After a national search, Thomas Chi, M.D., MBA, has been appointed Chair of the Department of Urology, effective Jan. 1, 2025.
Chi comes to UAB from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where he serves as Kutzmann Endowed Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs and Regionalization, Co-Director of the Endourology Fellowship Program, and Chief of Urology Subspecialty. He also serves as Medical Director for UCSF Health’s Outpatient Surgery Centers at Parnassus and Bayfront and Ambulatory Executive Medical Director. In these roles, Chi stewards surgical services toward increasing quality and accessibility for patients.
Chi is a world-renowned innovator in treating kidney stones and enlarged prostates (BPH). He created the first x-ray-free kidney stone treatment center in the United States. Leading a multi-disciplinary care team, he established a laser surgery program for prostate care at UCSF. Chi’s leadership at UCSF greatly expanded its clinical scope. He successfully led faculty recruitment and program development to regionalize and grow the UCSF Urology footprint in the Bay Area, opening new urology clinics in the South and East Bays. These unique clinical programs facilitate safer urologic care for patients with faster recovery and improved clinical outcomes.
A true surgeon-scientist, Chi’s impact on our understanding of urologic diseases is novel and profound. He leads a research team developing new treatments for kidney stones and BPH, recognized by funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the American Urological Association (AUA) Urology Care Foundation. Chi derives energy from new ideas that lead to more effective surgical and medical therapies. He has actively engaged community members and patients in philanthropic partnerships to build research programs with an eye on clinical translation.
Chi is a highly sought-after mentor, having developed programs and trained and mentored hundreds of students, residents, fellows, and attending physicians from around the world to advance their surgical and research skills. He has been awarded two of the highest honors in his field—the AUA Gold Cystoscope Award and the Endourological Society's Arthur Smith Award—for his positive impact on the landscape of urology.
An active leader on the national and international stage, Chi currently serves as a member of the AUA Science and Quality Council, where he drives improved quality standards for patients. As Chair of the Fellowship Committee for the Endourological Society, he spearheaded obtaining grant funding to support the development of a more diverse trainee pipeline globally.
Of his new position, "I am honored to be selected to serve the Department of Urology at UAB and grateful to Dean Agarwal, Dawn Bulgarella, and the UAB leadership for entrusting me with this role," said Chi. "I am excited to join a community where everyone across the organization is aligned in their commitment to inclusive excellence. Together, we will build upon the legacy of outstanding patient care established by Dr. Assimos and stewarded by Dr. Rais-Bahrami. I look forward to working together with everybody at UAB to help take UAB Urology and the broader UAB health system to beyond exceptional.”
“Dr. Thomas Chi will be an exceptional leader as Chair of the department and within the Heersink School of Medicine and UAB Medicine,” said Anupam Agarwal, M.D., dean of the Heersink School of Medicine. “His expertise will contribute to developing strategies to grow the department and enhance our mission areas of patient care, research, and education in Urology.”
Chi earned a B.A. in Human Biology and M.A. degrees in Music and Sociology from Stanford University. At the UCSF School of Medicine, he completed his M.D., urology residency, and endourology fellowship. He obtained an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business.