Upinder Singh, MD, named chair and DEO of Department of Internal Medicine
Upinder Singh, MD, has been appointed chair and department executive officer of the Department of Internal Medicine in the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. She will begin her new role on Oct. 1, pending approval by the Iowa Board of Regents.
Singh is a professor and the division chief of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She is a physician-scientist with clinical expertise in infectious diseases, and her research interests include parasitology and COVID-19. She also serves as associate chair for faculty development in Stanford’s Department of Medicine and has a secondary faculty appointment in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology.
“Dr. Singh is an accomplished physician-scientist. She’s a leader in the field of infectious diseases, brings a global health perspective to her clinical practice and research, and has a passion for mentoring and building up training programs,” says Denise Jamieson, MD, MPH, UI vice president for medical affairs and the Tyrone D. Artz Dean of the Carver College of Medicine. “We are thrilled to welcome her to UI Health Care, and I know she’ll do a great job in leading our largest academic department.”
Singh is also a fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and deputy editor for the Journal of Infectious Diseases. She is experienced in developing curriculum for training infectious diseases physicians and has expanded the program at Stanford to include sub-specialty training in many clinical aspects of infectious diseases.
Singh earned her medical degree from the Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed residency and fellowship training at the University of Virginia Health System.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to join the Department of Internal Medicine and to lead a tremendous group of clinicians, researchers, and educators in achieving even greater collective success,” Singh says. “With your partnership, we will develop impactful and creative pathways for clinical care and model new ways to innovate scientific discovery including embracing team science initiatives. Additionally, we will implement strong programs for medical training with a goal of making the department a destination for advanced medical education and help ensure a sustainable health care workforce to support all Iowans.”
Jamieson expressed her gratitude to Isabella Grumbach, MD, PhD, who has served as the department’s interim chair and DEO since December 2021 and will continue as a faculty member in the department.
Jamieson also thanked members of the search committee—led by Patricia Winokur, MD, executive dean of the Carver College of Medicine, and Alexander Bassuk, MD, PhD, professor and chair of the Stead Family Department of Pediatrics—for their work in conducting a national search for the position.
The Department of Internal Medicine is more than 150 years old and has over 370 primary faculty members and more than 670 total faculty, 130 advanced practice providers in nine subspecialty divisions, roughly 180 resident physicians and fellows, 60 postdoctoral scholars and students, and nearly 600 professional and clerical support staff.
The chair is the leader of all aspects of the department, serves as the spokesperson for the faculty, and represents the department throughout the college, UI Health Care, and practitioners throughout the state and nationally.