Hello, my name is Gilbert R. Upchurch, Jr., MD, and I am the Edward M. Copeland III and Ann & Ira Horowitz Department Chair of the University of Florida Department of Surgery. I joined UF in 2017 with an international reputation as an acclaimed clinician, researcher and educator in the study and treatment of aortic and vascular disease, and I have received many teaching awards over the course of my career. I was inspired to become a doctor by my great mentors and hope to inspire others to do the same.

Prior to joining UF, I served as the chief of vascular and endovascular surgery in the department of surgery and the medical director of the Heart and Vascular Center at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. I was also the William H. Muller Jr. professor of surgery as well as a professor in the department of molecular physiology and biological physics. Having earned my medical degree at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and training at Harvard University, Boston University and the Cleveland Clinic, I maintain active roles on numerous peer-reviewed journals and professional organizations. I also serve on the editorial boards of many prestigious publications, including the Annals of Surgery, Surgery, the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, JAMA Surgery and the Journal of Vascular Surgery. I served as editor or associate editor on 17 books, including “Greenfield’s Surgery: Scientific Principles & Practice,” “Fischer’s Mastery of Surgery” and “Rutherford’s Vascular Surgery.”

I am a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the American Heart Association and the Society for Vascular Surgery, and I am a member of numerous medical associations, including the American Surgical Association, the Southern Surgical Association, the Society for Vascular Surgery, the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery and the American Board of Surgery Council. I am past president of the Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery and the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery. I also served as the chair of the Vascular Surgery Board and am a member of the American Board of Surgery Council. I currently serve on the UF Health Shands Hospital Board of Directors as chairman of the UF Department of Surgery and am the president of the Faculty Group Practice at UF. In 2021, I was proudly inducted into the National Academy of Medicine.

I am currently working on research projects focused on better understanding the pathogenesis of aortic aneurysms. My clinical expertise is in treating thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms. I would like my current and potential patients to know that I can offer a balanced approach to their specialized care.

When I’m not practicing medicine, I enjoy reading, traveling and spending time with my family.