Dr. John J. Reilly Jr. (University of Colorado School of Medicine)

The University of Colorado has named its next dean of the School of Medicine, Dr. John J. Reilly Jr., former chair of the University of Pittsburgh's department of medicine and a pulmonary expert.

Reilly will become the new dean and the university's vice chancellor for health affairs on April 1.

He will succeed Dr. Richard D. Krugman, who is the longest-serving U.S. medical school dean, having been named acting dean in 1990 and appointed to the job in 1992.

Reilly, who joined Pittsburgh in 2008 after more than 20 years with Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, is a researcher with more than 100 peer-reviewed reports to his credit. He is a co-author of textbook chapters on internal medicine.

Reilly's areas of interest include genetic and environmental factors in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the role of specific enzymes in COPD, emphysema and lung cancer.

Reilly, who will hold the Richard D. Krugman School of Medicine Dean's Endowed Chair, graduated from Harvard Medical School after earning an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Dartmouth College.

Under Krugman, more than 4,000 physicians, physician assistants, physical therapists and medical scientists earned degrees.

Krugman announced one year ago he would step down when a successor was hired.

Electa Draper: 303-954-1276, edraper@denverpost.com or twitter.com/electadraper

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CU School of Medicine names Pitt's Dr. John J. Reilly Jr. new dean