Biography

Dr. Juanita Merchant is a nationally recognized physician‑scientist and leader in gastroenterology. She serves as Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and is a Regents Professor of Medicine at the University of Arizona. She also plays key roles across the university, including in the Department of Physiological Sciences and as Associate Director for Basic Research at the University of Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she previously served as interim Director.
A native of Los Angeles, Dr. Merchant earned her biology degree from Stanford University before completing both her MD and PhD in Cell Biology through the Medical Scientist Training Program at Yale School of Medicine. She trained in Internal Medicine and molecular biology at Massachusetts General Hospital and completed her clinical gastroenterology fellowship at UCLA. She then spent nearly 3 decades at the University of Michigan, where she became a Professor of Internal Medicine, held the Marvin Pollard Chair in Gastrointestinal Sciences, and supported the training of future physician‑scientists through the Michigan MSTP.
Dr. Merchant’s research explores how cells in the gastrointestinal tract grow, differentiate, and interact with microbes—work that has advanced understanding of diseases such as gastric cancer, colorectal cancer and gastrointestinal and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. She has published more than 170 scientific papers, co‑edited several books, and serves on the editorial boards of leading journals in the field. Her research has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for over 30 years, and she received the prestigious Funderburg Award in Gastric Cancer. A dedicated mentor and advocate for the next generation of scientists and clinicians, Dr. Merchant has served on numerous national advisory boards, including programs supporting young investigators from underrepresented backgrounds. She has also advised the NIH through service on both the NIDDK Advisory Council and the NIH Council of Councils. She has served as an external advisor for Digestive Disease Centers at Vanderbilt, Columbia and Harvard universities.

Her leadership and scientific contributions have earned her election to several distinguished organizations, including the Association of American Physicians, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the National Academy of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She also contributes her expertise as a member of scientific advisory councils for the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and Yale School of Medicine.