Division Director – Gastroenterology and Hepatology

The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and OU Health is seeking an aspirational, visionary leader to serve as the next Division Director of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. This senior leadership role offers an exceptional opportunity to lead a high?impact clinical and academic division through a period of strategic growth, program expansion, and increased regional and national visibility.

As Oklahoma’s flagship academic medical center, OU Health has emerged as a powerhouse on a striking upward trajectory, with strong financial performance and a rapidly growing workforce and a spirit exemplified by its “Never done, never outdone” battle cry. This growth underscores OU Health’s status as the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, home to Oklahoma’s premier Level 1 trauma center and the nationally recognized OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center.

The University of Oklahoma has further signaled its ambition through “Project 200,” a bold institutional initiative to recruit 200 nationally renowned, externally funded investigators—a transformative effort designed to elevate discovery, expand research capacity, and elevate the university’s national profile. This recruitment wave aligns seamlessly with the OU College of Medicine’s thriving environment and its contemporary, forward?looking medical school curriculum.

Reporting directly to Dr. Isabella Grumbach, MD, PhD, FACC, FAHA, Stewart G. Wolf Chair in Internal Medicine, the Division Director will serve as the senior strategic and operational leader for gastroenterology and hepatology within the Department of Internal Medicine. The Director will shape the division’s clinical, academic, and research agendas—advancing excellence across general gastroenterology, hepatology, advanced endoscopy, inflammatory bowel disease, motility, and transplant?related liver care.

A central responsibility of the role is to reimagine and elevate the division’s clinical enterprise for the next decade and beyond, positioning OU Health as a premier destination for digestive and liver disease care in Oklahoma and the surrounding region. The Director will partner closely with multidisciplinary teams—including surgical oncology, medical oncology, transplant services, and the Stephenson Cancer Center—to build fully integrated, patient?centered clinical pathways across Oklahoma’s only comprehensive academic health system.

With a mandate to shape the future of digestive and liver care in Oklahoma, the next Director will lead ambitious efforts to:

• Build a high?performing, destination-level outpatient endoscopy program – enhancing access, quality, and innovation in procedural care.
• Support and accelerate the growth of the liver transplant program, strengthening collaboration with transplant surgery and expanding comprehensive pre? and post?transplant care models.
• Expand specialty services such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), developing multidisciplinary programs that deliver cutting?edge therapeutics, advanced care pathways, and research?embedded patient experiences.
• Develop and execute a forward?looking strategy for OU Health Edmond, extending the division’s reach and amplifying its regional impact.
• Expand and elevate the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship Program(s), growing training capacity, enriching educational innovation, and cultivating the next generation of academic and clinical leaders.

The Director will also drive growth in clinical research and innovation, with opportunities to broaden clinical trial portfolios in IBD, hepatology, GI oncology, and advanced therapeutics. Collaboration with the National Cancer Institute–designated Stephenson Cancer Center and university?wide initiatives such as Project 200 will empower the division to increase clinical trial participation, deepen translational partnerships, and bring scientific breakthroughs directly into clinical practice.

In addition, the Director will champion faculty recruitment and development, foster a cohesive and inclusive culture, and elevate the division’s scholarly footprint across education, research, and clinical domains. This is a leadership role for a visionary builder—someone ready to shape programs, expand horizons, and define the next era of excellence in gastroenterology and hepatology at OU Health.

The ideal candidate will be an accomplished gastroenterologist or hepatologist with demonstrated leadership experience in an academic setting; a strong clinical background in general GI, hepatology, or an advanced subspecialty; and a track record of advancing clinical operations, research, and education. Candidates should bring experience recruiting and developing faculty, managing complex clinical programs, engaging in clinical research or clinical trials, and building partnerships across academic and health system environments. Board certification in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology and completion of an ACGME?accredited fellowship in Gastroenterology are required; additional fellowship training (e.g., transplant hepatology or advanced endoscopy) is welcomed but not required.

Korn Ferry is assisting the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine with this critical recruitment. Applications should include a detailed curriculum vitae and a letter of interest. To ensure full consideration, inquiries, nominations, and applications should be submitted electronically, in confidence, to anna.flagg@kornferry.com