David H. Van Thiel, MD

DHVT Biographical Sketch

David H Van Thiel attended the University of California at Los Angeles where he obtained an MD with Honors in 1967, achieving the distinction of AOA membership. He then took internship and first year of Residency at Cornell University Hospitals in New York from 1967-1969. His initial scientific interests drew him to the NIH, in particular the NICHD and NCI were from 1969-1971 he was a Clinical Associate studying endocrine physiology and disease under the mentorship of Mortimer Lipsett and Grif Ross. He then went to Massachusetts to complete his Residency and pursue a Fellowship in Gastroenterology at Boston University from 1971-1973 under the particular guidance of Robert M Donaldson, Jr. and Roger Lester.

Given his particular interest in Hepatology, and through the advice of Dr. Lester, David Van Thiel started his professional career at the University of Pittsburgh in 1973 and would remain there until 1993, having attained the rank of Professor of Medicine and Surgery, Chairman of Gastroenterlogy and Hepatology, and serving as the Medical director of Liver transplantation. This time period was extremely productive and fortuitous, as it provided continuous interaction and collaboration with Thomas E. Starzl, MD, PhD and his associates during the developmental stages of liver transplantation. During this period exceptional discoveries in disease recognition, pathophysiology and therapies with resultant improved clinical outcomes were produced.

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