Professional Bio
Dwight Towler, MD, PhD, is Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism in the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). He specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of bone and mineral disorders, including osteoporosis and cardiovascular calcification. His research focuses on the endocrine physiology of bone and vascular disease.
Dr. Towler is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine-Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and is a member of the Association of American Physicians and the American Society for Clinical Investigation.
Before joining VUMC in 2026, Dr. Towler served as division director and held the Thomas W. and Joan F. Burns Missouri Chair in Diabetology at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine. He was the first associate dean of Resident Research and a professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
Dr. Towler earned both his medical degree and his doctorate in biochemistry from Washington University in St. Louis. He completed residency and an endocrine and metabolism fellowship at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.
As division director, Dr. Towler leads faculty in further building collaborative, translational research; providing impactful educational programs; delivering evidence-based patient care; and pursuing clinical practice innovations; as well as guiding strategic planning, development and resource management.
Relevant Links
Publications
Education
MD - Washington University in St. Louis, 1989
PhD - Washington University in St. Louis, 1989
Fellowship - Washington University in St. Louis, 1992
Contact
Email
Kimryn.Rathmell@Vumc.Org
Address
777 Preston Research Building
2220 Pierce Ave
Nashville, TN 37232-6307