The Eugene P. Pendergrass Professorship of Radiology
The Professorship was established in 1977 to honor Eugene P. Pendergrass, MD (1895–1980) for his many contributions to the field of radiology and to the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Pendergrass spent his distinguished career as a scientist, clinician, and teacher at the Perelman School of Medicine. After graduating from the School in 1918, he took his residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and joined the faculty of the School of Medicine in 1920 as an assistant to Henry K. Pancoast, MD. Dr. Pendergrass was instrumental in the groundbreaking discoveries in X-ray technology that emerged from Penn’s radiology laboratories. In 1939, he succeeded Dr. Pancoast as Chairman of the Department of Radiology, a position he held until he became Professor Emeritus in 1961. Dr. Pendergrass accepted the appointment on the condition that the Department of Radiology is officially separate from the Department of Surgery. In 1964, he emerged from retirement to become the first Matthew J. Wilson Professor of Research Radiology. He was an active member of numerous civic and medical associations and received countless awards and honors, including the American College of Radiology Gold Medal and the Golden Plate Award from the Academy of Achievement.
Current Chairholder
Mitchell D. Schnall, MD, PhD
Mitchell D. Schnall, MD, PhD is the Eugene P. Pendergrass Professor of Radiology and Chair of the Radiology Department at the Perelman School of Medicine. Dr. Schnall earned his undergraduate, medical, and PhD degrees from Penn and completed his medical training as a radiology resident at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was Chief Resident.
Dr. Schnall is an international leader in translational biomedical and imaging research, working throughout his career across the interface between basic imaging science and clinical medicine to ensure the effective integration of radiology research with other medical disciplines. His work has led to fundamental changes in the imaging approaches to breast and prostate cancer, and he continues to have a significant influence on emerging imaging technologies, including those in optical imaging.
Previous Chairholders
- Stanley Baum, MD 1977–1996
- R. Nick Bryan, MD, PhD 1999–2012