Steven Harris Named Director of Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program The Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences is proud to share that Steven Harris, MD, PhD, will assume leadership of our Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program, effective this September. Dr. Harris transitions into the Program Director role after two years as the Associate Program Director, operating under the guidance of Erin Cooke, MD.
“It’s a tremendous honor to lead the program and support the residents,” Dr. Harris says. “And Dr. Cooke has been a tremendous mentor. I’m proud of the program and hope to continue her mission.”
Dr. Harris says the mission is straightforward: it involves top-notch medical education, as well as growth—both for the residents and the program itself.
“The goal is continued excellence in clinical training with unparalleled opportunities for leadership, service, and research,” Dr. Harris says. “Continued growth of the program is essential to support the department, medical center, and Nashville. I’m proud of the program and excited about its direction. Working with residents has been rewarding and I’m excited to include new faculty as the department grows.”
Daniel Brown, MD, FSIR, Chair of the Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, is certain that residents will continue to excel with Dr. Harris.
“Dr. Harris is a great fit and provides a lot of enthusiasm to this role,” Dr. Brown says. “He also can provide continuity in the training program, something that was important to the trainees I spoke with about this transition. I would also like to thank Dr. Cooke for her service as Program Director.”
VUMC’s Radiology’s Vice Chair of Education, Lori Deitte, MD, also sees a bright future under Dr. Harris’ leadership.
“Dr. Harris has quickly emerged as an exceptional leader in resident education,” Dr. Deitte says. “He hit the ground running as the recipient of back-to-back resident teaching awards in 2020 and 2021. Over the past few years, he has worked closely with Dr. Cooke to support and lead the DR residency program. I look forward to seeing the program continue to thrive and grow. This is huge win for all of us.”
As we enter the next chapter of our residency program, VUMC Radiology is grateful to Dr. Cooke for her years of leadership.
"It has been an honor,” Dr. Cooke says. “I'm very grateful for the opportunity to work with our excellent residents, faculty, and staff over the past few years. I'm excited to see how the residency will continue to expand and develop under the expertise of Dr. Harris."
Former VUMC Radiology resident, Jennifer Huang, MD, will soon rejoin the department as Assistant Professor and Assistant Program Director for the diagnostic radiology residency program. The department will also be seeking two additional APDs to join the DR team. Interested faculty should contact Dr. Harris.
Steven Harris, MD, PhD, is an honors graduate of Vanderbilt University, who earned his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University and his medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine. He completed his Diagnostic Radiology Residency and a fellowship in Abdominal Imaging at Duke University. Dr. Harris joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2019 as an Assistant Professor.
