Dr. Drossman received his M.D. degree at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and his medical residency at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and NYU – Bellevue Medical Center.  He subspecialized in biopsychosocial medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and in Gastroenterology at the University of North Carolina.  Dr. Drossman was one of the first gastroenterologists to develop the field of brain-gut interactions and Neurogastroenterology.

Dr. Drossman is Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Psychiatry in Gastroenterology at the University Of North Carolina School of Medicine where he was on staff from 1977 through 2011.  He founded and co-directed the UNC Center for Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorders.  He was also founder, past chair and newsletter editor of the Functional Brain-Gut Research Group of the AGA, past Chair of the American Digestive Health Foundation’s Digestive Health Initiative and of the Motility and Nerve-Gut Section of the AGA Council.  He is Past-President of the American Psychosomatic Society, a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, a Master of the American College of Gastroenterology, and was on the Board of Directors of the International Foundation for Functional GI Disorders (IFFGD) (www.iffgd.org).  He has also served on three committees at the Institute of Medicine.  Dr. Drossman is the organizing founder and former President of the Rome Foundation (www.theromefoundation.org), a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the lives of people with FGIDs.

Dr. Drossman’s research contributions have advanced the care of patients with IBS and other FGIDs. He has received research awards to include the Janssen Award for Clinical Research, the American Psychosomatic Society President’s Award, the AGA Joseph B. Kirsner–Fiterman Award in Clinical Research, the AGA Mentors Research Scholar Award, the American Journal of Gastroenterology Lectureship award and the ACG David Sun Award. He was also awarded membership in the Faculty of 1000.

Dr. Drossman has published over 350 peer review articles and over 140 book chapters, has edited or written 20 books and acquired over $15 million in grants. He was Associate Editor of Gastroenterology (2001-2006), has served on six other editorial and advisory boards in Gastroenterology, psychosomatic medicine, behavioral medicine, and patient health and was the Gastroenterology Section Editor of the Merck Manual for 17 years.

As an educator and clinician, Dr. Drossman received the AGA Distinguished Educator Award, the AGA Mentor Clinical Scholar Award and was identified as a “Best Gastroenterologist” in Men’s Health and in Woman’s Health and was featured as one of 12 gastroenterologists in a book “Best Gastroenterology Practices”. This work relates to his effort not only to improve patient outcomes but also improve knowledge, skills and satisfaction of patients and their providers.