Leadership

Chair, Department of Internal Medicine

John M. Carethers, MD, MACP

John M. Carethers, MD, MACP
C. Richard Boland Distinguished University Professor
John G. Searle Professor and Chair, Internal Medicine
Professor, Human Genetics

Dr. John M. Carethers received his BS degree in Biological Sciences with a minor in Chemistry from Wayne State University, and his MD with high distinction from the same institution. Dr. Carethers did his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, followed by a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Michigan. He was then recruited to the University of California, San Diego, where he grew his laboratory-based research in the area of DNA mismatch repair and colorectal cancer pathogenesis, and saw general medicine and gastroenterology patients. He also served as the main physician for hereditary colon cancer referrals in Southern California. His leadership roles included the gastroenterology Fellowship Director, the gastroenterology Section Chief for the San Diego VA Hospital, then Division Chief for University of California, San Diego, before being recruited to Michigan.

He was the founding Director of the NIH-funded UCSD Gastroenterology Center grant, and was the Director of the gastroenterology T32 training grant. His laboratory research continues to be funded by the NIH. Dr. Carethers also has interest in colorectal cancer disparities as it relates to genetics and outcomes. He is the former PI of the SDSU/UCSD Cancer Center Comprehensive Partnership U54 grant, which addresses cancer disparities. He has published over 165 manuscripts and book chapters. He is a Senior Associate Editor for Gastroenterology, the highest impact gastroenterology journal. He completed a 2-year appointment on the National Commission for Digestive Diseases, a U.S. Congressional Commission, after his appointment by Elias Zerhouni, MD, then Director of the National Institutes of Health. He was elected a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and elected a member of the American Association of Physicians (AAP), and serves on the AAP Council. He was elected a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 2012.