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Leadership and Administration
Jay L. Hess, MD, PhD, MHSA, is the 10th dean of Indiana University School of Medicine and executive vice president for university clinical affairs.
Dean Jay Hess speaking at Commencement

Office of the Dean

Jay L. Hess, MD, PhD, MHSA, is the 10th dean of Indiana University School of Medicine. A graduate of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Hess is a hematopathologist and one of the nation’s leading researchers in the epigenetics of leukemia. As dean, he has led the nine-campus medical school through a curriculum overhaul and made strategic investments in research that have resulted in a dramatic increase in NIH funding and the availability of advanced therapies for residents of Indiana.

Direct from the Dean

Through his regular columns, Dean Hess shares his thoughts about some of the most important priorities and pressing challenges for IU School of Medicine, the profession and the health of Indiana.


Direct from the Dean

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at IU School of Medicine

Against a backdrop of over 100,000 Americans dying of COVID-19—many from underserved populations—the killings of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, George Floyd in Minnesota and other heartbreaking events highlight the depth of the racial inequalities and injustices that persist throughout our society.

Jay L. Hess, MD, PhD, MHSA  |  Jun 01, 2020

“This is a medical school that has treated more than 200,000 people for HIV in Africa. This is the institution that pioneered echocardiography, invented the electronic medical record and cured testicular cancer. We introduced regional campuses for medical education. We are a medical school that sets bold goals and achieves them.”

–Jay L. Hess
Executive Vice President for University Clinical Affairs
and Dean of IU School of Medicine


Spotlighting Success

Under the leadership of Dean Hess and the school’s executive team, IU School of Medicine has built on more than a century of success and is transforming the way health care is delivered in Indiana and afar.

Research Renaissance

NIH funding has increased more than 95 percent over the past five years, and the school’s NIH ranking is currently 27th in the nation and 14th among public medical schools. Indiana University School of Medicine has been widely recognized for its seminal contributions to research related to public health priorities such as Alzheimer’s disease, musculoskeletal health and cancer, and for the establishment of the IU Precision Health Initiative.

Research Expertise
Doctor and med students looking at model skeleton in lab

Statewide Training

The school is capitalizing on its statewide footprint and the strengths of its nine campuses to graduate physicians who will serve all Hoosiers. More students are completing clinical rotations outside of Indianapolis, the school is partnering with community hospitals to add residency programs throughout the state, and campuses are developing scholarly concentrations that showcase their unique expertise and prepare students to tackle the most pressing challenges in health care.

Education Programs
Doctor giving oxygen to patient in hospital

Leading-Edge Care

IU School of Medicine has moved more than 65 independent physician groups into a single faculty group practice, IU Health Physicians, to improve delivery of care and strengthen the alignment of clinical, education and research missions. As a result, more Hoosiers have access to advanced care and the most promising therapies in the form of clinical research studies.

Clinical Affairs
President McRobbie and Dean Hess coating Don Brown

Attracting Funding

Grantmakers and individual donors have taken note of the school’s ambitious vision and are investing generously in research and other programs. The IU School of Medicine raised more than $1.7 billion as part of For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign, including 99 endowed chairs and professorships and 144 endowed scholarships.

Impact of Giving