1963-1998: Dr. John Fordtran, the first gastroenterologist at UT Southwestern, became division chief in 1963 and was  joined by Dr. John Dietschy * that same year. Both Drs. Fordtran and Dietschy received their clinical training in gastroenterology and their early research training at Boston University School of Medicine with the late Dr. Franz Ingelfinger. Dr. Fordtran was chief of the Gastroenterology Division from 1963 to 1979 when he became chairman of Medicine at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. He was followed as division chief by Dr. Dietschy from 1979 to 1998.

Amongst the alumni is Michael Brown, M.D. * joint winner of the Nobel Prize with Joseph Goldstein, Regental Professor and Director of the Jonsson Center for Molecular Genetics. Dr. Brown was a research fellow with Dr. Dietschy.

The following academic gastroenterologists are also alumni and former faculty members of the division:

Mark Feldman, M.D. Chairman of Medicine, Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas, TX; former Vice Chair of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Raj Goyal, M.D. former Chief of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel-Deaconess Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
Guenter Krejs, M.D. Chairman of Medicine, University of Graz, Austria.