USC Keck School of Medicine names new radiology chair
The University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine has named Joshua A. Hirsch, MD, as its new radiology chair following a national search.
He joins the Los Angeles-based in institution from Massachusetts General Hospital, where he also had an academic appointment as professor of radiology at Harvard. USC said it picked Hirsch from an “impressive cohort of candidates” following a comprehensive search process.
According to the school, the radiologist is renowned for his “collaborative and people-centered leadership,” with a commitment to building a culture in which all parties excel. As chair he’ll be tasked with advancing clinical excellence, interdisciplinary imaging research and the Keck’s educational mission.
“Dr. Hirsch … is a highly collaborative leader who has a track record of strengthening quality and safety, improving operational performance, and aligning clinical services with institutional priorities,” radiologist Carolyn Meltzer, MD, dean of the Keck School of Medicine, said in a statement May 19.
Meltzer also highlighted Hirsch’s “extensive scientific experience and academic expertise,” having authored over 650 peer-reviewed publications. He has held numerous institutional leadership roles with MGH/Harvard, USC noted. These have included director of neurointerventional radiology, chief of the interventional spine service, associate department quality chair, and vice chair of procedural services. During his time at Mass General, Hirsch led program integration and operational redesign initiatives spanning a large and complex imaging enterprise.
Hirsch also has earned accolades for advancing interdisciplinary collaboration across radiology, stroke care, spine intervention and procedural services, USC noted. He currently chairs the Future Trends Committee of the American College of Radiology and serves as a senior affiliate research fellow of the Neiman Health Policy Institute. Hirsch additionally holds fellowships with five professional societies. His resume includes stints as president of the American Society of Spine Radiology, the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery, and the American Society of Neuroradiology. He’s also deputy editor of the Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery.
USC’s department of radiology comprises 40 full-time faculty, 13 staff members, 43 residents, 17 fellows, 3 postdocs and 8 fellowship programs. It includes a dedicated Molecular Imaging Center, which has secured over 50 grants since 2009, according to a job posting from Isaacson, Miller. The department is home to one of the largest and most competitive diagnostic radiology programs in the country, the recruiting firm noted. Hirsch will be responsible for strategic leadership during a time when “outlining a vision of growth for the department, collaborating creatively with key constituents within the health system, and raising the department’s national profile are key priorities.” USC in the job posting listed anticipated compensation of between $830,000 and $950,000.
The school did not mention who Hirsch would be replacing in its news update. USC previously appointed Jamlik-Omari Johnson as radiology chair in 2023 after he had served as interim leader of the department before that. According to LinkedIn, he continued in the role until June 2025, remaining with USC as a clinical professor of radiology until January. His profile says he has practiced as a physician with both the Keck Community Medical Group and Northwestern Medicine, in Chicago, since February.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.