of growth, and Brian is part of the reason why we have done so well,” said Neilson. “We know Brian will be able to fill the big shoes left by John Newman.”
Christman said, “The two previous chiefs, Drs. Roger DesPrez and John Newman, have become legendary for their clinical, teaching, and research skills. I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to assist with leadership of the Medicine Service at the TVHS and to work with the outstanding faculty, residents and staff who care for some of our most deserving patients.”