Contact: Maggie Diebolt
843.792.5021
Sept. 12, 2007
CHARLESTON -- David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, has been named Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Cole will lead initiatives to continue to expand and enhance the clinical, academic and translational research functions of the department while ensuring world class surgery. He also will continue to provide leadership in efforts to move the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center toward the goal of comprehensive cancer center status.
"As he has demonstrated in five years of service as vice-chairman of the Department of Surgery, Dr. Cole brings an exceptional combination of clinical, teaching, administrative and research strengths to lead the development of the department as a nationally recognized center of excellence," said Jerry Reves, M.D., College of Medicine dean and vice president for medical affairs. "During his career at MUSC, he has secured millions of dollars in cancer research funding, earned repeated recognition as an outstanding teacher and surgeon, and provided leadership for a variety of efforts to propel the Hollings Cancer Center toward our goal of attaining comprehensive center status."
A nationally respected academic surgeon in oncology, Cole is a 1986 graduate of Cornell University Medical College. He joined the MUSC faculty in 1994 and has served his department as vice chairman since 2002. Fred A. Crawford Jr., M.D., who chaired the department since 1988, will remain clinically active, and he plans to assume expanded academic activities within the College of Medicine.
Among his administrative appointments, Cole has served as director of the Hollings Cancer Center Tissue Bank, Head of the MUSC Section of Surgical Oncology, division chief of the Division of General Surgery and vice chairman of the Department of Surgery. In addition, he led the Hollings Cancer Center Tumor Host Interactions Program, and currently serves as the medical director of the Center for Cellular Therapy.
About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 10,000 employees, including 1,300 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.3 billion. MUSC operates a 600-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital and a leading Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit www.musc.edu or www.muschealth.com.
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